Malaysian Football Federation in crisis, FAM President Joehari Ayub resigns

(NLDO) - The massive naturalization policy with the victory over Vietnam is putting the Malaysian Football Federation in a difficult position.

According to the New Straits Times, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) is in shock after President Datuk Joehari Ayub submitted his resignation, reportedly on August 22. This decision came after less than 6 months in office at FAM.

The FAM president cited health reasons as the main reason and Malaysian media said that the truth came from fierce internal conflicts. Since his last public appearance at the FAM headquarters on August 11, Mr. Ayub has not taken any further action and has given rise to many speculations. Until now, FAM has remained silent, Vice President Yusoff Mahadi has been appointed as interim leader.

In the middle of this month, the future of President Datuk Joehari Ayub (2025-2029), who took office with a focus on a strategy to boost naturalisation, was questioned.

President Datuk Joehari Ayub is said to have submitted his resignation.

Specifically, Mr. Joehari Ayub was elected as FAM President in February 2025, replacing Mr. Hamidin Amin, with a term lasting until 2029. In the first months, he attracted attention with a large-scale player naturalization policy, bringing certain success to the Malaysian team, including a 4-0 victory over Vietnam in June. However, this policy also created fierce controversy, especially on the issue of transparency of player origins.

In particular, the fact that Argentine midfielder Facundo Garces accidentally revealed that only his paternal grandfather was Malaysian has raised public doubts about the legality of the naturalization process. According to FIFA regulations, only those whose father, mother, grandfather or grandmother are Malaysians can be naturalized immediately.

Garces quickly posted a correction shortly after, calling it a "typo" and confirming that he and his wife are Malaysian.

Malaysian fans are demanding a clear explanation. They say FAM cannot continue to avoid the situation when football in the country is facing instability.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/ldbd-malaysia-khung-hoang-chu-tich-fam-joehari-ayub-xin-tu-chuc-196250826135750102.htm