COMMENT | The recent fiasco of the International Federation of Association Football's (Fifa) action on Malaysia boils down to who is telling the truth. Is it Fifa or the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM)?

This episode has exposed two more ethical questions: Are we scoring goals in an empty goalpost?

What pride is there in climbing the FIFA rankings if the players wearing the Harimau Malaya jersey were from Argentina, Spain, or Brazil? What does it say about us when victory is not built on the sweat of our own youth, but purchased through a naturalisation process that often skirts the edges of integrity?

Malaysia’s highest Fifa ranking - 75th in the world - was achieved in August 1993, with a squad made entirely of homegrown Malaysians. Today, despite importing foreign-born players, we languish at...