White lies, red cards, black secrets, and the beautiful game

OPINION | White lies, red cards, black secrets, and the beautiful game


26 Nov 2025 • 7:00 AM MYT


Citizen Nades
A legally qualified journalist and a good governance champion

Image Credit: Focus Malaysia


“The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.

An evil soul producing holy witness

is like a villain with a smiling cheek,

A goodly apple rotten at the heart.

O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!”

― William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

By R, Nadeswaran


This column is not a vocabulary lesson on “lie” and “liars.” It is about the categories, motives, and consequences of untruths.


A common Tamil proverb warns, “Poi sonna poruntha sol” -- a person who lies frequently will eventually be found out. As Mark Twain and others have noted throughout history, from courtrooms to statistics, lies have a hierarchy and a habit of being exposed.


Twain quipped: “There are three kinds of lies—lies, damned lies, and statistics.” Long before him, a lawyer-turned-judge dismissed courtroom witnesses as simple liars, damned liars, and experts.


Besides white, lies come in various shades: gray, black, red, and white. Gray lies between self-interest and selflessness. Black lies are purely selfish. Red lies wound. White lies soothe. Yet even the sweetest lie pales against the bitterest truth. And omission, the most insidious lie of all, often speaks louder than words.


Since Sept 25, when FIFA sanctioned the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) over seven foreign “heritage” players, a flood of statements has followed. Some reflected reality.


Many were spun from thin air -- crafted to convince us, lesser mortals, ordinary citizens that no wrong was done. Day after day, half-truths and fabrications filled press conferences and interviews, though a rare few dared to speak plainly.


Let us set aside vague platitudes and examine this scandal through a practical lens. The evidence is before you, and it is up to you -- the discerning reader -- to decide.


Writer’s note: Some statements have been lightly edited for clarity and readability, without altering their original meaning.


“Allegations suggesting the players obtained or were aware of false documents are baseless, as no concrete evidence has been presented to substantiate the claim. The depiction given in Fifa’s decision is inaccurate. The allegation that players had obtained or knew about false documents is unfounded, as there is no solid evidence provided so far.”


FAM statement, Oct 7


“As previously explained, the error occurred due to a wrong submission – an administrative error – when a staff member accidentally uploaded documents provided by an agent instead of the official documents issued by the national registration department (RRD),”



“Fifa’s claim that the players obtained or were aware of false documents is baseless as no solid evidence has been produced to support this claim.”


Same statement Oct 7


“The suspension of FAM’s secretary-general is meant to ensure a transparent and independent probe. The decision was made by the FAM executive committee, and an independent committee will review the matter.”


FAM acting deputy president S. Sivasundram, at a press conference, Oct 17


“We are confident that these seven players have Malaysian heritage. The documents we possess indicate clear ancestral links, and we are cooperating fully with the authorities to ensure the truth is established.”


Sivasundram, at the same press conference


“FAM was not a party (to the document forgery).”


FAM’s Geneva-based legal counsel Serge Vittoz, Oct 17


“The players provided the required documents with the names and identification details of their grandparents. In accordance with our internal procedures, NRD conducted a cross-examination and verification of this information. As part of this verification, the government also received documentation relating to all seven applicants issued in Argentina, Brazil, and Spain.


“The NRD was unable to retrieve the original handwritten birth records from the historical archives. Accordingly, in line with current administrative practice, the NRD issued an official copy based on the evidence adduced that a birth had occurred.”


NRD Director Badrul Hisham Alias, in a witness statement submitted to Fifa, Sept 19, made public on Sept 27


“Article 20(1)(e) provides discretionary power to a home minister when considering a citizenship application from a foreigner, particularly in the fulfilment of the minimum residency requirements. I used this discretion.


“All seven players had fulfilled the requirements under the law to be granted citizenship by naturalisation, including having proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia. The players had displayed sufficient proficiency in the national language as per a basic test by the National Registration Department.”


Home Minister, Saifuddin in Parliament, Oct 9


“The legal provision referenced by Saifuddin relates to calculating the period of residence for persons who have already resided in the country for a certain number of years when applying for citizenship -- not to those who have never resided in the country.


Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) co-founder, Eric Paulsen, Oct 10


“No, this isn’t sabotage against Malaysia. It was done by someone who believes they can escape punishment because they think they are above the law. It’s embarrassing that imported players representing Malaysia have now sparked global controversy.”


Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, Oct 10


“This is not a failure. This is just a hiccup that we have to face and fight through. We can’t just give up or bow down. We must be brave because we’re on the right side. We have all the proper documents. Even if FIFA made its decision based on technical grounds, that’s within its authority. But we’ll keep fighting, for as long as it takes.”


Tengku Ismail Tengku Ibrahim, Oct 25


The sanctions imposed by Fifa against seven Malaysian heritage players and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) appeared to be “politically motivated” rather than grounded in law.


Tengku Ismail Tengku Ibrahim, Nov 4


“Fifa’s decision constitutes a “jurisdictional error” that encroaches on the authority of Malaysian courts.”


Former Court of Appeal judge, Hamid Sultan Abu Backer, Nov 8


“The seven suspended ‘heritage' footballers had told Fifa that they do not speak Bahasa Malaysia. Yet, somehow, as the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) claimed, they passed the requisite Bahasa Malaysia test for their citizenship application.”


Fifa Appeals Committee, Nov 17


“(Robert Douglas) Friend clarified that he works in a consultant role to the FAM, based in Canada and travelling to Malaysia for matchdays, although reports in Malaysia had said he was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).”


Fifa appeals committee, Nov 17


“I am the CEO of Hariamu Malaya. During the hearing, I explained that I was also consulting with the legal firm representing FAM to support the preparation work for the case.


“It seems that this advisory context was interpreted as ‘consultant’ in the written summary. With that, I hope clarity is now properly shed.”


Friend, Nov 18


So, dear reader, be the arbiter of these statements – some made in haste to protect themselves, some were meant to pull over our eyes while a few hit the nail on the head.