PETALING JAYA: The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) have defended their decision to reinstate Datuk Noor Azman Rahman as secretary-general, insisting that due process has taken place.
The national body have cleared Azman despite an ongoing FIFA investigation linked to falsified documents involving seven mixed-heritage players.
Acting FAM president Datuk Yusoff Mahadi said their disciplinary committee had cleared the sec-gen from any wrongdoing and ordered his immediate reinstatement to ensure administrative continuity.
The FAM executive committee had on Dec 22 last year decided to extend the suspension of Azman after discussing the findings of the Independent Investigation Committee (IIC) report.
“The matter was referred to our disciplinary board, and they have made a decision. We must respect it.”
Under the committee’s ruling, Azman will not receive any salary increment for two years, while his performance will be reviewed by the FAM executive committee (exco) over the next six months.
The move has raised eyebrows, given that FIFA’s investigation into the falsification of documents is still ongoing and Azman’s name has been cited in related correspondence.
Yusoff acknowledged the concerns but reiterated that FAM could only act within the scope of their own governance structures.
“I understand why people feel it is suspicious, but we have completed our process,” he said.
“We handed it to the IIC, the IIC gave their findings, and we followed the process by referring it to the disciplinary committee. When a committee make a decision, we have to respect it.”
Yusoff also stressed that FAM did not need to seek FIFA’s views before reinstating Azman, describing it as an internal administrative matter.
However, he made it clear that FIFA remain the highest authority and that FAM would comply with any directive arising from their investigation.
“The FIFA process is still ongoing. If FIFA make a different decision, we must follow FIFA,” he said. “Their decision will be the final decision.”
Meanwhile, Yusoff confirmed that FAM’s appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was now in the hands of the association’s legal team.
Yusoff also added that police investigations into document forgery linked to the controversy were ongoing, with statements already taken from several FAM officials, including himself.
