KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 24): The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has on Wednesday lodged a police report over the alleged forgery and falsification of documents involving seven heritage players of the national football team submitted to the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (Fifa), according to Berita Harian.
It reported that FAM acting president Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi filed the police report at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters, in line with recommendations by the Independent Investigation Committee (IIC), chaired by former chief justice Tun Md Raus Sharif, after the panel completed its probe.
"FAM is fully committed to cooperating with the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) and respects the due legal process,” Mohd Yusoff was quoted as saying. He was accompanied by FAM vice-president and legal committee chairman Datuk Saaran Nadarajah, as well as vice-president and media committee chairman Datuk Mohd Azhar Jamaluddin.
FAM's executive committee had decided to take the IIC's recommendation for a full criminal investigation into the heritage players document forgery issue on Monday (Dec 22) during its fourth special meeting of 2025-2029 session at Wisma FAM, Kelana Jaya.
The recommendation was made after the IIC concluded its investigation into the matter by stating its inability to confirm FAM document forgery status as it has "no power or authority to investigate matters that constitute a criminal offence". The panel explained that the absence of testimony from the players’ agents and the failure of the notary public — whose seal appeared on the disputed documents — to appear during its investigation prevented the panel from reaching a definitive conclusion on the origin of the documents or assigning responsibility for any alleged falsification.
At the same meeting, FAM also announced the continued suspension of its secretary general Datuk Noor Azman Rahman, pending further action by FAM’s disciplinary committee. Fifa is also conducting its own investigation into Noor Azman and FAM.
The IIC was established by FAM on Oct 27, 2025, following Fifa’s disciplinary decision to fine FAM 350,000 Swiss francs (about RM1.9 million) and suspend seven players for 12 months for breaches relating to forged or falsified documents under the Fifa Disciplinary Code.
The case arose from discrepancies between documents submitted by FAM to Fifa, which stated that the players’ grandparents were born in Malaysia, and original birth certificates later obtained by Fifa that indicated otherwise.
Fifa ordered a formal investigation into the internal operations of FAM in upholding sanctions imposed on FAM and seven foreign-born Harimau Malaya players for forgery and falsification.
The Appeal Committee, in its motivated decision published on its site on Nov 17, 2025, also directed the Fifa Disciplinary Committee to notify criminal authorities in Malaysia, Brazil, Argentina, the Netherlands, and Spain of the offences.
The seven players named in the report are Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, 23; Facundo Tomas Garces, 26; Rodrigo Julian Holgado, 30; Imanol Javier Machuca, 25; Joao Vitor Brandao Figueiredo, 29; Jon Irazabal Iraurgui, 28; and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano, 29.
Fifa’s investigation into the heritage players issue caused three Harimau Malaya matches to be overturned. Games that were originally won or drawn were changed to 3-0 losses, and a new financial penalty was imposed for fielding ineligible players. FAM was fined another 10,000 Swiss francs.