The world football governing body Fifa has ignited public outrage in Malaysia after imposing a fine of 350,000 Swiss francs (US$440,000) and a one-year ban on seven footballers for the alleged falsification of nationality documents, with pundits fuelling speculation of the involvement of regional rivals in making the complaint.
The sanctions were levied against the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) last Friday after Fifa claimed the association submitted doctored documents to field seven heritage players in an AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam in June. Under Fifa rules, heritage players are allowed to represent a country through ancestral ties.
The seven players involved – who hail from Brazil, Argentina and Spain – are Gabriel Arrocha, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel.
Former youth and sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin expressed disbelief over the decision on Saturday, noting that Fifa had previously approved the eligibility of all seven players.
“Strange. Fifa had already approved their eligibility through the proper process,” Khairy said. “That means the documents were vetted, and due diligence was done.” He questioned why the decision had been reversed and who lodged the complaint against Malaysia.
Vietnam’s Chau Ngoc Quang (left) fights for the ball with Malaysia’s Facundo Garces during an AFC Asian Cup qualifier match in June. Photo: AFP
While the Malaysian National Registration Department insisted all legal procedures were followed in granting citizenship, it conceded that “the original handwritten birth records could not be retrieved from historical archives”, a fact some argue provided a basis for Fifa’s ruling.
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