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The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has announced it will contest FIFA's decision to sanction the organization for allegedly falsifying the nationality papers of multiple foreign-born players, who have now been banned from playing for the national team for 12 months.

FIFA's Allegations and Fines

In the ninth month, FIFA levied a penalty of $438,000 on FAM and banned the footballers after discovering that their ancestors were not born in Malaysia as claimed, but rather in the South American nation, the Brazilian nation, the Netherlands and the Iberian nation. The international football authority restated its claims about falsified papers in a official investigation report released on the start of the week.

Each of the individuals – who all took part in Malaysia's 4-0 victory over the Vietnamese team in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifier this June – was also penalized $2,500.

The implicated group includes born in Spain Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomas Garces and Iraurgui, born in Argentina Holgado and Machuca, as well as Serrano who was born in the Holland, and Figueiredo who was born the South American country.

FIFA's Position on Forgery

"Document falsification constitutes, plain and simple, a form of dishonesty," stated FIFA in its report.

"Forging documents strikes at the heart of the basic tenets of the sport, not only those governing a player’s eligibility to represent a country's squad, but also the core ethics of a fair game and the principle of sportsmanship," added Jorge Palacio, deputy chairperson of FIFA's ethics panel.

The Association's Reply and Challenge Strategy

FIFA's document states that the Malaysian association admitted it "received inquiries by external agencies regarding the players’ heritage and failed to personally confirm the validity of the papers."

"Initial documentation showed a sharp contrast to the documentation provided," it noted.

The organization also said it was "managed to acquire the authentic papers without hindrance," which revealed a "lack of proper diligence" by the Malaysian body.

FAM responded to the global body's report in a official communication on the following day, asserting the inconsistencies were the result of an "procedural mistake" and the players are "legitimate Malaysian citizens."

"Allegations that the athletes 'obtained or were aware of fake documents' are unfounded as no solid evidence has been presented to date," the statement said.

The governing body will submit an official appeal of the international body's decision, using authentic papers that have been certified by the Malaysian government.

Regional Context and Official Reactions

Southeast Asian countries have recently pursued hiring campaigns for foreign-born athletes, modelled after Indonesia's strategy of bringing in Dutch-born footballers from the Indonesian diaspora.

The country's minister for sports, Hannah Yeoh, said in a statement that "FAM must finish the appeal process and that they cannot remain silent but must respond clearly to every disclosure made by FIFA."

"Supporters are upset, disappointed and let down," she added.

Current Situation and Upcoming Matches

Regardless of doubt regarding the squad's composition, the team is now placed one hundred twenty-third in the Asian Football Confederation standings and is set to play in Asian Cup qualifiers this month, facing Laos on Thursday.