BREAKING: Police are about to intervene in the case of 7 Malaysian players with illegal naturalization

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) is urged to notify the police at once about the internal probe concerning 7 naturalized players.

An Independent Investigation Committee (ICC) appointed by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) found that the documents submitted for the seven Malaysian naturalized players could not be properly verified, indicating serious weaknesses in the association’s management procedures.

The ICC, chaired by former Chief Justice Tun Md Raus Sharif, concluded that some critical documents used to prove the players’ eligibility lacked authenticity and sufficient supporting evidence. The committee also found that the internal checks and balances were inadequate to detect document issues before submission to FIFA.

"The ICC committee could not conclusively identify who forged the alleged documents. This is due to the notary’s lack of cooperation and the inability to locate the representatives of the seven players despite exhaustive efforts," the ICC report stated.

"It is evident that serious lapses in supervision, verification, and administrative control by FAM’s management allowed this incident to occur without detection or timely intervention."

The Football Association of Malaysia is advised to immediately report to the police, undertake appropriate internal disciplinary actions if oversight failures are confirmed, and implement the structural reforms recommended by the ICC. These steps are essential to prevent recurrence and restore FAM’s reputation and integrity.

Last month, FIFA’s Appeal Committee, in a detailed 64-page document, outlined the full reasons behind the global football governing body’s rejection of appeals filed by FAM and the seven players involved. The 7 players are Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel.

Previously, FIFA fined FAM 350,000 CHF, while each of the seven royal-origin players was fined 2,000 CHF and suspended for 12 months. FAM had earlier confirmed that they had lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against FIFA’s sanctions.