Malaysian Football Players Suspended Over Forged Documents

FIFA’s disciplinary committee has suspended seven Malaysia national team players and fined the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) 350,000 Swiss francs over forged documents to field ineligible foreign-born players in an Asia Cup qualifier. A 12-month ban was imposed on the players, along with a fine of 2000 Swiss Francs.

The document submitted by FAM regarding their eligibility, i.e. the birthplace mentioned in the birth certificate of the grandparent of the seven players confirming their ancestral connections to Malaysia on the basis of which the players had been granted nationalities in line with the Malaysian Constitution, was found to have been altered.

The ban and fines were imposed under Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, which provides a ban of at least 6 matches or a specific period not less than 12 months for players indulging in forgery and falsification, and also provides for the liability of an association in such cases.

The committee observed that the fact that FIFA was able to obtain the relevant original documents without hindrance demonstrated that the necessary level of scrutiny was not exercised. Further, the FAM’s own admission that it was contacted by external agencies regarding the Players’ heritage and yet failed to independently verify the authenticity of the documentation, further highlighted a lack of proper diligence. Moreover, the use of forged or falsified documents was not a mere formality but a decisive factor in the Players’ eligibility.

Malaysia has been courting foreign talent under FIFA’s naturalisation rules, a process that allows foreign sportsmen to change their sporting nationality to play for a new national team under conditions of long-term residency or ancestral lineage.

The matter has been referred by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee to the FIFA Football Tribunal for consideration. News reports suggest that FAM intends to file an appeal against the decision that it claims was “inaccurate and unfounded”.

In addition, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) may begin its own probe after the disciplinary process with FIFA is completed and if found guilty, the country could be disqualified from participating in the 2027 Asian Cup.