R Nadeswaran
Published: Jun 19, 2026 2:00 PM
Updated: 4:00 PM
COMMENT | They exit the stage, leaving not glory but a mudslide of shame - a torrent that smeared the nation’s name as cheats, conjurers of deceit, and masters of manipulation.
The “grand plan” to vault Malaysia from the Asia Cup to the World Cup now lies in ruins, a paper tiger shredded by its own hubris.
The scam unravelled with the confessions of seven foreigners who were granted citizenship faster than you could boil water to make instant noodles.
They confessed that they had never spoken a word of Malay - a prerequisite for Malaysian citizenship - and neither had they stayed long enough to meet the residential qualification, but in less than six weeks, they had been granted Malaysian citizenship, issued identity cards and passports.
Although they hired the players and brokered deals with agents, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) clung to denial from Day One.
First, it was brushed off as an “administrative mistake,” then pinned on the wrong documents, and finally dressed up as accountability with the suspension of the secretary-general, who, in true Malaysian football fashion, was reinstated.
Even when caught, they sought advice from a Geneva-based law firm's counsel, who entered the country on a tourist visa and worked as FAM counsel, even appearing in a media conference to proclaim “FAM did no wrong”.
In the meantime, the legal bills accumulated.
Masking complicity?
When pressed, the question was turned on its head: “Do we need a work permit?” Was FAM genuinely ignorant of the law, or was this theatre in a crowded press hall meant to mask complicity?
Published: Jun 19, 2026 2:00 PM
Updated: 4:00 PM
COMMENT | They exit the stage, leaving not glory but a mudslide of shame - a torrent that smeared the nation’s name as cheats, conjurers of deceit, and masters of manipulation.
The “grand plan” to vault Malaysia from the Asia Cup to the World Cup now lies in ruins, a paper tiger shredded by its own hubris.
The scam unravelled with the confessions of seven foreigners who were granted citizenship faster than you could boil water to make instant noodles.
They confessed that they had never spoken a word of Malay - a prerequisite for Malaysian citizenship - and neither had they stayed long enough to meet the residential qualification, but in less than six weeks, they had been granted Malaysian citizenship, issued identity cards and passports.
Although they hired the players and brokered deals with agents, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) clung to denial from Day One.
First, it was brushed off as an “administrative mistake,” then pinned on the wrong documents, and finally dressed up as accountability with the suspension of the secretary-general, who, in true Malaysian football fashion, was reinstated.
Even when caught, they sought advice from a Geneva-based law firm's counsel, who entered the country on a tourist visa and worked as FAM counsel, even appearing in a media conference to proclaim “FAM did no wrong”.
In the meantime, the legal bills accumulated.
Masking complicity?
When pressed, the question was turned on its head: “Do we need a work permit?” Was FAM genuinely ignorant of the law, or was this theatre in a crowded press hall meant to mask complicity?
Either way, the “solution” was classic - bundle him onto the next flight out, a quick exit to cover a slow-burning scandal.
The fine imposed by the International Federation of Association Football (Fifa) was no sweat, since taxpayers had already been milked for RM30 million to keep the circus afloat; perhaps some spare change remains.
The Home Ministry took a defiant and contradictory stand: Citizenship is our prerogative, eligibility is Fifa’s. But the cat was already out of the bag.
Shortcuts, albeit breaches of the Constitution, stood out as another blot to be recorded in the annals of our history.
In January, all FAM exco members for the 2025-2029 term announced voluntary mass resignations, and were seen as a prudent step following the “foreign player” issue and to safeguard the integrity of FAM.
But yesterday, the curtain fell: FAM announced the “mutual” termination of the employment of Harimau Malaya’s head coach Peter Cklamovski and CEO Robert Douglas Friend.
Mutually, of course, but the duo may not have been directly responsible for the debacle.
As expected, silence reigns on compensation and perks - the cloak of secrecy remains the only consistent performance in Malaysian football.
No one held accountable
It is nine months since the scandal broke, and no one has accepted responsibility or been held accountable. Who came up with the plan? Did someone wake up one morning with these grandiose plans to cheat by calling foreigners Malaysians? Who called up the agents?
How much did the exercise of being an instant success cost us - the taxpayers?
The Budget 2025 allocation for the development of the national football team, Harimau Malaya, was doubled to RM30 million, with RM15 million to be funded by the private sector.
In announcing this, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the allocation would be used to enhance the development programmes for Harimau Malaya at every level, in addition to preparing the senior team to be more competitive in every international tournament they
Then youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh said the money should be used to develop the national senior team, the Under-18 team, and the Under-13 team, and not to pay salaries.
Hannah Yeoh
But last month, a report released by the Asian Football Federation (AFC) revealed the bitter truth. It was more a catalogue of shame-raising concerns that critical functions are built around individuals rather than systems, creating dependency risks.
What hit home hard was that almost 70 percent of expenditure was spent on staffing costs and national team operations, leaving only around 30 percent for football development initiatives.
There was a graver issue – FAM’s fixed deposits are shrinking, and if this trend continues, liquidity will eventually reach zero.
“So, does the government even bother to ensure that grants are spent on what they were meant for - or is oversight just another spectator sport in Malaysia’s football farce?”
Someone dozing off
Yes, the Commissioner of Sports, empowered to inspect accounts and demand accountability, exists on paper - but in practice, someone has been dozing off while the circus burned the taxpayers’ cash.
Youth and Sports Minister Taufiq Johari said the ministry respects the autonomy of the national sports associations and does not interfere in their administration, but they must prioritise good governance and transparency in financial management.
What hit home hard was that almost 70 percent of expenditure was spent on staffing costs and national team operations, leaving only around 30 percent for football development initiatives.
There was a graver issue – FAM’s fixed deposits are shrinking, and if this trend continues, liquidity will eventually reach zero.
“So, does the government even bother to ensure that grants are spent on what they were meant for - or is oversight just another spectator sport in Malaysia’s football farce?”
Someone dozing off
Yes, the Commissioner of Sports, empowered to inspect accounts and demand accountability, exists on paper - but in practice, someone has been dozing off while the circus burned the taxpayers’ cash.
Youth and Sports Minister Taufiq Johari said the ministry respects the autonomy of the national sports associations and does not interfere in their administration, but they must prioritise good governance and transparency in financial management.
Taufiq Johari
He said Malaysians have the right to know how these organisations manage public funds. It was just lip service. It just stopped there, and FAM, defiant as ever, has been dragging its feet on releasing the full AFC report.
What about the prime minister who has been shouting himself hoarse with anti-corruption slogans and demanding good governance?
There will be no cover-up on the seven foreign players, he declared, but the truth was hidden behind half-truths from officialdom.
What about public money being used wrongly? Hardly a word.
So, the question is: Isn’t it a colossal waste of public money to keep a commissioner who neither asks the right questions nor tells taxpayers how their money is squandered - a watchdog that prefers sleeping to barking, let alone biting?
Deafening silence
Nine months on, the silence is deafening. No mastermind has been named; no architect of this fraudulent “instant success” has been held to account.
The grand plan to catapult Malaysia into football’s elite has collapsed into a farce, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill for inflated salaries, shrinking deposits, and legal escapades dressed up as “development.”
The sports minister insists on respecting autonomy, but autonomy without accountability is just another word for abdication. And FAM? It drags its feet, hides behind “interference,” and hopes Malaysians will forget.
He said Malaysians have the right to know how these organisations manage public funds. It was just lip service. It just stopped there, and FAM, defiant as ever, has been dragging its feet on releasing the full AFC report.
What about the prime minister who has been shouting himself hoarse with anti-corruption slogans and demanding good governance?
There will be no cover-up on the seven foreign players, he declared, but the truth was hidden behind half-truths from officialdom.
What about public money being used wrongly? Hardly a word.
So, the question is: Isn’t it a colossal waste of public money to keep a commissioner who neither asks the right questions nor tells taxpayers how their money is squandered - a watchdog that prefers sleeping to barking, let alone biting?
Deafening silence
Nine months on, the silence is deafening. No mastermind has been named; no architect of this fraudulent “instant success” has been held to account.
The grand plan to catapult Malaysia into football’s elite has collapsed into a farce, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill for inflated salaries, shrinking deposits, and legal escapades dressed up as “development.”
The sports minister insists on respecting autonomy, but autonomy without accountability is just another word for abdication. And FAM? It drags its feet, hides behind “interference,” and hopes Malaysians will forget.
But Malaysians should not forget. This was not just a football fiasco; it was a national embarrassment, a constitutional breach, and a betrayal of public trust.
The curtain may have fallen on Cklamovski and Friend, but the real actors remain backstage, unscathed, unpunished, and unrepentant.
So, isn’t the real question this: why do we keep funding a circus that refuses to perform, a troupe that rehearses deceit instead of discipline?
Until someone answers, the scoreboard will remain stuck on zero - not for Harimau Malaya, but for governance, accountability, and the dignity of Malaysian sport.
R NADESWARAN began his career as a sports reporter, cutting his teeth on the drama of games and the grit of athletes. Though his journalistic journey has since taken him into governance, accountability, and public affairs, he continues to make occasional forays back into the sports arena - drawn not just by scandals, scores, and statistics, but by other human stories that inspire. Comments: citizen.nades22@gmail.com
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Below is the REAL reason why there has been no accountability thus far:
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