Malaysian news reports a Vietnamese member in FIFA's Disciplinary Committee

The Malaysian outlet Makan Bola has revealed information about a Vietnamese representative on FIFA's Disciplinary Committee.

Malaysia has once again become the focus of international attention after FIFA imposed sanctions related to forged documents involving naturalized players (pemain warisan). The announcement on September 26 surprised many, and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) promptly expressed its intention to appeal.

Makan Bola stated that Malaysia remains very interested in identifying who is behind the decision to sanction their football association: "The issue attracting more attention now is not just the technical fault that has been decided, but also who is behind the decision-making process.

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee is currently chaired by Mohammed Al Kamali from the UAE, with participation from several international figures including Bandar Al-Hamidani from Saudi Arabia. However, for Malaysian football fans, the most notable name is Nguyễn Thị Mỹ Dung from Vietnam.

She is an experienced lawyer who has worked for the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) as well as Asian sports legal bodies. Her presence on FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee is seen as recognition of legal experts from Southeast Asia. However, in Malaysia’s context, this raises concerns about a potential conflict of interest.

Could the Vietnamese representative's presence influence FIFA's decision regarding Malaysia? Officially, the answer is no. Each committee member is bound by principles of integrity and neutrality. Yet the question remains, especially since Vietnam is also Malaysia’s rival in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Besides Vietnam, another Southeast Asian representative on this committee is Abdul Salim Ahmed Ibrahim from Singapore, who also has a background in sports law and management. Although the international composition appears balanced, Malaysian supporters continue to focus on the influence of the Vietnamese member.

Makan Bola further wrote: "For Malaysia, this issue is not only about the punishment received but also about fairness in the decision-making process. The presence of a representative from a neighboring country, which is also a competitor in the qualifiers, clearly raises doubts."