Malaysia’s prime minister vows no cover-up in the investigation into the football-fixing scandal

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said there would be no cover-up in the domestic investigation into alleged document forgery that led to FIFA suspending seven naturalized players from the national football team, the state news agency reported on Friday.

The global football body said this week it would launch a formal investigation into the internal operations of Malaysia’s Football Association and notify authorities in five countries of possible criminal charges, after rejecting the association’s appeal against the players’ suspension.

The FAM suspended its secretary general last month and said it would form an independent investigative committee. It also said this week that it planned to refer the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Anwar promised transparency in the investigation, but emphasized that the FAM must be able to defend itself and that the government would not act solely on FIFA’s findings.

«Go ahead and investigate. That has been the instruction. But again, the process must continue,» Anwar told the state news agency. Named.

PLAYERS BANNED FOR 12 MONTHS

The players were handed a 12-month ban in September after FIFA discovered that false documentation had been used to allow them to play in Malaysia’s Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam.

READ ALSO | Which teams have qualified for FIFA World Cup 2026?

The findings sparked outrage in Malaysia, with fans and some lawmakers calling for action against FAM officials and government agencies involved in issuing citizenship documents.

Malaysia’s Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh told parliament on Thursday that the ministry does not have the power to dismiss FAM officials as any government interference in national football bodies carries the risk of a ban from FIFA. A measure that would not only affect the senior national team, but the entire Malaysian football, including the youth and women’s teams.

“I understand the public anger, but I must adhere to the current process and findings that FIFA has made so far regarding the seven players,” Yeoh said.

However, the ministry has proposed not to provide additional funding to the FAM pending the outcome of the commission’s investigation, which would be led by a former top Malaysian judge, she said.

A report by FIFA’s appeals committee revealed how Facundo Garces, Gabriel Arrocha, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel – all born outside Malaysia – were granted Malaysian nationality in a process overseen by FAM.

While the players said their grandparents were born in Malaysia, FIFA said it was able to obtain birth certificates that showed significant discrepancies from those obtained by FAM.

Published on November 21, 2025