While its exact origin is uncertain, “Saya yang menurut perintah” was the official sign-off used in government correspondence for as long as I can remember. It literally means, “I, who obey orders.”
When Malaysia reached its first major political turning point in 2018, it came with renewed optimism and lessons drawn from the 1Malaysia Development Bhd debacle. One such lesson was the need to change that very sign-off to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
On Oct 20, 2018, the Public Services Department issued a circular officially updating it to “Saya yang menjalankan amanah” – “I, who carry out the trust.”
The change from perintah (command) to amanah (trust) sounded noble and carried a deeper sense of responsibility. Yet, it appears the spirit of amanah has not fully taken root. Old habits die hard, and current events suggest the phrase still translates to, “Do whatever your boss asks without question.”
This kind of blind obedience – what I call the “Tuah syndrome” in my corporate training sessions – is precisely the culture that allowed the “Magic Se7en” fiasco to occur.
Unfortunately, it’s not just the FA of Malaysia (FAM) under scrutiny. The saga has raised serious concerns about due diligence and vetting processes within key government agencies, including the National Registration Department and the Home Ministry. It leaves many wondering if the menurut perintah mentality still governs our institutions instead of the spirit of amanah.
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room. Yes, it was outright cheating – as confirmed in Fifa’s Motivated Decision.
FAM claimed that seven professional players from Argentina, Brazil and Spain each had a grandparent born in Malaysia, making them eligible to represent Harimau Malaya if granted citizenship.
The wheels turned quickly. Based on publicly available information, their applications for Malaysian citizenship were approved in record time.
Contrast this with the thousands of others still waiting – those born in Malaysia without documentation or married to Malaysians, who have spent years paying taxes and facing repeated rejections.
But in true Malaysia Boleh fashion, the moment the “Magic Se7en” helped us trounce Vietnam 4-0 in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifier (after losing eight of the last 10 meetings), all was conveniently forgotten in the euphoria. Hope surged, and talk of Harimau Malaya qualifying for the World Cup filled the air.
Across the region, however, our neighbours weren’t so impressed. We had become the “noisy neighbours,” to borrow a phrase from a famous football manager. A report to Fifa soon followed, leading to the discovery that the birth certificates used to establish Malaysian lineage had been doctored – resulting in sanctions and international embarrassment.
The damage is done. The real question now is: how do we respond?
FAM appears to be doubling down, playing the victim and using familiar misdirection tactics to control the narrative. We’ve seen this before – defending the indefensible can be surprisingly effective if the story can be spun right.
Yet if enough of us, the marhaen (common folk), speak up, the powers that be can no longer ignore us. Nor do they have pockets deep enough to buy silence on TikTok.
So, this becomes a test for us – the marhaen citizens of Malaysia.
Do we remain a nation where anything goes for a privileged few? Or do we seize this moment to live up to “Saya yang menjalankan amanah” and demand accountability from those entrusted with power?
If the Magic Se7en saga ends with only a scapegoat dismissed and another bulge swept under the Malaysian carpet, then we must admit that despite the change in sign-offs, we are still a society of “yang menurut perintah.”
For change to happen, we must stop blindly following orders and recognise our greater responsibility in protecting this nation. If those in power had truly acted with amanah, we wouldn’t be in this mess.
So, as a marhaen, here’s my part:
“Saya yang menjalankan amanah sebagai seorang rakyat Malaysia menuntut ketelusan dan pihak berwajib untuk mengambil tanggungjawab.”
Please, do your part too.
Sayf Ismail is a consultant and trainer in corporate culture and sustainability at the Nakhoda Action Lab and an Adjunct Professor at Universiti Malaya. He was formerly the Head of Marketing and Social Responsibility at the FA of Malaysia (2014-2016) and is the co-founder of SocaLoca, a mobile app that supports the identification of young footballers.
The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the writer and do not necessarily represent that of Twentytwo13.
