Revisiting Fifa's scathing verdict on 'heritage players' saga

Revisiting Fifa's scathing verdict on 'heritage players' saga

Yiswaree Palansamy
Published: Nov 5, 2025 8:00 PM
Updated: 11:00 PM


On Nov 3, the International Federation of Association Football's (Fifa) appeals committee announced that it had rejected the Football Association of Malaysia’s (FAM) appeal against the sanctions imposed on seven “heritage” players who were granted Malaysian citizenship, allegedly based on the forgery and falsification of identification documents.

The organisation also stated that FAM and the players have 10 days from the date of the announcement to request the written grounds of the decision, and 21 days to file a possible appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Stunned by the rejection of its appeal, FAM announced that it will be taking the matter to the CAS, the final arbiter in such disputes.

FAM had also recently appointed former chief justice Raus Sharif to head an independent committee to investigate the matter, with the committee’s findings report expected to be submitted to FAM within six weeks.

As Fifa doubles down on its sanctions against FAM and the players, Malaysiakini revisits the findings of its disciplinary committee, released on Oct 6, which condemned the use of allegedly forged documents and detailed the various discrepancies it had identified.


‘Strikes at core of football’s fundamental principles’

In its scathing 19-page grounds of judgment, the committee said that FAM’s conduct “strikes at the very core of football’s fundamental principles.”

In a written decision, the disciplinary committee's deputy chairperson, Jorge Palacio, had said the committee was “comfortably satisfied” that the birth certificates submitted by FAM in several eligibility proceedings had been forged and/or falsified, to alter the players’ grandparents’ birthplaces.

He said the Malaysian authorities, through the National Registration Department (NRD), had even admitted they had never received the original birth certificates, and instead, issued their own copies based on secondary information and foreign documents from Argentina, Brazil, and Spain.

READ MORE: Home minister defends NRD's clean sheet over 'heritage' players

“This admission, so finds the committee, indicates that the Malaysian government’s validation process may not have been based on original documents, which calls into question the thoroughness of FAM’s verification process.

"Based on these findings, the committee concluded that the forged documents were not a mere formality but a decisive factor in the players’ eligibility," Palacio said.

He stressed that, therefore, this had a direct impact on the integrity of Malaysia’s match against Vietnam in June this year, where all seven players were fielded, and in which Malaysia won.


Lacking proper diligence, scrutiny

Palacio said that the committee was left without doubt - and contrary to the FAM's assertion of diligence - that the fact Fifa was able to obtain the relevant original documents without hindrance, demonstrated that FAM and the seven foreign players did not exercise the necessary level of scrutiny or care.

He added that FAM’s own admission that it had been contacted by external agencies regarding the players’ heritage and still failed to verify the authenticity of the documents independently further highlights a lack of proper diligence.

Palacio also rejected the premise of FAM's argument previously, that the violation involving the seven players was merely formal.

“The effect of the forgery is severe and goes beyond a mere technicality as the respondents tried to depict it," he said.

Palacio also dismissed claims that Fifa had confirmed the players’ eligibility in the past, clarifying that Fifa correspondence merely stated that the players appeared to be eligible on the basis of the information provided at the time.

He said that had the organisation received the original, unaltered documents, “it would have arrived at a different conclusion”, as the required ancestral link does not exist.


Fifa’s case handling criticised

Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim had previously criticised Fifa’s handling of the case involving the seven suspended players and the RM1.8 million fine imposed on the FAM.

In a statement on social media, the former FAM president said that Fifa had previously approved the players’ naturalisation, and questioned what had prompted the sudden reversal, and whether external influences had a hand in the decision.

Yesterday, following the appeals committee’s decision upholding the disciplinary committee’s ruling, Tunku Ismail described Fifa’s move as “politically motivated” and a “misapplication of the law.”

Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim


“Fifa continues to punish the players by misapplying the law, whereby Article 22 of the Fifa code states it can only sanction those who falsify or use a falsified document, and none of that applies to the players.

“In other words, the sanction is imposed without being based on the law and appears to be ‘politically motivated’ rather than anything else,” Tunku Ismail said on X.

He also said that he would continue to support FAM's case in its forthcoming hearing at the CAS.

However, back in October, Palacio had stressed that the said Article 22 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code empowers the committee to sanction both the perpetrators of forged or falsified documents and the association to which they belong.

“The wording of such provision is purposely broad, with the aim of encompassing all forms of document forgery or falsification, or their use in general, regardless of intent.

READ MORE: Lacking proof, lawyer again questions 'heritage' players' BM proficiency

“This provision has been designed to prevent the use of defences based on ignorance or procedural compliance, and it carries severe sanctions, as forgery is considered a criminal offence in most jurisdictions," he explained.


Conduct erodes trust, fairness in competition

Palacio said that Fifa also found that both the players and FAM knowingly - or at least effectively - gained an unfair advantage by using fake ancestry documents to make the players eligible for Malaysia

Hinting at alleged complicity in the affair, Palacio said that FAM "effectively, illegally, and successfully enjoyed the consequences of such use", which he said deserved an adequate sanction.

"The committee underlined that presenting fraudulent documentation with the purpose of gaining eligibility to play for a national team constitutes, pure and simple, a form of cheating, which cannot in any way be condoned.

“Such conduct erodes trust in the fairness of competitions and jeopardises the very essence of football as an activity founded on honesty and transparency.

"In addition, the committee noted that the players ultimately achieved their objective: they obtained falsified documentation, used it in the aforementioned Fifa proceedings, and were subsequently fielded in an official match with a significant impact on the end result of the match.

"This sequence of actions significantly aggravates the seriousness of the case, as it demonstrates a deliberate and successful attempt to circumvent the rules for personal and sporting gain," Palacio added.

He said that given the gravity of the situation, Fifa deemed that a mere match suspension would be extremely inadequate, in light of these circumstances.

"The sanction imposed must not only punish the wrongdoing but also serve as a strong deterrent and educational measure for the players involved and the wider football community, reaffirming Fifa’s zero tolerance stance on fraudulent conduct," Palacio added.