THE Regent of Johor Tunku Mahkota Ismail questioned the actions of FIFA which imposed sanctions on the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) along with seven national players after they were found to have allegedly violated Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC) regarding forgery of documents.
He insisted that FAM had followed all the necessary processes in addition to cooperating with FIFA and the Malaysian government.
In fact, according to Tunku Ismail, the international football body had also given approval and confirmed that the players were eligible to play with the Harimau Malaya squad.
“What happened that we suddenly have a decision like this? Are there any external entities involved in influencing FIFA’s decision?
“Another issue is that the punishment was imposed without giving reasons for the decision.
“Furthermore, FIFA was quick to release the decision in the public domain even though the appeal process has not been completed.
"Who was in New York?" he said in a post on social media today, attaching a confirmation letter from the National Registration Department.
Tunku Ismail also hopes that FAM will appeal as soon as possible.
"We are not afraid and simply bow down to individuals who are worried about the rise of the Harimau Malaya. We will fight. Be brave because it is true," he said.
Yesterday, FIFA announced in a statement that it had imposed sanctions on FAM along with seven national players after they were found to have violated Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC) regarding forgery of documents.
He said that FAM was found to have submitted false documents in the matter of the validity of the players' qualifications to enable them to be fielded in official matches.
The seven players are Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomas Garces, Rodrigo Julian Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, Joao Vitor Brandao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal Iraurgui and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano.
However, FAM in its quick response to the issue stated that they would not remain silent and would file an appeal through legal channels to defend the players' rights. - September 27, 2025
