For three weeks beginning at the end of September last year, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail was a busy man trying to fend off findings by the International Federation of Association Football (Fifa) that falsification and forgery of documents were used to grant citizenship to seven foreign footballers.
On Sept 27, a day after the Fifa announcement, he declared in a video on Facebook that the players received their citizenship after a thorough vetting process, saying: “In this case, we complied with everything (citizenship laws).
“When the decision was made, we followed due process according to existing regulations. That’s on our part.
“And the process of giving citizenship is very thorough. The chief secretary (of the Home Ministry) will chair the committee… we study every document submitted.”
Three days later, Saifuddin assured the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) that it had nothing to fear over claims of doctored papers for the players - as long as the related processes followed existing laws.
Then, on Oct 9, when it appeared that none of the players had met the minimum residency period to qualify, Saifuddin told the Dewan Rakyat that he had exercised his power granted under the Federal Constitution to consider the seven footballers fit to be granted Malaysian citizenship.
Saifuddin said Section 20(1)(e) provides discretionary power to a home minister when considering a citizenship application from a foreigner, particularly in the fulfilment of the minimum residency requirements.
But this was flawed, and there was an immediate retort from Lawyers for Liberty adviser Eric Paulsen, who explained that the legal provision referenced by Saifuddin relates to calculating the period of residence for persons who have already resided in the country for a certain number of years when applying for citizenship.
At the same Parliament session, Saifuddin revealed that 23 foreigners had been made citizens by naturalisation since 2018, a figure never made public before.
He insisted they underwent a lawful and transparent process in full compliance with the Federal Constitution. But was he stretching the truth?
EAIC’s findings
On July 10, the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) concluded that in the case of the seven players, citizenship approvals were rushed through in an unusually short period.
Entry permits were issued without proper interviews or security screenings, and the Malay language test was mishandled.
On July 12, still in denial mode, the ministry issued a statement accepting the recommendations for improvement to the process of managing citizenship applications by naturalisation.
The Home Ministry stated: “The ministry always respects the checks and balances function of institutions established under the law and will examine every recommendation submitted for the purpose of strengthening the public service delivery system and the ministry’s governance.”
But where were these checks and balances then? On Sept 19 last year, National Registration Department (NRD) director-general Badrul Hisham Alias, in a statutory declaration to Fifa, stated that the players submitted documents listing their grandparents’ details, conducted cross-verification, and received supporting documents from Argentina, Brazil, and Spain.
“However, original handwritten birth records couldn’t be retrieved. Instead, official copies were issued based on secondary evidence,” he said, but what secondary evidence was adduced and from where?
What documents did it receive from these countries? If they had been birth certificates of the grandparents, NRD would have known none of them were born in Malaysia.
Side-stepping fundamental issue
But the Home Ministry’s statement side-stepped a fundamental issue. It said that the discretionary power over citizenship applications is subject to the provisions of the Federal Constitution and is exercised with due care, taking into account various factors, including public interest, national security, and the facts of each case.
The ministry said it would examine the findings and, together with relevant agencies, including the NRD, the Immigration Department, and the police, would identify appropriate areas for improvement.
These include aspects of strengthening standard operating procedures, documentation, coordination of work processes, as well as governance mechanisms that are aligned with best practices in the public service.
Really? Does the minister have the power to exempt the residency period and issue citizenship within 40 days instead of 10 years?
Why then the rebuke from EAIC? Does it also mean that the NRD did not coordinate with the police and the immigration authorities regarding the seven players? Then who did the security vetting as required by the law?
So, the inevitable question is: Did successive home ministers exercise a power they did not have under the Constitution?
Data debunks minister
Twentytwo13.com, a news portal that specialises in sports and related activities, compiled data based on information available in the public domain.
What is startling is that while Saifuddin continues the charade of “underwent a lawful and transparent process in full compliance with the Federal Constitution”, this table counters that claim.
None would have met the 10-year requirement, and it goes to show that the citizenships of these journeymen were fast-tracked, albeit illegally (or improperly - the polite terminology used by the EAIC).
Take the case of Briton Lee Tuck, who had been playing football in Malaysia since 2017.
On Merdeka Day, 2022, he announced on Instagram that he had become a naturalised Malaysian citizen. Six months later, he represented Malaysia in the Asean Football Championship, producing a Malaysian passport.
Where is he now? After that, he packed his bags and left for Halifax, England, midway through the season to focus on his real estate career, but still feels there’s money to be earned in Malaysia and suggested he would return.
“Currently, I am not playing for any club. Terengganu are a great club, and I have many fond memories. My daughters were born in Kuala Terengganu, so it’s a very special place for our family.
“Thus, I am ready to wear the Terengganu jersey if there is an offer from the team,” New Straits Times quoted him as saying on Feb 27, 2024.
Best of both worlds
Dual citizenship enables journeymen to enjoy the best of two worlds! No allegiance, no patriotism, no loyalty, no commitment. Period.
Again, the same question has to be repeated: Did Tuck and the others surrender the passports issued by the country of origin, and have they revoked their citizenship elsewhere because Malaysia does not recognise dual citizenship?
The time has come for everyone involved - the FAM, the Youth and Sports Ministry, the sports commissioners, the NRD, and especially the minister, to come clean by placing all cards on the table.
They cannot go on dishing out fictitious information or telling tall tales.
Now, the final and most important questions: Will the citizenships of the 23 players be revoked because they did not meet the residency period?
Secondly, have they all given up their citizenship from other countries and submitted their passports to the authorities as required?
Or are some of them having one leg in two countries and enjoying the best of both worlds?
This scandal is not just football. It is about accountability. Taxpayers have been misled by shifting narratives, half-truths, and contradictory announcements - many of which have now been exposed by the EAIC.
Each misleading claim has chipped away at trust in the institutions charged with safeguarding the Constitution.
Respect constitutional recognition
Citizenship is not a ministerial favour or a sporting shortcut. It is a constitutional recognition of belonging, and its integrity must be protected.
When approvals are rushed, rules bent, and oversight ignored, the cost is borne by ordinary Malaysians who expect honesty and transparency from their leaders.
The time has come for systemic accountability. Officials must stop hiding behind legalese and half-truths. They must disclose the full facts, accept responsibility, and commit to reforms that ensure citizenship is never again treated as a bargaining chip.
The taxpayers whose RM30 million went to the FAM for “boosting” the national team contributed indirectly to this fiasco, and we have a right to demand and get the truth.
Accountability is not optional - it is owed. Malaysians have been misled by half-truths, contradictory announcements, and evasive statements, all of which the EAIC has now exposed.
The institutions involved must face the public with honesty. Taxpayers deserve the truth, not tall tales. Integrity, transparency, and accountability were promised as the foundation of governance.
Delivering on those promises is the only way to restore trust. Although the process should have begun on day one when Fifa’s disciplinary committee made public its findings, it is still not too late. - Mkini
R NADESWARAN began his career as a sports reporter, cutting his teeth on the drama of games and the grit of athletes. Though his journalistic journey has since taken him into governance, accountability, and public affairs, he continues to make occasional forays back into the sports arena - drawn not just by scandals, scores, and statistics, but by other human stories that inspire. Comments: citizen.nades22@gmail.com.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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