Kuala lumpur: The Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) has been urged to not interfere in the crisis involving the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), even though the issue of document forgery involving seven heritage players is also linked to several government agencies.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Datuk Christopher Raj, disciplinary action against FAM and the players involved is a matter for FIFA. Therefore, any government involvement, even under the pretext of coordination between agencies, would still be considered a violation of the principle of football autonomy as stipulated by the international governing body.

“It is better for the minister and the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) not to interfere because if FIFA detects any interference, FAM could be suspended, and it will affect the entire entity associated with the sports governing body. There can be no directives, requests for decision-making, or suggestions, as many countries have already received suspension penalties, including Bangladesh in 2017, after a minister requested their football association’s exco to resign. Pakistan also received the same consequence from 2017 until 2024,” he said in a statement today.

This prohibition aligns with FIFA’s warning that any country that allows government influence in football decisions may face immediate suspension, which would affect the national squad’s participation in all official tournaments. In the case involving document forgery, the matter falls under Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, which can only be addressed through the international sports legal system and not through government administrative mechanisms.

Earlier, FAM decided to proceed with the appeal process to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), following the latest FIFA report regarding the country’s player eligibility scandal that saw seven players suspended and FAM fined.