Malaysia sparked controversy again after the deadline for submitting an appeal had passed.

The appeal status of FAM to FIFA remains controversial as no official information has been confirmed.

The appeal issue of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) against the sanction imposed by FIFA continues to attract attention as, until now, no official information has been confirmed.

This prolonged silence has caused concern among the public and Malaysian football fans, raising numerous questions about the future direction of the national football governing body.

According to Article 61 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC), FAM was required to submit a written notice of intent to appeal within three days of receiving the official ruling on October 6. Thus, the deadline for notifying the intent to appeal has passed, but so far, FAM has not confirmed whether they have submitted the appeal to FIFA.

If the initial procedure was completed on time, FAM would have only five more days to finalize and submit all documents to FIFA’s Appeals Committee, yet no statements or public updates have been released. This has left Malaysian fans confused and raised doubts about FAM’s transparency and crisis management capabilities.

Previously, FAM representatives claimed that all files, documents, and evidence related to the naturalized players had been fully prepared and “ready to be sent whenever necessary.” However, this commitment has not been followed by any concrete action or further announcements, causing growing impatience among the public.

Experts believe this issue is not just an internal matter for FAM but also directly affects the honor and reputation of Malaysian football internationally. Delays or lack of transparency in the appeal process could severely damage Malaysia’s football image in the eyes of FIFA and neighboring countries.

Fans believe FAM should proactively disclose the appeal progress instead of remaining silent, as the case involves not only seven banned naturalized players but also impacts the trust and pride Malaysians have in their national team.

It is known that in the prior ruling, FIFA released full investigation documents clarifying the true origins of the seven Malaysian naturalized players found to have violated Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code concerning forgery and alteration of identity documents.

The seven players—Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, Hector Hevel, Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, and Imanol Machuca—were banned from all football activities for a specified period.

In this context, fans expect FAM to soon provide a clear and transparent explanation to protect Malaysian football’s reputation and restore public confidence.