SOCCER: Asian Football Confederation to review Malaysia FA as officials quit

KUALA LUMPUR – The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) announced on Wednesday that its executive committee for the 2025-2029 term will resign immediately, as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) conducts a review into the organisation amid a widening document forgery scandal.

FAM has been under scrutiny following claims by FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, that it used falsified documents to allow seven naturalized players to participate in an Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam last year.

In September, FIFA suspended the players for 12 months and fined FAM 350,000 Swiss francs ($439,257). However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) recently granted a temporary stay on the player bans while FAM appeals.

Acting FAM president Mohd Yusoff Mahadi said all members of the executive committee, appointed 11 months ago, decided to resign to protect the association’s integrity and to allow reforms to take place.

“This was done to put the interests of football and FAM above all else,” he said.

A small team led by the association’s secretary-general will manage daily operations temporarily, with support from the AFC until a new executive committee is appointed.

The AFC will also review FAM’s internal management and administrative processes.

“We want to identify the weaknesses and gaps that we can benchmark against a modern and standard association,” AFC General Secretary Windsor John said. He added that no timeframe has been set for the review.

FIFA has rejected FAM’s appeals and last month overturned the results of three matches involving Malaysia. The governing body also said it will formally investigate FAM’s operations and notify authorities in five countries regarding potential criminal proceedings.

The scandal has drawn public outrage in Malaysia, with fans and lawmakers demanding accountability from FAM and government agencies involved in granting citizenship to the players.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has pledged transparency in domestic investigations into the alleged forgery but emphasized that FAM should be allowed to defend itself. -Reporting by Hasnoor Hussein; Writing by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus/Reuters