Statutory rape: K'tan police chief refuses to retract 'personal view' suggestion

Statutory rape: K'tan police chief refuses to retract 'personal view' suggestion


Published: Sep 29, 2025 6:48 PM
Updated: 8:48 PM


Kelantan police chief Yusoff Mamat has rejected calls to retract his suggestion for girls in statutory rape cases to be charged alongside the adult male perpetrator.

Yusoff reportedly said it was unnecessary to withdraw the statement as it was his personal opinion.

"Why do I need to retract the statement when it was my opinion? It is up to the government if they want to look into it or otherwise.

"Even if the suggestion is ignored, I have no problem. In fact, the home minister himself has stated that it was my personal view," he told reporters in Kota Bharu today, as quoted by Harian Metro.

Yusoff sparked controversy earlier this month when he made the suggestion, saying nearly 90 percent of statutory rape cases are consensual, based on investigations.

His remarks have been met with widespread criticism from NGOs, lawyers, and politicians, including Seputeh MP Teresa Kok and DAP national adviser Lim Guan Eng, who urged the Kelantan police chief to withdraw his suggestion.

Following this, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has described Yusoff's statements on statutory rape as merely "his personal opinion" and urged the public not to sensationalise the matter.

The issue had also sparked a debate among legal and child welfare experts, who believe the law should be reformed to provide a holistic approach when close-in-age teens are involved.

***

Readers write-in:

(Names removed)

38 minutes ago

This man does not understand the meaning of Statutory rape.

It is inconceivable that a State Police Chief cannot interpret and understand the law.

41 minutes ago

Would he stick to his guns if this happens to his daughter?

an hour ago

There's nothing wrong in making such a proposal. Merely to open up ideas and proposals for the benefit of society

an hour ago

I too wrote expressing my disagreement about the Officer's comment, but seeing him standing firm and being the person on the ground with first hand knowledge, he may right after all.

If ninety percent of rape cases is of a consensual nature then the Officer is alerting parents, teachers, social leaders and religious leaders to monitor the activities of young people closely.

Let us give him the benefit of our doubts.

an hour ago

So, the police can express personal opinions, but UMANY can't? Isn't that “the law of the jungle”, where power — not principle — determines who gets to speak?

an hour ago

Kelantan CPO, whatever you say as CPO is not personal. When you open your mouth, you speak on behalf of the Polis Kelantan. This also you don't know? How to be CPO??

an hour ago

We don't need him to apologize. We just need him removed

an hour ago

The first time he spoke, he said his personal opinion was based on his personal experience handling many such cases. That makes me wonder: isn’t there a protocol preventing male officers from handling cases involving minors and rape allegations? How could he have been personally involved? And if he truly was, shouldn’t those cases be reviewed to determine whether there were elements of coercion on the minors, given that he is a male officer who held such personal views?

His personal views are fine, sure—but what they seem to suggest, that we have no protocols preventing male officers from directly interacting with underage victims of the opposite sex, and that such men with such personal views are allowed to propose punishments for minors, are definitely serious concerns.

an hour ago

If you withdraw, you are seen to be able to take correction and put things right. If you refuse to withdraw you are seen to be lacking in intellect, stubborn and backward. Your choice.

2 hours ago

 (Edited)

1. He made the statement during a PDRM
press conference

2. While in uniform

3. While speaking in his capacity as police chief

4. At the Kelantan PDRM headquarters.

5. While "on duty"

Please don't abuse PDRM facilities, resources, title and uniform to give "personal" comments

If you want to give personal comments, do it outside of duty hours, not in uniform, not during a PDRM event, and not in the PDRM station

Do it on your own time.

You are paid to do your job as representing PDRM while "on the clock."

Not use PDRM as your personal Twitter to give personal views

an hour ago

I think his speech was representative of how the police force at large thinks, at least in Kelantan and most likely also the whole country.

But then so many people brainwashed by western values got riled up and attacked him; saying it was just a "personal view" was already a retraction of sorts. So please, live and let live.

an hour ago

Yeah, live and let live so that Malaysia can return to the age of the barbarians sooner!

an hour ago

If they are below the ‘age of consent’ - it is not consensual . That’s the law to protect young girls - whether it is Kelantan or the jungles of the Amazon. Don’t equate Kelantan with the rest of the country. It is ruled by a different mob who govern by subjugation . Parents,’mak ciks’ and schools need to take more responsibility unless they too are subjugated by the religious mob .

Bersatu leader calls for Wan Saiful’s sacking

FMT:

Bersatu leader calls for Wan Saiful’s sacking


Azmi Alang says Wan Saiful Wan Jan’s remarks about Azmin Ali are irresponsible and failing to take action will undermine Bersatu's struggle

Bersatu’s Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan (front row, centre) at a press conference earlier today, joined by Indera Mahkota MP Saifuddin Abdullah (back row, third from right), among others.

PETALING JAYA: A Bersatu leader has urged the party leadership to sack its Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan, after the latter publicly attacked party secretary-general Azmin Ali earlier today.

Telok Ayer Tawar assemblyman Azmi Alang said Wan Saiful’s remarks were irresponsible and damaging to the party’s image and claimed that the first-term MP was chasing publicity instead of serving the rakyat.

Azmi, the Tasek Gelugor Bersatu chief, said elected representatives like Wan Saiful should argue with facts and solutions, not “cheap rhetoric”.


“I urge the party leadership to take stern action, including sacking him, in order to preserve the integrity, discipline and dignity of our struggle.

“If we fail to act, the party will be seen as weak and tolerant of immoral conduct that undermines our struggle,” he said, adding that such behaviour distracts from substantive issues and burdens the party in the long run.


In a statement, Azmi also said Wan Saiful’s actions only served their rivals with political ammunition to attack them.

This comes after Wan Saiful said Azmin is unfit to be a party leader so long as the controversy surrounding a 2019 video, purportedly of the former minister engaging in homosexual acts, remained unresolved.


Wan Saiful, a Bersatu Supreme Council member, said moral scandals cannot be tolerated in the party.

He also said he planned to refer Azmin and Bersatu information chief Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz to the party’s disciplinary board for allegedly threatening division leaders supposedly linked to a plot to oust Muhyiddin Yassin as Bersatu president.

Zara Qairina inquest: Student says harsh scolding by seniors a common part of dorm culture

Zara Qairina inquest: Student says harsh scolding by seniors a common part of dorm culture



A witness in the inquest into the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir told the court that harsh scolding by senior students was a common and accepted part of hostel culture. — Bernama pic

Monday, 29 Sep 2025 6:46 PM MYT


KOTA KINABALU, Sept 29 — A witness in the inquest into the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir told the court that harsh scolding by senior students was a common and accepted part of hostel culture.

Lawyer Shahlan Jufri said that junior students, from Form One to Form Three, were expected to go through similar treatment from seniors because the seniors had experienced it themselves.

“The witness said such scoldings from senior students were considered a normal part of hostel life,” he said.

Words like “budu” (fermented anchovy sauce), “sial” (damned/unlucky), “p*****” (vulgar insult), “babi” (pig), and “anjing” (dog) were the examples used.


The Form 4 student also said that some of the words were commonly used among friends and occasionally heard from teachers scolding students.

Meanwhile, it was also heard that one of the group members, identified as Student E, had raised her voice and used those words on the night in question out of frustration.

“She was upset because her flag pin had gone missing and was found in Zara’s bag,” said the witness, according to lawyer Azhier Farhan Arisin.


“From what I saw and heard, Zara was not called in by them just to be humiliated or bullied. It was only about the flag pin.”

The witness also told the inquest she had never heard anyone threaten Zara with death or urge her to harm herself.

Today is the 16th day of the inquest.

Zara Qairina’s unconscious body was found at 3am on July 16 on the ground floor of SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha. She suffered injuries consistent with a fall from height and succumbed to her injuries the next day.

Police initially classified the case as sudden death, but intense speculation and public outcry led to the exhumation and autopsy of her body and an inquest to look into her cause of death.

Police later found elements of bullying.

Five teenagers have been charged with bullying Zara Qairina the night before she was found.

The inquest continues tomorrow with another child eyewitness.

Azmin unfit to be Bersatu leader, says Wan Saiful over ‘explicit video’

FMT:

Azmin unfit to be Bersatu leader, says Wan Saiful over ‘explicit video’


2 hours ago
Elill Easwaran


Bersatu Supreme Council member Wan Saiful Wan Jan says moral scandals cannot be tolerated in the party, referring to the viral clips that surfaced in 2019

In 2019, Azmin Ali said the spread of viral clips allegedly of himself and then Santubong PKR Youth chief Haziq Aziz engaging in homosexual acts was part of a conspiracy to end his political career.

KUALA LUMPUR: Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan claims that Azmin Ali is unfit to be a Bersatu leader as long as the controversy surrounding a leaked explicit video allegedly of him remains unresolved.

Wan Saiful said he was initially part of Azmin’s faction in Bersatu and even supported the former minister to become the party’s next deputy president during its convention in July 2024 as he felt Azmin was qualified for the post.

When party president Muhyiddin Yassin announced Azmin’s appointment as Bersatu secretary-general, the Bersatu Supreme Council member said he accepted the decision.


“Right after the convention, I received new information … This changed my mind about Azmin and I voiced my opinion to some that as long as this video issue is not resolved, Azmin is not suitable to be a Bersatu leader,” he said at a press conference here today.

“If it’s political persecution, yes, we must defend (our leaders) and fight. But if it’s a morally deviant issue, then they are not suitable for a party like Bersatu. Other parties may be able to accept it, but not Bersatu,” he said.


Wan Saiful said his relationship with Azmin has worsened since then, adding that he would not be surprised “if I become his target”.

FMT is reaching out to Azmin for comment.

In 2019, several viral clips surfaced allegedly showing Azmin with another man engaging in homosexual acts at the Four Points hotel in Sandakan, Sabah.

Then Santubong PKR Youth chief Haziq Aziz later released a video confession naming himself and Azmin as the two men in the video clips.


Azmin, who was then economic affairs minister and PKR deputy president, denied the allegations and said it was a plot to destroy his political career.

While CyberSecurity Malaysia concluded that the video clips were authentic, it said facial recognition of the individuals involved could not be achieved due to the poor resolution of the recordings.

Then attorney-general Tommy Thomas said the clips were also sent to forensic experts in the US who confirmed CyberSecurity’s findings. Thomas said this was why they decided not to charge anyone linked to the videos.

BIG “China Mistake”! U.S. Plays The Pakistan Card On India; Can Trump’s Dangerous Game Derail Delhi?

Sunday, September 28, 2025


BIG “China Mistake”! U.S. Plays The Pakistan Card On India; Can Trump’s Dangerous Game Derail Delhi? OPED

By Nitin J Ticku



In the early 1970s, the US National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger, pulled off a diplomatic coup by making a secret visit to China. After two decades of frosty relations, Washington reached a historic detente with Beijing, striking two targets with a single arrow.

Firstly, the US established mutually beneficial trade relations with China; at the same time, the US was able to draw a wedge between China and the Soviet Union, the two prominent Communist powers of the time.

The US hoped to use China as a counterbalance to Soviet power and influence.

Following a secret visit by Kissinger, the US Table Tennis team visited China, softening the ground for formal talks. This visit by the US Table Tennis team became known as “Ping-Pong Diplomacy”.

The Kissinger idea was to use China to contain the Soviet Union. The colossal success of this policy left a profound impact on U.S. foreign policy thinking.

However, the US also learned a bitter lesson. While it was able to contain the Soviet Union, it indirectly helped in the rise of China, the “sleeping giant” of Asia. Within two decades of the Kissinger detente, the Soviet Union ceased to exist, but Beijing emerged as the US’s primary adversary.

Soon, the US was seeking partners to counter Beijing’s influence.

Fast forward to the 2020s, five decades after the historic US-China detente, Washington is still following a similar policy, just on a much broader scale, and ensuring that it doesn’t create a new China in the process of containing its current challenger.

The US is attempting to utilize India as a means to contain China, its primary adversary. However, the US does not wanna repeat the same mistake it made in the 1970s.

The US realizes that India is already the world’s most populous country and the world’s fourth-largest economy, on course to become the world’s third-largest economy by 2028.

So, to ensure that New Delhi does not challenge Washington in the future, the US is also using Pakistan to contain India, and using Afghanistan to contain Pakistan, while at the same time also dealing with the Taliban to keep Afghanistan off balance.

In short, the US is ensuring that the entire region is on the edge by playing one side against the other, while also ensuring that every player is dependent on the US.

The China Containment Policy

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US enjoyed a unipolar moment for at least two decades.

However, things began to change after 2010, as China’s GDP surpassed that of Japan, and its Belt and Road Initiative expanded its influence. Under the Obama administration’s “Pivot to Asia,” the US began rebalancing resources toward the Indo-Pacific, primarily to contain China’s rising influence.

This evolved under Trump 1.0 (2017–2021) with tariffs and export controls, and Biden (2021–2025) with tech bans and alliances.

The US recognized that limiting China’s influence in the Pacific is crucial to mitigating its global influence.

As part of this strategy, the US changed the nomenclature of the Asia-Pacific to Indo-Pacific, to underscore that India has equal stakes in the region and that China cannot treat the Pacific as its backyard.

The US started treating India as a counterweight to China. The 2020 Coronavirus outbreak in China and India-China military clash in the Himalayas (Galwan 2020) that resulted in multiple fatalities on both sides, gave the US further opportunity to drive a wedge between the two Asian powers.

In 2017, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) was revived. An informal alliance of the US, India, Japan, and Australia to promote a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” (FOIP), the alliance reached a major landmark in 2021 with the participation of QUAD countries in Malabar drills.

The informal alliance has also been termed as an Asian “NATO,” directed against China.

This sentiment was explicitly stated by Adm. John Aquilino, US Indo-Pacific Command, last year, when he said that “A united Quad is the most effective counterbalance to Beijing’s maritime ambitions.”

Following the coronavirus pandemic, the US also began implementing a ‘Decoupling’ policy from China, shifting its critical supply chains away from China to India. For instance, Apple has moved several of its manufacturing units to India. This policy had the potential to support India’s manufacturing sector.

Furthermore, over the last decade, the US has signed several significant defense agreements with India, including COMCASA (2018), LEMOA (2016), and BECA (2020), which have boosted India’s access to US geospatial data and facilitated joint drills and patrols.

However, while using India to contain China, at the same time, the US is using Pakistan to contain India, and using Afghanistan to contain Pakistan.

US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrive to hold a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 13, 2025. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)

Playing Pakistan Against India

Since Trump’s return to the White House in January of this year, a clear shift in US policy towards Pakistan has been observed.

The Pakistan Army Chief, Asim Munir, has visited the US three times since June. First, in June, Trump hosted General Munir for lunch and a closed-door meeting in the White House.

Munir was in the US again in August, where he made nuclear threats against India from US soil. According to experts, this was the first instance ever when nuclear threats were made against a third country from US soil.

Earlier this week, Munir was back at the White House. This time, he was also accompanied by the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

During this time, the US has also signed several trade agreements with Pakistan and committed an investment of USD 500 million to explore critical minerals and oil in Pakistan.

The sudden bonhomie between Washington and Islamabad has taken many by surprise. Many analysts view it as an attempt by the US to counterbalance a rising India, which is increasingly confident of its capabilities and is pursuing a fiercely independent foreign policy.

Contrary to US expectations, India has neither downgraded its defense partnership with Russia nor halted its oil purchases from Russia.

Russia remains India’s largest source of weapons imports and its most significant source of oil.

Trump has also imposed a 50% tariff on India, the highest tariff imposed on any country. Furthermore, on September 25, Trump imposed a 100% tariff on the Indian pharmaceutical sector.

The Trump tariffs on India are widely interpreted as a punishment for India’s independent foreign policy. However, while the US is using Pakistan to keep India off balance, simultaneously, Washington is also using Kabul to keep Islamabad on the edge.

Trump has expressed his desire to regain control of the Bagram air base in Afghanistan. Though the Taliban has made it clear that it will not return the base to the US, these are still early days, and the possibility of a deal between the Taliban and the US can not be rejected outright.

If the deal goes through, not only will the US return to Afghanistan, but the Taliban will also be able to strike a hard bargain with the US, potentially securing economic and military aid from the US.

The Taliban and Pakistan already have a frosty relationship, with frequent border clashes. Islamabad has also repeatedly accused the Taliban of supporting and providing safe havens to Pakistan-based terrorists, particularly the TTP.

If the Taliban can strike a direct deal with the US and get economic and military aid in return, this is set to embolden the Taliban and increase troubles for the Pakistan Army.

Clearly, the US is following a dangerous policy in South Asia, supporting multiple players against each other to keep all parties off balance.

It remains to be seen how long the US can play this dangerous game, and who will ultimately be the real beneficiary.

Nitin is the Editor of the EurAsian Times and holds a double Master’s degree in Journalism and Business Management. He has nearly 20 years of global experience in the ‘Digital World’.

FBI fires agents pictured kneeling at George Floyd protest, US media report

BBC:

FBI fires agents pictured kneeling at George Floyd protest, US media report


Sofia Ferreira Santos

Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu via Getty Images
(File image) The number of agents fired by the bureau is unclear


The FBI has fired a group of agents who were pictured kneeling at a racial justice protest over the death of George Floyd, US media report.

The termination letter cited alleged "lack of judgement" in their actions, according to a source cited by CBS News, the BBC's US partner. Between 15 to 20 agents have reportedly been sacked.

The agents reportedly took the knee alongside others during a demonstration in 2020. Floyd, a black man, had been killed by a police officer who knelt on his neck in May that year, sparking global outcry.

The FBI Agents Association condemned the dismissals, stating that the agents' rights had been violated. The FBI declined to comment when contacted by the BBC.


George Floyd: What happened in the final moments of his life

Thousands remember George Floyd on fifth anniversary of death


The reported firings come as the Trump administration seeks to purge what it sees as left-wing and so-called "woke" policies and officials from every part of the federal government.

Several right-wing commentators had criticised agents and police officers who were pictured kneeling on social media at the time.

But their proponents argue the kneeling was a tactic to reduce tensions with protesters, rather than signalling that the agents agreed with their views.

The act became a symbol of dissent against racism, as viral footage showed Floyd's killer, white police officer Derek Chauvin, kneeling on his neck while he was pinned to the floor for more than nine minutes.

An official post-mortem examination found Floyd died of a heart attack caused by neck compression. Chauvin is currently serving a 22-and-a-half-year sentence for Floyd's murder.

Taking the knee had also been used in the US as a protest against racial injustice and police brutality before Floyd's murder - notably by former NFL player Colin Kaepernick.

Friday's mass sacking is the latest in a string of firings at the FBI.

The agency's former acting director Brian Driscoll, former assistant director in charge of the Washington field office Steven Jensen, and Spencer Evans, former special agent in charge of the Las Vegas field office, have all been let go recently.

Earlier this month, the three former agents sued FBI Director Kash Patel and US Attorney General Pam Bondi, alleging the officials fired them to appease President Donald Trump.

In its statement on Friday, the FBI Agents Association said Patel's "dangerous new pattern of actions are weakening the Bureau" and making it "harder to recruit and retain skilled agents - ultimately putting our nation at greater risk."

At least one person dead after shooting and fire at Mormon church in Michigan

BBC:

At least one person dead after shooting and fire at Mormon church in Michigan


Nadine Yousif


Drone footage shows fire at Michigan church


At least one person has been killed and nine others wounded after a gunman drove a vehicle into a Mormon church in Michigan and opened fire, police say.

Officials said the attack on Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, a town 60 miles (96 km) northwest of Detroit, happened during a Sunday service that attracts hundreds of people.

The suspect, a 40-year-old male, allegedly also set part of the building on fire which has since been contained. Officials warned they may discover additional victims when it was safe to enter the building.

The alleged shooter was shot dead by police. Authorities said there was no ongoing threat to the public.

Reuters
The shooting occurred at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan.


Nine people suffered gunshot wounds and are being treated in hospital, where they are reported to be in stable condition.

The suspect has not been named. Investigators are conducting a search of the man's property and examining his cell-phone records as they work to establish a motive.

Grand Blanc police said that 100 FBI agents have been deployed to assist with the investigation.

President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the shooting, and confirmed the FBI will be leading the federal investigation.

Writing on Truth Social, he described it as "yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America".

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X that she had received briefings on "what appears to be a horrific shooting and fire" at the church.

"Such violence at a place of worship is heartbreaking and chilling," Bondi said. "Please join me in praying for the victims of this terrible tragedy."

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer condemned the incident, saying: "Violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable," adding that she was monitoring the situation.

Forgery, fraud, and football: FAM has shamed the nation

FMT:

Forgery, fraud, and football: FAM has shamed the nation


Those who forged Malaysia’s football disgrace must quit — or be driven out by the country they betrayed

Forgery and fraud have poisoned Malaysian football — and the stench now hangs over the entire country.

Forgery, fraud and football: three words that should never belong in the same breath, yet under the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), they now define our game.


FIFA has ruled that falsified documents were used to naturalise seven players for an Asian Cup qualifier, a betrayal so grave it has left Malaysia fined RM1.9 million.

The punishment is crushing: seven players banned worldwide for 12 months, and our football dragged into global disgrace.


But the real punishment is the dishonour. Malaysia, once a proud football nation, has been dragged through the mud by the very people entrusted to lift it.

The fury is not confined to social media — it is national, visceral, and unforgiving.

Malaysians feel deceived and demeaned. They see deception dressed up as football, pride traded for shortcuts.

The country’s reputation has been burned for the selfish gain of officials who thought they could outwit FIFA.


What was celebrated as a 4-0 victory over Vietnam in the Asian Cup tie is now remembered as fraud in boots.

That night of jubilation has curdled into humiliation, proof that under FAM, even glory is counterfeit.

Forged papers to sneak players into national colours is not a clerical error. It is calculated deceit. It spits on the sweat of generations who fought honestly for the jersey.

And the insult runs deeper. Malaysians will now foot the bill for FAM’s dishonesty.


Taxpayers already bankroll stadiums, academies, and the very officials who orchestrated this scam — and now they are punished again with a hefty fine.

This is not mere negligence; it is criminal dishonesty funded by the public purse.

The comparison with East Timor is unavoidable. That tiny nation was thrown out of the Asian Cup for faking birth certificates to field Brazilians.

Today, Malaysia sits in the same dock of infamy. Once, we laughed at others for bending rules. Now the joke is on us.

And it could get worse. AFC general-secretary Windsor John says his body is awaiting the FIFA tribunal’s verdict on player eligibility before acting.

That means Malaysia could yet be kicked out of the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, a tournament this country has long dreamed of.

If that hammer falls, the humiliation will not stop at FAM. It will once again expose Malaysia before the world.

The rot of shortcuts

This scandal did not erupt overnight. It is the rotten fruit of a culture that worships shortcuts.

Instead of building academies, nurturing coaches, and investing in young Malaysians, FAM built its fortunes on importing talent and gaming the system.

Nine of the starting eleven against Vietnam were naturalised players. Five were cleared only hours before kick-off. Now FIFA confirms those clearances were secured with lies.

This is not just about eligibility rules. It is about an association that abandoned its duty to develop the sport.

FAM faked Malaysians. They manufactured paperwork, not players.

They forged documents when they should have forged champions. And in doing so, they broke the trust of an entire nation.

Fans, former players, and commentators are united in rage.

They see this not as a mistake but as cheating — not just against opponents, but against Malaysians who packed stadiums, believed in a revival, and wore the Harimau Malaya jersey with pride.

This scandal proves what Malaysians have long suspected: that FAM is rotten to the core.

Not merely incompetent but dishonest, it gambled with Malaysia’s reputation — and lost.

No more timidity at the top

FAM issued its statement last night, insisting that it acted “with good intentions and full transparency,” claiming FIFA had earlier cleared the players and vowing to appeal through “all available legal channels.”

But Malaysians are not fools. Transparency does not end in phony papers. Integrity is not measured by excuses. And an appeal does not erase deceit.

FAM says it will “continue to defend the integrity of the country’s football.” The irony is suffocating: you cannot defend what you have already destroyed.

This is not a moment for press releases. It is a moment for resignations.

Every member of the FAM board must quit — not next month, not after an inquiry, but now.

This rot is institutional, not individual. No scapegoat will suffice.

If they refuse, then Malaysians must force them out through every legitimate means available — from grassroots clubs to state associations to public protest. Sponsors must pull out.

The youth and sports minister and the sports commissioner cannot remain timid. They are guardians of integrity, not bystanders to scandal.

If they do not act decisively by disbanding this disgraced leadership, installing an independent inquiry, and safeguarding public funds, then they are complicit in the cover-up.

Anti-corruption is not a slogan; it is a duty, and football has now become its biggest test.

This is a moment of reckoning. If the guilty remain, Malaysia will become a laughing stock — or worse, not at all.

Trust between Malaysians and their national game has been shattered. It can only be rebuilt if the guilty are stripped of power and accountability is enforced without fear or favour.

Forgery in boots is not football. It is a crime against the game and against the nation.

If nothing changes, then Malaysian football deserves its decline. But if Malaysians rise, cut out the rot, and rebuild from the grassroots, there is still hope.

The whistle has blown. There is no extra time. FAM bosses must go — or be driven out.




Nine of Harimau Malaya’s starting eleven in their 2027 Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam in June were naturalised players. (Bernama pic)

***

Hannah, do your job