Fifa scandal: Did minister quiz players' BM like he did grandmas?

Fifa’s revelations that the seven suspended “heritage” footballers had passed the Bahasa Malaysia language test when applying for citizenship, despite not speaking the language, have raised questions.

One of those questions is whether Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had quizzed the players like he did with several elderly women who were applying for citizenship last year.

This is in reference to a video the minister posted in March 2024, showing him speaking to the elderly women in Malay, to check whether they had sufficient proficiency in the national language.

This was done while he was inspecting a language test being done for citizenship applicants in Perak.

The comparison was made by some netizens in response to revelations made by the Fifa appeals committee yesterday, in upholding sanctions against the seven foreign-born players and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).

The committee, in summarising submissions by the players, noted that they did not speak the “Malaysian” language, and did not read the citizenship application form they signed because they did not understand the language.

However, the committee noted that the FAM, in its submissions, had said that the players had passed the language test when applying for citizenship.

In October, Saifuddin had said in Parliament that the players had a basic grasp of Malay.

“Their understanding of Malay was sufficient... enough. Meaning, when we speak, they understand,” he said.

In that same speech, he also said he lowered the passing grade for Malay proficiency for elderly applicants, from eight marks to two.

Other damning allegations revealed by the Fifa appeals committee include that six out of the seven players inadvertently revealed that documents they sent to their agents actually listed their “Malaysian-born” grandparents as being born abroad.

The committee also revealed that FAM acknowledged the documents had been tampered with.

Fifa fined FAM and the seven players - Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomas Garces, Rodrigo Julian Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, Joao Vitor Brandao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal Iraurgui, and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano - over alleged falsification of documents to enable the foreign-born players to play for the Malaysian national football team.

The players were also dished a 12-month suspension.

FAM is planning to file a final appeal on the case with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

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