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FAM admits to falsification, cheating?
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18, 2025: Fifa today said the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has acknowledged that certain members of its secretariat made “administrative adjustments” to foreign birth certificates due to time constraints and in anticipation of official confirmations from Malaysian authorities.
“administrative adjustments - what in God's sake is that? Whatever, it is falsification/cheating!
So, why has FAM and the so-called Madani Unity Government (UG) not taken action against the “cheat/s” in the association for disgracing and shaming Malaysia internationally?
No News Is Bad News reproduces below a news report on the “administrative adjustment” (read as cheating/falsification) and our previous postings:
FAM admits to making ‘administrative adjustment’ to birth certs, says Fifa
Fifa says FAM contends that the conduct in question was isolated, unauthorised, and not indicative of institutional policy or systemic misconduct.
According to Fifa, FAM said alterations were made to foreign birth certificates without the knowledge or authorisation of its executive committee or general secretary Noor Azman Rahman. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: Fifa today said the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has acknowledged that certain members of its secretariat made “administrative adjustments” to foreign birth certificates due to time constraints and in anticipation of official confirmations from Malaysian authorities.
Fifa said that according to FAM, these alterations were undertaken without the knowledge or authorisation of FAM’s executive committee or its general secretary Noor Azman Rahman.
FAM also claimed that the seven players at the centre of an ongoing scandal over falsified documents had no knowledge of the matter, said Fifa’s appeal committee in its written decision confirming sanctions on FAM and the seven players.
In support of this, FAM filed a witness statement by Noor Azman, which was reproduced in the written decision issued today.
“I acknowledge that members of FAM’s administration engaged in handling and formatting certain copies of birth certificates and related supporting documents in the course of building complete eligibility files,” said Noor Azman, who has been suspended from FAM.
“This included the altered content of the birth certificates received from the players’ agents.
“These steps, while administratively motivated, were not a substitute for obtaining certified copies or official extracts, nor were they authorised as an official verification process.”
FAM, in its submission to Fifa’s appeal committee, also said Article 22 of Fifa’s disciplinary code concerning forgery and falsification – which permits an association to be held liable for acts of forgery or falsification by its officials or players – is discretionary in nature in that it does not impose automatic liability.
FAM contended that the conduct in question was isolated, unauthorised, and not indicative of institutional policy or systemic misconduct, said Fifa.
“There was no organisational scheme to fabricate lineage or circumvent eligibility rules.
FAM added that its “proactive engagement” with Fifa and local authorities – including voluntarily submitting eligibility queries, seeking verification of civil-status records, and cooperating fully with investigators – should weigh against any conclusion of institutional deceit or reckless conduct.
FAM and the seven naturalised Malaysian footballers were penalised by Fifa in September after the world football body said FAM had submitted falsified documents to confirm the players’ eligibility before Malaysia’s 2027 Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam on June 10.
Fifa’s regulations allow players to represent a country if their parents or grandparents were born there.
Fifa previously said that contrary to documents submitted by FAM claiming that the grandparents of the seven naturalised players were born in Malaysia, its own investigation found original records indicating that the grandparents were actually born in Spain, Argentina, Brazil, and the Netherlands.
FAM was fined 350,000 Swiss francs (about RM1.8 million) while each player was fined 2,000 Swiss francs (about RM10,560) and suspended for 12 months from all football-related activities, effective from the date of notification.
The seven players are Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel.
On Nov 3, Fifa announced that it had rejected FAM’s appeal against its sanctions “in its entirety” and that Harimau Malaya’s points in their ongoing 2027 Asian Cup qualifying campaign might be docked.
Upon receiving the written decision from Fifa’s appeal committee today, FAM said it would be appealing the sanctions at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Monday, 17 November 2025
Shameless and disgraceful FAM cheats and UG face Fifa probe over falsified documents to field foreign footballers
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No News Is Bad News
Memang tak tahu malu! (Surely knows no shame!)
Shameless and disgraceful FAM cheats and UG face Fifa probe over falsified documents to field foreign footballers
Update1
Not only FAM officials are cheats, they are also big-time liars ... only morons believe this: When asked if action had been taken against the staff member for the error, FAM deputy president S Sivasundaram told a press conference on Nov 17 that FAM had yet to identify those involved. (So, the documents were falsified and submitted by invisible cheats?)
Fifa slams FAM for ‘shielding’ officials behind falsified documents
Fifa says FAM’s actions suggest a lack of accountability and raises serious concerns about the organisation's governance.
FAM deputy president S Sivasundaram (centre) told a press conference on Nov 17 that FAM had yet to identify those involved in submitting falsified birth documents to Fifa.
PETALING JAYA: Fifa’s appeal committee has criticised the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) for “shielding” those responsible for submitting falsified birth documents in a bid to allow naturalised players to play for Harimau Malaya.
Last month, FAM claimed the dispute with Fifa stemmed from an “administrative error” after a staff member mistakenly uploaded documents from an agent instead of the official ones issued by the national registration department (JPN).
When asked if action had been taken against the staff member for the error, FAM deputy president S Sivasundaram told a press conference on Nov 17 that FAM had yet to identify those involved.
Fifa’s appeal committee said it was both “surprised” and “disappointed” with FAM’s failure to identify the individuals responsible for the tampering, their rank, or their specific roles within the association.
The committee, in its written judgment upholding the sanctions meted out on FAM and the seven players in September, said the failure was “deeply troubling”.
It also highlighted FAM’s lack of discernible disciplinary action – such as “concrete” suspensions, dismissals, or referrals to domestic authorities – against the officials involved in the fiasco.
“This omission suggests a lack of accountability and raises serious concerns about the governance within the organisation.
“The continued shielding of confessed culpable staff members, coupled with vague assertions of administrative error, appears to be a tactical manoeuvre designed to deflect institutional responsibility while preserving internal cohesion.
“The committee notes with concern that despite several months having elapsed since the initiation of the matter, FAM has failed to identify the individuals responsible for the forgery of documents despite FAM’s admission of tampering with them.
“The committee’s view is that this inability to establish accountability raises serious questions about FAM’s internal controls and true commitment to integrity.”
The committee said FAM general-secretary Noor Azman Rahman’s acknowledgment in a hearing that members of FAM’s administration “engaged in handling and formatting certain copies of birth certificates… including the altered content” constituted a direct confession of document tampering.
FAM and seven naturalised Malaysian footballers were penalised by Fifa in September after the world football body said FAM had submitted falsified documents to confirm the players’ eligibility prior to Malaysia’s 2027 Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam on June 10.
FAM was fined 350,000 Swiss francs (about RM1.8 million) while the players – Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel – were each fined 2,000 Swiss francs (about RM10,560) and suspended for 12 months from all football-related activities.
Fifa previously said it had obtained the original birth certificates of the players’ grandparents directly from foreign registries and compared them with those filed by FAM, and that it was “comfortably satisfied” that the documents were forged after finding “sharp contrasts” between the originals and those sent by FAM.
The results showed that details in the players’ ancestral records had been altered, with their grandparents’ birthplaces changed from Spain, Argentina, Brazil, and the Netherlands in the original documents to places in Melaka, Penang, Johor, and Sarawak.
Following the sanctions, FAM cited a “technical error” in the documents submitted to field the players against Vietnam.
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18, 2025: Yes! Fifa has given Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and the so-called Madani Unity Government (UG) enough time to act against the cheating FAM officials.
However, FAM and the UG (particularly the Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh) have refused to bring the cheats to face the book.
And, this has now led the world football governing body (Fifa) to probe FAM over falsified documents to filed foreigners in the national team.
There is clearly no limit in FAM and UG’s disgraceful and shameless tolerance to the FAM cheats and those who have brought international shame to Malaysia.
FAM and UG memamg tak tahu malu! (surely knows no shame!) Responsibility and accountability are not in Malaysia's dictionary.
No News Is Bad News reproduces below a news report on Fifa’s on-going probe of the FAM cheats:
Fifa to probe FAM over falsified documents fiasco
The probe will also determine whether additional disciplinary measures are warranted against FAM officials.
Fifa’s appeal committee has instructed the secretariat of Fifa’s disciplinary committee to investigate the Football Association of Malaysia’s internal operations. (AFP pic)
PETALING JAYA: Fifa will launch a formal investigation into the Football Association of Malaysia’s (FAM) internal operations to identify the individuals responsible for the falsification of birth certificates linked to seven naturalised players.
The probe will also assess the adequacy and effectiveness of FAM’s internal compliance and governance mechanisms, and determine whether additional disciplinary measures are warranted against FAM officials.
“As an initial focus, the investigation must examine the role of FAM general-secretary Noor Azman Rahman and that of two licensed Fifa agents named in these proceedings: Nicolas Puppo and Frederico Moraes,” said Fifa’s appeal committee.
“Their involvement raises serious concerns that merit thorough scrutiny.”
Fifa’s appeal committee has instructed the secretariat of Fifa’s disciplinary committee to conduct the probe.
Earlier this month, Fifa’s appeal committee upheld the sanctions on FAM and the seven naturalised Malaysian footballers who were penalised by Fifa in September after the world football body said FAM had submitted falsified documents to confirm the players’ eligibility before Malaysia’s 2027 Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam on June 10.
FAM was fined 350,000 Swiss francs (about RM1.8 million) while each player was fined 2,000 Swiss francs (about RM10,560) and suspended for 12 months from all football-related activities.
The seven players involved are Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomás Garcés, Rodrigo Julián Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, João Vitor Brandão Figueiredo, Jon Irazábal Iraurgui and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano.
Fifa’s appeal committee dismissed FAM’s appeal on the matter on Nov 3, with the written judgment made available today.
The controversy also saw FAM suspending Noor Azman as general-secretary.
Concern about integrity of Asian Cup qualifiers
The committee also instructed the secretariat to initiate a separate investigation into the fielding of ineligible players in three friendly matches.
“This inquiry shall establish the circumstances under which some of the players participated and whether further sanctions are appropriate,” it said.
The friendly matches were against Cape Verde on May 29, Singapore on Sept 4, and Palestine on Sept 8.
Malaysia and Cape Verde played out a 1-1 draw while Malaysia beat Singapore 2-1 and Palestine 1-0. Figueiredo scored in both victories.
Fifa’s appeal committee also pointed out that the players had played and scored for Malaysia in their ongoing 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
“It is to be noted that today, Malaysia sits atop their group standings at the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers,” it said.
“… serious questions as to the integrity of that competition remain in light of the current proceedings.”
Fifa wants local probe of falsified documents
It says the integrity of official documents is 'sacrosanct', and that their falsification is a punishable offence.
FAM was accused of submitting falsified documents to verify the players’ eligibility, allowing them to feature in the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers against Vietnam on June 10. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: Fifa has directed its secretariat to notify the criminal authorities in Malaysia, among other countries, to initiate a probe into the falsification of documents involving seven naturalised football players, saying forgery is an offence “in virtually all jurisdictions”.
In its written judgment dismissing an appeal by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) on the matter, the football world governing body said the integrity of official documents was “sacrosanct”, and their falsification was a punishable offence.
It said it had also directed its secretariat to notify the competent criminal authorities in Brazil, Argentina, the Netherlands and Spain.
“It is imperative that the relevant authorities are informed so that appropriate criminal investigations and proceedings may be pursued,” it said.
Fifa’s call for authorities to initiate criminal probes comes a month after DAP’s Ramkarpal Singh called for a police investigation into the claim by Fifa that FAM had submitted forged documents in the controversy linked to the naturalisation of seven players.
The former deputy law minister said police should summon the players and national registration department officers involved in the scandal as it had tarnished the country’s reputation.
“Such investigations must be carried out immediately, not only to determine if Fifa’s claims of forgery are true, but also to determine if an offence under the Penal Code has been committed, particularly offences related to making false declarations,” he was reported as saying.
Fifa’s written judgment comes two weeks after it rejected FAM’s appeal against the sanctions imposed on the national football body and seven players, which could see the national team docked points in their ongoing 2027 Asian Cup qualifying campaign.
FAM and the seven footballers were penalised by Fifa after the world football body said FAM had submitted falsified documents to confirm the players’ eligibility before Malaysia’s 2027 Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam on June 10.
FAM was fined 350,000 Swiss francs (about RM1.8 million) while each player was fined 2,000 Swiss francs (about RM10,560) and suspended for 12 months from all football-related activities, effective from the date of notification.
The seven players are Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel.
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