PETALING JAYA: Sports lawyer Nik Erman Nik Roseli says FIFA’s 63-page motivated decision leaves “no room for doubt” that falsified documents were used to register seven mixed-heritage players, adding that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) had effectively admitted to the misconduct through their own testimony.
Nik Erman said the appeal committee’s findings were unequivocal.
“The motivated decision makes it clear that the documents were falsified, and those documents were used for the players’ eligibility. This is not denied by FAM, both in this appeal and in the first instance at the disciplinary committee.”
He noted that FIFA had even cited the witness statement of FAM secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman Rahman, who acknowledged that certain individuals within the association made “administrative adjustments” to foreign birth certificates - a phrase the appeal committee interpreted as an admission of tampering.
According to Nik Erman, the explanations later offered by FAM - including lack of intent, claims of no substantive sporting effect and various mitigating factors - were not strong enough reasons to successfully appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
More troubling, he said, was the appeal committee’s strong rebuke of FAM’s response after the scandal first surfaced.
FIFA criticised the national body for failing to take meaningful corrective steps, stating that FAM have failed to demonstrate any concrete remedial action.
“They have not identified the individuals responsible for the document tampering, have not imposed internal sanctions other than a deceptive suspension, and have not concretely initiated any structural reforms (or at least none which has been publicly announced).”
The committee also highlighted what they described as a lack of transparency and accountability in FAM’s handling of the matter, warning that such omissions were “incompatible with the standards of governance expected of a FIFA member association.”
Nik Erman said these remarks should deeply concern Malaysian football fans, as they suggest that even FIFA see no evidence that FAM have taken steps to remedy or resolve the governance issues revealed by the case.
“The critical comments by FIFA are worrying. They show that the world body do not see any action taken by FAM to remedy, resolve or improve. For an association already facing sanctions, this paints an alarming picture,” he said.
FAM have indicated they will pursue a CAS appeal, but Nik Erman said the prospects appear “extremely challenging” given the clarity and weight of FIFA’s findings.
