FAM EXPECTS INDEPENDENT COMMITTEE REPORT ON DOCUMENTATION OF SEVEN HERITAGE PLAYERS TO BE OUT THIS MONTH

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 (Bernama) -- The full investigation report by the independent committee established by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) into the documentation of seven Harimau Malaya players who were suspended for 12 months by the International Football Federation (FIFA) are expected to be known this month.

FAM acting president Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi said his party is still waiting for the report from the committee chaired by former Chief Justice Tun Md Raus Sharif before any further decision is made by the governing body.

“We are still waiting for the report from Tun Raus and I expect the report to be received this month as well. From the report, we will see the findings presented before determining the next step,” he said.

He told reporters after the exchange of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Specialist Centre (UKMSC) and FAM at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM), here, today.

Touching on the MoU between the two parties, Mohd Yusoff said the collaboration was a beneficial programme for the players and did not rule out the possibility of exploring other matters with UKMSC including the aspect of players' mental management.

In October, FAM established an independent committee by appointing Tun Md Raus to investigate the documentation issue involving seven heritage players of Harimau Malaya who were suspended for 12 months by FIFA.

Meanwhile, Mohd Yusoff said FAM had fully submitted the decision regarding the documentation issue of seven heritage players of Harimau Malaya to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after all processes at the FIFA level were completed.

"In the current situation, our legal team is preparing to submit all the necessary documents. I believe we can meet the CAS procedure on Dec 18," he said.

Meanwhile, Mohd Yusoff said FAM's dealings with FIFA had ended and CAS is the last platform for the governing body to complete the available legal processes.

He also stressed that the decision to bring the case to CAS was not driven by risk considerations but rather to ensure that all legal processes were fully completed.

"We have completed at FIFA level and there is no more matter involving FIFA. At CAS, this is our last process and it is an independent body that is not bound by FIFA. Whatever the decision is, it is final and must be complied with by all parties," he said.

Previously, FAM confirmed that it had submitted an appeal to CAS regarding the punishment imposed by FIFA involving the documentation issue of seven legacy players, namely Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel.

The decision to bring the case to CAS was made after FIFA revealed the reasons for the Appeals Committee's decision, which was 64 pages long, on Nov 3, which upheld the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.

The decision saw FAM fined CHF350,000 (about RM1.8 million), while the seven players involved were suspended for 12 months and fined CHF2,000 (about RM10,000) each.

-- BERNAMA