Footballers in FAM-FIFA issue met Constitutional citizenship criteria, says Home Minister

PETALING JAYA – The seven mixed-heritage football players at the centre of controversy over their legitimacy in playing for Harimau Malaya had fulfilled citizenship criteria under the Federal Constitution, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

The Home Minister said the criteria, under Article 19 of the Constitution which covers citizenship by naturalisation, comprised three pillars.

Under Article 19, the criteria are that the applicant must have resided in the Federation for the required period and intends, if the certificate is granted, to do so permanently; be of good character; and possess adequate knowledge of the Malay language.

He said the application must also be processed under the Citizenship Rules 1994, which requires the applicant to fill up a form containing details such as their passport and other documents.

“These criteria are not only used for footballers but also national athletes and academics,” he said during Minister Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (Oct 9).

ALSO READ: FAM-FIFA dispute a waiting game that could take longer than expected

“For the matters raised by FIFA, that falls under the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).

“Let them resolve that dispute, but in the context of the Federal Constitution, it is very clear,” he added.

Saifuddin Nasution added that since 2018, some 23 foreign nationals have been naturalised to play for the national team.

He was responding to Zakri Hassan (PN-Kangar), who asked about the matter.

Syahredzan Johan (PH-Bangi) also asked for details on the approval of the footballers’ citizenship by naturalisation application.

According to Saifuddin Nasution, the Federal Constitution also states that the Home Minister has the discretion to waive the requirement of the applicant to have resided in the country for a certain period.

ALSO READ: AFC taking wait-and-see stance on FIFA’s FAM sanctions

“This is not the first time it has been applied. It is for situations where the applicants can contribute to the country. They could be engineers, doctors, scientists and more,” he said.

On Monday (Oct 6), FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee ruled that FAM had submitted forged documents to register seven mixed-heritage players.

The committee discovered major discrepancies between the original birth certificates obtained by FIFA and the ones submitted by FAM to support the players’ eligibility to represent Malaysia.

The seven players involved are Hector Hevel, Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, and Joao Figueiredo.

FIFA found both FAM and the players guilty of breaching Article 22 of its Disciplinary Code, which pertains to the falsification and use of forged documents in official proceedings.

ALSO READ: Respond transparently, decisively to FIFA revelations, Yeoh urges FAM

As a result, FAM was fined 350,000 Swiss francs (RM1.8mil), while each player was fined 2,000 Swiss francs (RM11,000) and handed a 12-month suspension from all football-related activities.

FAM has since refuted FIFA’s findings, saying that the description provided in the world body’s judgment is inaccurate and that the seven mixed-heritage players did not knowingly use falsified documents.

In a statement issued on Tuesday (Oct 7), FAM stressed that FIFA’s claim that the players “obtained or were aware of forged documents” was unfounded, as no solid evidence had been presented to support the allegation.

ALSO READ: FAM should not stay silent after FIFA revelations, says Safee

FAM clarified that the issue arose from a wrong submission, describing it as an administrative error in which a staff member mistakenly uploaded documents obtained from an agent instead of the official records issued by the National Registration Department.

FAM confirmed that an official appeal is being prepared and will include authentic, government-certified documents to support its case.

Click here to read article