FAM sec-gen Noor Azman suspended amid Fifa sanction

PETALING JAYA: Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman Rahman has been suspended with immediate effect following an investigation by the International Football Federation (Fifa) into the eligibility status of seven mixed-heritage Harimau Malaya players.

Noor Azman’s suspension was announced by FAM deputy president Datuk S. Sivasundaram during a special press conference at Wisma FAM on Friday (Oct 17).

“In relation to the Fifa case, the FAM secretary-general has been suspended effective today.

“The suspension is to allow an independent body to carry out further investigations into the matter,” said Sivasundaram.

The decision was made after the national football governing body received official information from Fifa regarding a possible breach of player documentation regulations.

The seven players – Hector Hevel, Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, and Joao Figueiredo – were found to have violated Article 22 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code, which covers the falsification and use of forged documents.

The investigation found that the players’ ancestral claims were based on individuals who, contrary to the documents submitted, were not born in Malaysia.

As a result, FAM were fined 350,000 Swiss francs (approximately RM1.8mil), while each player was fined 2,000 Swiss francs (RM11,000) and will not be allowed to be involved in any football-related activities for a year.