Malaysia's Parliament convenes urgently following FIFA announcement

08/10/2025 09:54:00 ChampionChatter

MP Chong Zhemin calls for an urgent parliamentary session to investigate the misconduct that caused FIFA to penalize the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven naturalized footballers.

The controversy surrounding the incident FIFA sanctions the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has stirred up the country's sports community. Facing public pressure, Kampar district MP Chong Zhemin proposed a public parliamentary hearing to clarify issues related to the player naturalization process and FAM's responsibility in the matter.

He stated: “There is a possibility of legal violations during the issuance of passports and verification of players' origins, which requires thorough investigation and prompt action by the authorities.”

The seven players named by FIFA are Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel. According to the investigation, their ancestral origin information was altered in records, changed from countries like Spain, Argentina, Brazil, and the Netherlands to Malaysian locations such as Melaka, Penang, Johor, and Sarawak.

MP Chong Zhemin calls for an emergency hearing

Chong believes this issue cannot be dismissed as a technical error as explained by FAM. He insists that Parliament must thoroughly review the entire athlete naturalization procedure and re-examine the system monitoring official documents to prevent similar mistakes in the future. Additionally, he requests the government to publicly disclose the corrective measures FAM must undertake to restore fans' trust.

Malaysia's Youth and Sports Minister, Hannah Yeoh, previously expressed concern, stating that the 19-page document from FIFA “contains serious assessments” negatively impacting Malaysia's football image. She emphasized the need for transparency in FAM’s response to protect national reputation and fan confidence.

FAM faces enormous pressure after the naturalization scandal involving seven players

Meanwhile, FAM asserts they followed the correct procedures and announced plans to appeal FIFA's decision. FAM representatives stress that FIFA has not provided sufficient evidence to prove allegations of forged documents and commit to cooperating transparently with relevant parties to resolve the issue.

Observers view Chong’s call for a hearing as a positive sign to strengthen public confidence in the national sports system. Transparency, they say, will be the key factor helping Malaysian football overcome this crisis and begin a more sustainable development phase in the future.

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