COMMENT | A storm of denial, questions, and confusion has erupted following sanctions by the world’s football governing body, Fifa, against the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and seven players.

The controversy centres on a sudden reversal by Fifa, which initially cleared the players’ eligibility.

The FAM has vowed to appeal the decision “utilising all available legal channels”. Prominent figures, including Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and former youth and sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin, have publicly questioned Fifa’s rationale.

Their shared sentiment is clear - if the players were already approved through official Fifa processes, why the sudden reversal?

The likely answer is that Fifa’s subsequent investigations uncovered alleged forgeries in the documentation. This raises a fundamental question...