Kuala lumpur: The Home Ministry (KDN) insists that the process of granting citizenship to seven national heritage players was carried out in accordance with the law. Its minister, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, stated that there was no cause for concern as all processes were conducted properly and carefully by the ministry in line with Article 19(1) of the Federal Constitution.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the minister emphasized the importance of adhering to legal protocols, questioning why there should be any worries if the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) followed the correct procedures. He stressed that doing the right thing involves compliance with the Federal Constitution, existing acts or laws, and specifically Article 19 of the Federal Constitution. This was part of his speech at the ministry's monthly assembly.
The minister further noted that National Registration Department director-general Datuk Badrul Hisham Alias had thoroughly scrutinized every process involved in granting citizenship to the heritage players. He assured that all processes were conducted in order, indicating there would only be a reason to worry if the law was disregarded.
Recently, the FAM and seven national heritage players faced sanctions from FIFA's Disciplinary Committee for breaching Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC), which pertains to document falsification. FIFA found that FAM had submitted forged documents to confirm the eligibility of the players for a third-round match of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers against Vietnam on June 10.
The players involved in the incident include Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomas Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, Joao Vitor Brandao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal Iraurgui, and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano. Consequently, FAM was fined CHF350,000 (approximately RM1.8 million), while each player was fined CHF2,000 (approximately RM10,560) and suspended from all football-related activities for 12 months, effective from the date of notification of the decision.