The Football Association of Malaysia made a decision without consulting FIFA, issuing its own ruling.

The Football Association of Malaysia reinstated Secretary-General Azman without seeking FIFA's opinion.

The decision by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to reinstate Secretary-General Datuk Noor Azman Rahman without consulting FIFA has raised new questions amid ongoing investigations into the registration of seven naturalized players linked to allegations of forged documents.

Acting president of the Football Association of Malaysia, Datuk Yusoff Mahadi, stated there was no need to consult the global sports governing body. "Regarding Azman’s case, we did not need to seek FIFA’s advice. Our internal procedures are still ongoing," Yusoff said following a closed-door FAM meeting in Petaling Jaya.

FIFA’s Appeal Committee upheld sanctions against FAM and seven players, ruling that the birth certificates submitted to prove eligibility were falsified. These documents allegedly indicated that the players’ grandparents were born outside Malaysia, including in Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands, and Spain.

Yusoff stated that FAM’s internal investigation cleared Secretary-General Azman, concluding that the issue was due to negligence rather than intent."We have completed the process, forwarded the matter to the Internal Investigation Committee, and the disciplinary board has made its decision," he said.

However, FIFA described these violations as serious breaches of football integrity rules, citing shortcomings in oversight and verification that subjected FAM’s leadership to international scrutiny.

At the same time, police investigations have accelerated. More than 40 police reports have been filed, and statements have been taken from several FAM officials, including Yusoff. "The police have taken statements from six or seven people, including myself,"he said.

Yusoff rejected claims that the national team management structure was responsible instead of the governing body. "Both FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) focus solely on FAM. The responsibility lies with FAM," he stated.