Committee unable to determine who falsified heritage players’ birth certs

The independent committee probing the falsified documents of seven heritage players says the notary public did not cooperate with its investigation and the seven players’ agents cannot be located.

An independent committee set up to investigate seven heritage players’ falsified birth certificates has uncovered serious failures in oversight, due diligence and administrative control within FAM’s management. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 The independent committee set up to investigate falsified birth certificates involving seven heritage players could not conclusively determine who falsified the documents.

In its report issued yesterday, the committee, headed by former chief justice Raus Sharif, said it could not determine who falsified the documents as the certifying notary public did not cooperate with its investigation, and the seven players’ agents could not be located despite reasonable efforts.

Noting that forgery is a criminal offence, the committee urged FAM to lodge a police report so as to enable the authorities to conduct a proper investigation in order to establish the origin of the suspected forged documents, and identify those responsible.

“What is clear are the serious failures in oversight, due diligence and administrative control within FAM’s management, which permitted this incident to happen without detection or intervention,” the committee said.

Apart from lodging a police report, the committee said FAM has to restore the credibility and integrity of its operations by taking appropriate internal disciplinary action and implementing structural reforms.

Disciplinary action

The committee also called for disciplinary action to be taken against FAM’s general-secretary Noor Azman Rahman as he had instructed for the impugned documents to be submitted to Fifa.

“He did so without confirming their authenticity, despite the original handwritten birth records being unavailable from the national registration department,” said the committee.

“Given the inherent responsibility of his position as FAM’s chief administrative officer, there is an administrative expectation that documents submitted externally on such an important issue must undergo proper internal scrutiny.

“The committee finds that this was not done, which constitutes a lapse in due diligence and a failure to follow appropriate procedures, both implied and expressed.”

Recommendations for FAM

The committee recommended that FAM clearly define roles and responsibilities for submission and verification of eligibility documents, stating that it should ensure operational units remain supervised even with operational autonomy, and provide training and awareness programmes for administrative and compliance staff.

To prevent the recurrence of similar incidents, the committee said FAM should conduct regular audits, particularly those related to players’ eligibility, documentation handling, or submission to Fifa or other governing bodies.

The committee also stressed the need for all agents dealing with FAM to be registered, accredited, and bound by a formal code of conduct.

“Agents should be required to sign a declaration attesting to the accuracy and authenticity of any document submitted on behalf of players. This will enhance accountability and reduce the risk of submission of falsified or unverified documents,” it said.

It said FAM must maintain a vetted list of notaries or legal service providers familiar with international documentary standards, and its compliance officer must validate any notarial certification before submission to Fifa.

Among its other recommendations are for FAM to formalise cooperation with the police, other enforcement agencies, and Fifa integrity units, and establish clear internal guidelines for referrals when criminal activity is suspected.

FAM and the seven naturalised Malaysian footballers were penalised by Fifa after the world football body said FAM had submitted falsified documents to confirm the players’ eligibility before Malaysia’s 2027 Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam on June 10.

FAM was fined 350,000 Swiss francs (about RM1.8 million) while each player was fined 2,000 Swiss francs (about RM10,560) and suspended for 12 months from all football-related activities, effective from the date of notification.

On Nov 3, Fifa announced that it had rejected FAM’s appeal against its sanctions “in its entirety” and that Harimau Malaya’s points in their ongoing 2027 Asian Cup qualifying campaign might be docked.

FAM has initiated an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with acting president Yusoff Mahadi stating that its legal team had been given until Dec 18 to submit its full written arguments. - FMT