'Fast-track naturalization' harms Malaysian football.

Speaking to Tri Thuc - Znews, expert Steve Darby, former head coach of the Thai national team, pointed out the negative consequences of the Malaysian Football Association's (FAM) massive and uncontrolled naturalization of players.

World football has been rocked by FIFA's accusation that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) falsified documents during the naturalization process of seven players for the national team. This is the biggest scandal in Malaysian football since the match-fixing scandal of the 1990s.

According to expert Steve Darby, the recent naturalization scandal reflects a legal crisis and a flawed personnel management system within Malaysian football.

A group of players are embroiled in a naturalization scandal in Malaysia.

Controversy surrounding the naturalization process.

A September 26th announcement from FIFA accused FAM of serious violations in the registration and naturalization process for seven South American players. The players in question are: Gabriel Arrocha, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Iraurgui, and Hector Hevel.

Initial evidence has led many to question whether these players truly meet FIFA's legal requirements or if they simply obtained citizenship through a "fast-tracked" process.

One detail that has raised doubts among many fans is that all seven players passed the Bahasa Malaysia language test. Many argue that it is difficult for foreign players to become fluent in the local language in such a short time, even for those who have lived in Malaysia for a long time.

Facundo Garces caused controversy by claiming he was eligible to play for Malaysia thanks to his "grandfather".

The situation became even more sensitive when it was revealed that three of these players had signed contracts with Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT), a powerful club closely associated with the Johor royal family.

Crown Prince Ismail Idris — a powerful figure in Malaysian football — reacted strongly to FIFA's allegations. He released a document from the National Register (NRD), asserting that the process of granting citizenship to the seven players was "legal." However, this only further divided public opinion regarding the transparency of the entire affair.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that many Malaysian citizens born years ago have not been granted citizenship, while foreign players can easily bypass the system. This has fueled outrage and directed criticism at the FAM (Football Association of Malaysia).

Consequences of naturalized players

The controversy in Malaysia is not an isolated incident but reflects a global trend: using naturalized players to quickly improve the strength of the national team.

According to current FIFA regulations, a player can play for another country if they have family ancestry (parents or grandparents), or if they have legally resided in the country for at least five years.

In reality, not all cases of naturalization provoke negative reactions. For example, Brendan Gan – a player born in Australia but with a Malaysian father – is considered a reasonable naturalization case that demonstrates genuine contribution.

Conversely, some players from South America or Europe play for a few years, represent their national team, and then leave immediately after retirement, leading to public ostracism and the labeling of this group as "mercenaries."

Brendan Gan has been a naturalized citizen and has played for the Malaysian national team for many years.

In Singapore, there has been much debate about the policy of naturalizing players for the national team, despite the country's success in the AFF Cup. Some players, like Daniel Bennett, came to Singapore as children and consider the country their second home, while others stayed only for their careers before returning to their home countries.

The consequences of mass naturalization can easily have a negative impact on youth training, depriving local players of opportunities to compete. This also creates a sense of injustice and division within the national team.

Foreign football experts argue that a clear distinction should be made between naturalization based on bloodline and naturalization based on residency. They support cases with clear family ancestry and oppose the use of foreign players solely for short-term success.

A sarcastic comment that went viral online and gained widespread support read: “Many people born and raised in Malaysia still don’t have passports. Meanwhile, those players already have citizenship – though it’s unclear if they can sing the national anthem or speak Bahasa, since the cameras avoided them during the ceremony.”

The incident, described as a "long-running drama," will undoubtedly leave a major lesson for the entire Southeast Asian region.

Highlights Malaysia 0-0 Singapore: On the evening of December 20th, Malaysia drew 0-0 with Singapore at home, officially eliminating them from the ASEAN Cup 2024.

Source: https://znews.vn/nhap-tich-sieu-toc-lam-hai-bong-da-malaysia-post1589406.html