PETALING JAYA: The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) have strongly denied claims that they have failed to present audited financial reports since 2016, calling the allegations misleading and factually incorrect.
In a media statement released on Friday (June 5), FAM said they have consistently presented audited financial statements at every annual congress without fail, including their most recent report for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2025, which was tabled at the first extraordinary FAM congress in 2026 on Thursday (June 4).
"FAM categorically rejects these allegations. As an organisation that upholds integrity, we wish to set the record straight," the statement read.
FAM said every annual financial report is subject to a rigorous review process, passing through their finance and management committee and executive committee (Exco) before being brought to the annual congress for final approval.
The association also highlighted that their finances are audited not only by local certified auditors, but annually by auditors from FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), a mandatory requirement given that FAM receive funding allocations from both governing bodies.
Once approved by Congress, the financial reports are formally submitted to the Sports Commissioner’s office via the MyKBS system for regulatory clearance.
While defending their financial reporting record, FAM acknowledged shortcomings in the presentation of annual budgets over recent years.
For the period 2020 to 2022, FAM said their statutes at the time did not require budgets to be tabled at Congress.
Budgets were instead reviewed and approved internally through the finance and management committee and Exco.
Following FIFA and AFC’s recommendation that annual budgets be presented at Congress, FAM amended their statutes in 2023 to strengthen financial governance.
However, the association admitted that the budget presentation requirement was not properly carried out for 2023, 2024, and 2025.
"FAM take this matter seriously and is committed to ensuring the budget governance process is conducted in full accordance with established guidelines going forward," the statement said.
FAM pointed to a series of accolades as evidence of their broader commitment to transparency and accountability, including a five-star rating from the Sports Commissioner for five consecutive years from 2018 to 2022.
Regionally, FAM received the AFC Dream Asia Award 2019 in the Inspiration category (Bronze) and was recognised as one of the top three football associations in Asia in the Grassroots Development category at the 29th AFC Awards in Riyadh last year.
FAM closed their statement with a rebuke of their critics, expressing disappointment at what they describe as deliberate attempts to stoke negative speculation without verifying the facts.
"FAM will continue to uphold the good name of Malaysian football through transparent and integrity-driven management, while remaining committed to improving any weaknesses identified."
