Malaysian media demands FAM leader to resign
After FIFA rejected the appeal and upheld the accusation of submitting altered documents related to seven “legacy” players, Twentytwo13 called for the entire FAM board of directors to resign. FAM said it would appeal to CAS.
Twentytwo13 called for the entire Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) board to resign immediately, after FIFA rejected an appeal and upheld charges related to the submission of altered documents for seven “legacy” players. FAM acting president Datuk Wira Yusoff Mahadi said he would continue to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), a move Twentytwo13 called “misguided” as it would only prolong the embarrassment and waste resources.
FIFA rejects appeal, maintains penalty
FIFA has upheld its decision to sanction Malaysia's "seven heritage players" case, including suspending the players for 12 months and fining FAM 350,000 Swiss francs for falsifying documents about ancestry, according to sources.
| Item | Decision |
|---|---|
| Seven players naturalized as Malaysians | 12-month suspension |
| FAM | Fine of 350,000 Swiss francs |
| The nature of the violation | Submitting edited documents related to ancestry |
Twentytwo13 calls for collective resignation
Twentytwo13 newspaper commented that continuing the lawsuit “does not protect Malaysian football, but only prolongs the shame and wastes the country’s resources”. The article emphasized: “In fact, FAM has failed completely from management, internal control to leadership responsibility... What fans need now is not a new appeal, but real responsibility”.
In that spirit, Twentytwo13 demands that “the entire FAM leadership must resign en masse,” considering this a prerequisite to starting over, because “a collective that has lost public trust cannot continue to operate, and even less can it restore lost prestige.”
FAM reaction and CAS pathway
FAM Acting President Datuk Wira Yusoff Mahadi said he would appeal to CAS. According to the article, if CAS upholds FIFA's decision, Malaysian football is at risk of facing a major crisis, which could cause the national team to lose the opportunity to participate in the Asian Cup and have a long-term impact on its image.
Impact: crisis of confidence and pressure for reform
Twentytwo13 said that fans were “tired of repeated apologies and empty promises”. The collective resignation was described as a move to “save the honour of Malaysian football”, before any road map for recovery could be discussed.
Key numbers
- 7 "legacy" players suspended for 12 months
- FAM fined 350,000 Swiss francs
- Expected appeal: CAS
In that context, the central question is no longer the chance of winning or losing at CAS, but how FAM responds to the crisis of confidence – an issue that Twentytwo13 itself considers core and needs to be resolved immediately.
