PETALING JAYA: The document falsification scandal involving seven heritage players is affecting not only the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) but also their sponsors, some of whom are reportedly reconsidering their continued support.
One notable example is Bank Islam, which had been FAM’s partner for 12 years.
The bank is reportedly awaiting the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling on the scandal before deciding on any further action.
FAM acting president Datuk Yusoff Mahadi said Bank Islam had formally reached out to the association, but he clarified that it was not about terminating the sponsorship.
The bank simply wanted clarification on the issue, given its long-standing partnership with FAM.
“For everyone’s information, when this case arose, Bank Islam did contact us to understand what actually happened. We have held a series of meetings with them,” said Yusoff.
“So far, Bank Islam will wait for the final outcome of our processes before making any further decisions. As I mentioned earlier, we want to complete our procedures first. For now, everything with Bank Islam remains as usual,” Yusoff said.
However, the Islamic banking institution’s logo was notably absent from the pitch-side advertising boards during Malaysia’s AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifier against Nepal in November.
Adding to the speculation, Bank Islam’s logo is also no longer visible on FAM’s official website.
Despite renewing their strategic partnership with FAM in July, Bank Islam and other sponsors could be watching closely for the outcome of the CAS ruling.
Yusoff expects the decision to be handed down before Malaysia’s final AFC Asian Cup Qualifier against Vietnam on March 31
“Since our final AFC qualifier game is in March against Vietnam, I expect a decision to come before that,” he said.
“We need to know the outcome before Malaysia’s last game, as it involves the teams in the competition. The AFC will need to conduct the tournament draw after that.
“So, we can safely say the decision should be out before we face Vietnam,” he added.
