Malaysia is defending the naturalization process for banned players as the scandal deepens

Malaysia on Thursday defended a decision to naturalize seven members of its national football team in a rapidly spreading scandal after FIFA suspended the players for alleged use of falsified documentation.

FIFA’s disciplinary committee said this week it had found evidence suggesting Malaysian authorities may have relied on forged documents to naturalize mixed-heritage players Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel.

The committee said FIFA was able to obtain original birth certificates that showed significant differences from those submitted by the Malaysian Football Association (FAM) to prove the Malaysian origins of the players.

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The fact that FIFA was able to obtain the original documents suggested that FAM and the players «did not exercise the necessary level of supervision or care», the disciplinary committee said.

FAM has said it will appeal the committee’s decision.

FIFA’s findings have sparked an uproar, with fans and lawmakers calling for action against FAM, as well as the National Registration Department and the Ministry of Interior, the two bodies responsible for granting citizenship to the players.

The scandal puts Malaysia’s Asian Cup ambitions in jeopardy after victories over Nepal and Vietnam in the qualifying rounds. The team will play against Laos on Thursday.

Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told parliament on Thursday that birth certificates are not required for naturalization under Malaysia’s constitution and that the players had met all conditions to obtain citizenship.

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He acknowledged that he had relied on his ministerial discretion to relax some conditions, particularly the requirement that an applicant must have resided in Malaysia for a certain period.

Saifuddin did not address allegations that officials had failed to verify the authenticity of the submitted documents, saying eligibility issues were a matter between FIFA and FAM.

FIFA said presenting fraudulent documentation for eligibility “purely and simply constitutes a form of cheating, which cannot be tolerated in any way.”

“Such behavior undermines confidence in the fairness of competitions and endangers the essence of football as an activity based on fairness and transparency,” FIFA said.

Published on October 9, 2025