Kuala lumpur: Harimau Malaya's drop to number 138 in the world ranking must be seen as a starting point for comprehensive reforms to restore the image and reputation of Malaysian football, said Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari. He emphasized that major reforms would be implemented at the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) level to improve Harimau Malaya's ranking, addressing several issues and controversies at the association level. According to BERNAMA News Agency, the decline in the national football team's world ranking from 121st to 138th place in the latest FIFA world ranking highlights the need for prompt and prudent actions. Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari stated, "We will carry out major reforms at the association level itself to ensure the team's ranking improves." He assured that the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) would consistently monitor FAM to ensure necessary changes and reforms take place. Mohammed Taufiq also stressed that the drop in ranking should not be viewed as a mere failure but should be followed by a clear recovery plan, including strengthening grassroots development. "We have an exit plan and now our main focus is to ensure we unearth more talent at the grassroots level," he said. Commenting on Malaysia's failure to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup Finals, Dr Mohammed Taufiq called on all parties to learn from this experience. Despite the setback of being docked points by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), he sees it as a challenge to improve by taking necessary measures. The AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee recently found that FAM breached Article 56 of the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Code for fielding ineligible players in qualifying matches against Nepal and Vietnam.