You await AFC's penalty, Malaysia's top boss speaks up

The Malaysian Minister of Youth and Sports stated that the country is awaiting the disciplinary decision from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) regarding the naturalized player incident.

The Malaysian Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Mohammed Taufiq Johari, stated that Malaysia is awaiting the final decision from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) concerning the case of naturalized players using invalid documentation. According to him, AFC's disciplinary body is still in the process of reviewing and evaluating before issuing a formal conclusion.

Malaysian media quoted Mr. Taufiq Johari saying that AFC has received the documents and is handling the case according to its procedures. Therefore, Malaysia's sports management authorities will continue monitoring developments before taking further specific steps. The Minister emphasized that the review process by AFC's Disciplinary and Ethics Committee is still ongoing.

Previously, on March 5th, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced a ruling upholding the penalty imposed by the International Football Federation (FIFA) on the Malaysian Football Association (FAM) and seven players related to the use of invalid documents during naturalization. This decision means the violations concerning the use of ineligible players for the national team remain upheld.

According to CAS's ruling, the involved players can still train, participate in activities, and play at the club level in unofficial matches. However, eligibility regulations for the national team will continue to apply under the initial penalty issued by FIFA.

Following CAS's ruling, the case has been forwarded to AFC's Disciplinary and Ethics Committee for further review. AFC Secretary General Windsor Paul John indicated the evaluation process may take about 7 to 10 days before the committee makes its final decision. Under AFC regulations, using ineligible players could lead to a 0-3 forfeit in related matches, along with additional disciplinary measures such as point deductions or fines.

By March 13th, AFC had not yet announced a formal ruling regarding FAM and the involved players. Minister Taufiq Johari stated that the Malaysian government does not directly intervene in the internal operations of sports federations, as these organizations function under the independent mechanisms of the international sports system. Nevertheless, he affirmed that the country's sports management authorities are coordinating with FAM and continue implementing programs under the National Football Development Program (NFDP) to advance Malaysian football development in the coming period.