Kuala lumpur: The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) must have a new, more dynamic and robust leadership line-up in efforts to inject fresh life into national football, said former FAM secretary-general Datuk Seri Azzuddin Ahmad. He emphasized the necessity for a comprehensive overhaul of the leadership of the country's top football governing body, suggesting it has the potential to propel Malaysian football to greater heights in the future. According to BERNAMA News Agency, Azzuddin stated that FAM requires a complete reset with a new, young, dynamic, and transparent leadership that genuinely works for Malaysian football. He expressed concern about the future of national football if changes are not implemented, hoping for a sincere collective resignation rather than a superficial one. His comments followed the immediate, collective, and voluntary resignation of all FAM executive committee members for the 2025-2029 term. FAM has faced a crisis since September of the previous year after the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) confirmed violations involving FAM and seven players. These players were found to have breached Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, with investigations revealing that FAM had submitted allegedly falsified documents to verify the eligibility of the players. This incident allowed the players to participate in a 4-0 victory over Vietnam in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers. As a consequence, FAM was fined CHF350,000 (approximately RM1.8 million), and each player received a fine of CHF2,000 (around RM11,000) along with a 12-month suspension from all football-related activities. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) recently granted a stay of execution application filed by the seven players after earlier appeals by FAM and the players were rejected by the FIFA Appeal Committee. Additionally, Azzuddin, who also serves as an advisor to the Malaysian Deaf Sports Association (MSDeaf), questioned the decision to continue trusting FAM secretary-general Datuk Noor Azma n Rahman with the daily operations of the governing body, citing concerns about his capability and credibility. The situation has also attracted attention from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which has formed a special task force to assist FAM in conducting an internal assessment. Azzuddin noted the gravity of the situation, as it may be unprecedented within Southeast Asia for a football association to be monitored or guided by the AFC. AFC secretary-general Datuk Seri Windsor Paul John announced that the task force, led by AFC deputy secretary-general Vahid Kardany along with several consultants, will conduct the assessment and present a report with recommendations for improvement to FAM. These findings are expected to lay the groundwork for necessary structural and policy changes to strengthen and professionalize FAM, aligning it with the current demands of international football.