Dato’ Ab Ghani Hassan, President of the Malaysian Football League (MFL), confirmed that the league will release an official statement regarding the ongoing player documentation controversy once the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) publishes its own decision.
Speaking during a press conference, Dato’ Ab Ghani explained that MFL is currently waiting for clarification from the national governing body before issuing a final position on the matter involving several players linked to documentation and eligibility issues.
“We will make the necessary statement once FAM releases their decision. After that, MFL will provide a clear response regarding the situation involving the clubs and the players,” he said.
He stressed that, for now, the league will continue to follow the official procedures already communicated to clubs.
MFL has already issued formal letters to affected clubs, instructing them not to register or field players whose documentation is currently under scrutiny in domestic competitions.
According to Ab Ghani, players can only compete in the league if they possess valid and officially recognized documentation.
“If the documents are not valid, they cannot play in the league. That is the current position,” he added.
The situation has drawn attention across Malaysian football after questions were raised about documentation involving several players registered in domestic competitions.
Ab Ghani also clarified that issues related to citizenship and player documentation fall outside MFL’s jurisdiction.
The league’s primary responsibility, he said, is the administration and organization of domestic competitions, while documentation matters are handled by the relevant national and governmental authorities.
“Documentation issues are outside our jurisdiction. MFL’s role is to organize competitions,” he said.
He expressed hope that improvements in governance structures involving football stakeholders and national institutions will strengthen procedures in the future.
The MFL president also declined to speculate on hypothetical scenarios, such as the possible withdrawal of citizenship status from players, emphasizing that such decisions lie with the government and not the league.
Credit Photo : Simon Yap/SNE-Photo
