COMMENT | Awarding citizenship to the seven players on the grounds of Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail’s discretion or arbitrariness is the highest form of crime in the country.

I would think that such a crime is tantamount to treason - sacrificing the rights of citizens who were born and bred in the country.

Obviously, Saifuddin’s reason for granting citizenship rights cannot be accepted.

Citizenship rights cannot be conferred on football players just because the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) wants the Malaysian national team to win in international football tournaments.

The players from countries like Spain, the Netherlands, Brazil, and Argentina might have the right to hold dual citizenship, unlike Malaysia.

Once these players have lost their relevance in football, they might just...