His Royal Highness Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, The Regent of Johor, has voiced strong criticism against FIFA’s decision to uphold sanctions on several Malaysian players, calling the ruling a “misapplication of the law” and vowing to continue the fight at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
In his statement, Tunku Ismail emphasized that Article 22 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code clearly specifies that only individuals who falsify or knowingly use falsified documents can be sanctioned — a condition he asserts does not apply to the affected players.
“FIFA continues to punish the players by misapplying the law. Article 22 states that they can only sanction those who falsify or use a falsified document, and none of that applies to the players,” Tunku Ismail stated.
“In other words, the sanction is imposed without being based on the law and appears to be politically motivated rather than anything else.”
The Johor Regent, who has been a steadfast advocate for Malaysian football development and player welfare, reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the affected players, describing the decision as unjust and lacking legal grounding.
“Some choose to point fingers, some choose to make noise, while I choose to stand and support the fight for the players at all cost till the end — which will now be at CAS, an independent body,” he declared.
The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) recently confirmed that FIFA had rejected its appeal regarding the documentation-related disciplinary case involving several national players. Following the decision, FAM announced its intent to escalate the matter to CAS, seeking a fair and transparent review.
Tunku Ismail’s statement reflects growing frustration within Malaysian football circles over the handling of the case and underscores a determination to pursue justice through proper legal channels.
Credit Photo : HRH Crown Prince of Johor
