After reviewing Fifa ruling, Hanipa tells FAM not to waste time and money

After reviewing Fifa ruling, Hanipa tells FAM not to waste time and money


Published: Nov 23, 2025 8:40 AM
Updated: 11:49 AM



Former deputy law minister Hanipa Maidin said that if he were representing the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), his advice would be straightforward - don’t waste time or money challenging the decision on the “heritage” players issue.

He told Malaysiakini this after reviewing the full written judgment issued by the International Federation of Association Football’s (Fifa) appeal committee, a detailed document spanning 64 pages and 304 paragraphs.

“Reading like a court’s full judgment,” said Hanipa, adding that the ruling lucidly articulates several established legal principles and correctly applies them to the factual matrix of the case.

“In short, the decision was well articulated. In my considered view, the decision is profoundly sound.

“Needless to say, the decision has also revealed a slew of mind-boggling facts. The alleged forgeries seem, to me, like deliberate acts - though I hope I am wrong to say that.

“If I were the lawyer representing FAM, I would sincerely, truthfully, and frankly advise it not to waste time, let alone money, to proceed further. My sincere advice to FAM is that it ought to bravely own such fatal and embarrassing mistakes and errors, and in turn be truthful to the rakyat,” he added in a statement to Malaysiakini.

Previously, Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, a vocal critic of Fifa’s decision, had offered to cover all expenses, including legal and travel costs, for FAM’s bid to bring its case to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The Fifa appeal committee’s decision, released on Nov 17, ordered a full investigation into FAM’s internal operations following sanctions against the association and seven foreign-born heritage players for forgery and falsification.

The committee also instructed the Fifa disciplinary committee to alert criminal authorities in Malaysia, Brazil, Argentina, the Netherlands, and Spain about the offences committed.

Its findings revealed a deliberate and coordinated scheme, including the alteration of players’ grandparents’ birth certificates, which FAM knowingly submitted to Fifa as authentic records.

The committee was also critical of FAM’s suspension of its general secretary, Noor Azman Rahman, stating that the terms and scope of the sanction were neither clearly articulated nor meaningfully observed.

1MDB-level reputational damage

Hanipa highlighted how this episode had tarnished the nation’s reputation globally, likening its impact to the 1MDB scandal.

“Lack of integrity remains our chronic ailment.

“In Hoodless & Blackwell v FSA (2003), it was, inter alia, held that ‘In our view, ‘integrity’ connotes moral soundness, rectitude, and steady adherence to an ethical code. A person lacks integrity if unable to appreciate the distinction between what is honest or dishonest by ordinary standards’,” he added.

On Friday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reiterated that there would be no cover-up in the FAM scandal, while Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh confirmed that no additional grants will be given to FAM until the matter is fully resolved.

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Kerbau-ing domestic market only lah 😂😂😂