Kuala lumpur: Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has expressed serious concerns regarding the Grounds of Judgement issued by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) concerning actions taken against the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven heritage players of the national squad.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the 19-page document released by FIFA highlights significant issues that are damaging to Malaysia’s image. Minister Hannah Yeoh addressed these concerns, stating that there are numerous areas that require improvement based on FIFA’s findings.

“Although FAM has issued a statement attributing the issue to a technical error and a mistake by their staff, improvements are necessary,” she said. “The serious remarks in the 19-page statement by FIFA have tarnished the country’s image, and I understand that local football fans are angry, disappointed, and eager for improvements,” she added during a press conference at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1.

Hannah further mentioned that the Youth and Sports Ministry would wait for the completion of the appeal process before making any official statement. “FAM must complete this appeal process before we make any special announcement. The appeal process is ongoing, and after the Grounds of Judgement, FAM has three days to state its intention to appeal, followed by five days to file the appeal,” she explained.

She also urged local football fans to continue supporting the Harimau Malaya squad, which is set to play two Group F matches in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers against Laos, with matches scheduled in Vientiane and Kuala Lumpur.

Last month, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee sanctioned FAM and seven heritage players after finding them guilty of violating Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code related to document forgery. FIFA stated that FAM had submitted forged documents to verify player eligibility, allowing them to compete in the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers against Vietnam.

The seven penalised players are Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, and Hector Hevel. FAM was fined CHF350,000 (approximately RM1.8 million), while each player received a fine of CHF2,000 (about RM10,560) and a 12-month suspension from all football-related activities, effective immediately upon notification of the decision.