PUTRAJAYA - Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has weighed in on the recent international football scandal involving the Malaysian team, alleging that a powerful individual who operates "above the law" is behind the alleged fabrication of documents for foreign players.
During Sinar Daily's Top News Podcast on Thursday, Dr Mahathir expressed his shame over the incident that saw seven foreign players being naturalised under questionable circumstances to represent the national team.
The controversy came to light after Vietnamese football authorities raised suspicions regarding the origins of the players on the Malaysian squad.
"The real birthplace was in Argentina, but they have written in Penang. 'They were born in Penang', which is a lie," Dr Mahathir said, highlighting what he called a "deliberate attempt to cheat" internationally.
Delving deeper into the root of the problem, the former statesman painted a picture of a justice system where influence dictates accountability.
Dr Mahathir went on to say that some people even when they have "done no wrong may be subjected to investigation, while those who have done wrong were exempted" - pointing to a pattern of selective enforcement.
He then drew a direct line from this domestic reality to the international scandal.
"So somebody is so powerful that they can actually do wrong things and get away with it. Or at least that's what the Vietnamese have pointed out," he said.
Dr Mahathir argued that the scale of deception that includes allegedly fabricating documents on an international sporting platform signals the involvement of a highly influential figure.
"When internationally also you are prepared to tell lies, to fabricate things... to give all kinds of information that is wrong, then it can only be done by somebody with power, somebody who has very strong influence.
"And because of that influence, [he] believe that [he] can get away with it, and this is what he did... but we cannot identify who," he said.
When asked if this could be construed as an act of sabotage against Malaysia, Dr Mahathir dismissed the notion.
"No, he's not a sabotage to Malaysia. It is somebody who thinks that he can get away with doing wrong things because he's above the law," he said, questioning the lengths one would do to win matches.
Referring to Malaysians of authority, Dr Mahathir said "we want to win elections, we want to win footballs games but let it be done properly. Don't cheat".
He said it was shameful that foreign players represented Malaysia, which then led to the global controversy.
On the same day, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced that the ministry approved the applications of the seven players from the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to obtain citizenship through naturalisation.
He said these seven were included in a list of 23 players that had been approved throughout his tenure.
He said the decision was made according to Article 19 of the Federal Constitution, which deals with applications for citizenship from foreign nationals.
Previously, FIFA presented evidence regarding the use of fake documents in the registration process of seven players of Malaysian heritage.
In an official report, FIFA explained there were major discrepancies between the original birth certificates it obtained and the documents submitted by FAM to support the players' eligibility.
Among the discrepancies were FAM's copy claimed a player's grandfather was born in Melaka, but the original certificate showed his actual birthplace was The Hague, Netherlands. Similar cases were listed for other players, with documented grandparents' true birthplaces in Spain, Argentina and Brazil.
FIFA found FAM guilty of violating its disciplinary code concerning the fabrication and use of forgeries. FAM was fined while each player was fined and suspended.
On the other hand, FAM has rejected some of FIFA's characterisations, calling several of them “inaccurate and unfounded.” It maintained there was no proof that the players “obtained or were aware of fake documents.”
FAM’s version is that an “administrative error” occurred when a staff member uploaded documents from an agent rather than the official records from the national registration department (JPN).
The association insists all seven heritage players “are legitimate Malaysian citizens.”
Meanwhile, Saifuddin had previously said that JPN enforced Section 10A of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1957 when issuing birth certificates for the grandparents of the seven football players.
The provision allows the registrar-general or JPN director-general to register births if satisfied with the evidence provided that the birth had occurred.
“In this case, documents or birth information about the grandfather and grandmother were submitted,” he reportedly said.