Malaysia unexpectedly fell victim to a hacker attack due to the illegal naturalization case.

The official website of the Malaysian Football Association was unexpectedly targeted by hackers on the last day to contest the FIFA sanction.

The CMS (content management system) of the Malaysian Football Association’s official website was hacked multiple times over the past 48 hours by anonymous hackers. The website management system was first breached on October 5 when hackers left a provocative message mocking Malaysia’s recent naturalization scandal: "Wow, focus on playing football or forging naturalization documents. Win against Vietnam, lose because of printer issues."

Although the Malaysian Football Association restored the system the same night, the website was hacked again, this time with a ransom demand of $7,000. The hackers also left insulting messages on search engines when users tried to locate the site, including references to the ongoing FIFA sanctions against FAM.

This incident gained more attention as it happened on the very last day of the 10-day period granted to Malaysia’s Football Association to appeal FIFA’s decision to sanction the federation and seven naturalized players due to irregularities in documents.

Tension is mounting as today marks the final day within the 10-day window FIFA allowed FAM to submit an appeal against the severe penalties related to the illegal naturalization of seven players. The entire Southeast Asian region is watching closely, as missing this deadline would nearly close the door on overturning the verdict.

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) confirmed that they are still awaiting the detailed ruling from FIFA to complete their appeal file. Acting president Datuk Yusoff Mahadi stated:"Once we receive the detailed decision, we will prepare arguments to appeal based on the information provided by FIFA. If the appeal fails, we will consider another option, which is the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)."

Under time pressure, FAM is reportedly considering hiring an international sports lawyer to ensure the appeal process is flawless. According to Arena Metro, only highly experienced lawyers can handle the complex legal procedures in international football and protect Malaysia’s interests.