On Oct 26, several Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) officials were seen walking towards the Plenary Hall on Level 1 of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre for the Asean-Fifa Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony.
Among them was Datuk Noor Azman Rahman – FAM’s suspended secretary-general.
When approached by this writer, who had been stationed at the venue since the start of the 47th Asean Summit, Noor Azman replied: “Kenapa tak boleh? (Why, cannot?)”
Inside the hall, Noor Azman was seen mingling with other officials, including representatives from the Youth and Sports Ministry. He sat throughout the event.
Present at the ceremony were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Asean secretary-general Dr Kao Kim Hourn, and Fifa president Gianni Infantino. Noor Azman’s attendance was documented by Twentytwo13 in our Oct 26 article.
Infantino later posted a video on Instagram on Oct 27 featuring scenes from his trip to Kuala Lumpur, including a clip of Noor Azman alongside FAM honorary president Tan Sri Hamidin Amin and several others giving the thumbs-up outside Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur.
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This raises several questions: Who prepared the guest list and included Noor Azman’s name? In what capacity was he present? And was Infantino aware he had been photographed next to a suspended secretary-general of an association being investigated by Fifa itself?
FAM, in responding to Free Malaysia Today editor Frankie D’Cruz’s article published this morning, said the photograph of Noor Azman with Infantino and Hamidin was taken outside any official Fifa or FAM event.
“Noor Azman attended in his personal capacity and was neither representing FAM nor present on any official business,” the statement reportedly said.
Still, as the signing ceremony was not open to the public, one must wonder – who attends an event of such stature in a personal capacity?
Twentytwo13 was informed that the relevant ministries were responsible for notifying the summit’s secretariat of the individuals allowed into specific events. In this case, it would have been the Youth and Sports Ministry.
Minister Hannah Yeoh was also present at the signing ceremony – the same ministry that is hosting the 2025 Asean Sports Integrity and Anti-Doping Symposium in Labuan today.
Ironically, during the post-ceremony press conference, Infantino spoke of Fifa’s commitment to strengthen integrity in football across Southeast Asia.
Yet, beyond football, the ease with which certain guests entered the regional event deserves scrutiny. Even accredited media who registered for the ceremony were thoroughly vetted by police before being issued access tags.
Security was heightened in and around the venue, attended by world leaders including US President Donald Trump, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
FAM suspended Noor Azman on Oct 17 with immediate effect – exactly three weeks after Fifa sanctioned the national body and seven players over allegations of “doctored documentation”.
According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, “suspension” is defined as “the act of officially removing somebody from their job, school, team, etc., for a period of time, usually as a punishment.”
Allowing a suspended official to rub shoulders with the Fifa president hardly fits that definition of “punishment”.
FAM has since appealed the decision, with a ruling expected on Oct 30. The association has also appointed former chief justice Tun Md Raus Sharif to lead an independent committee investigating the fiasco that has made headlines worldwide.
Main image: Noor Azman in the Plenary Hall, at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, during the Asean-Fifa MoU signing ceremony on Oct 29. Image by Haresh Deol/Twentytwo13. Inset: Noor Azman with Fifa president Gianni Infantino outside Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur that appeared on Infantino’s Instragram account.
