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The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has announced it will appeal FIFA's decision to penalize the organization for supposedly falsifying the citizenship documents of multiple foreign-born players, who have now been banned from representing the country for 12 months.

FIFA's Allegations and Fines

In the ninth month, FIFA imposed a penalty of $438,000 on the Malaysian association and suspended the players after discovering that their grandparents were not Malaysian by birth as claimed, but rather in the South American nation, the Brazilian nation, the Netherlands and Spain. The global football authority restated its claims about doctored documentation in a disciplinary committee report published on Monday.

Each of the players – who all participated in Malaysia's four-nil victory over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifier this summer – was also penalized twenty-five hundred dollars.

The implicated individuals includes Spanish-born Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomas Garces and Iraurgui, born in Argentina Holgado and Machuca, as well as Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano who was born in the Netherlands, and Joao Vitor Brandao Figueiredo who was born the South American country.

FIFA's Position on Document Falsification

"Forgery represents, pure and simple, a form of dishonesty," stated FIFA in its report.

"The act of forgery undermines the very core of the basic tenets of the sport, not only those regulating a athlete's qualification to represent a national team, but also the essential values of a clean sport and the concept of fair play," added a senior official, deputy chairperson of FIFA's ethics panel.

The Association's Reply and Challenge Strategy

The international body's document claims that FAM admitted it "received inquiries by external agencies regarding the players’ heritage and did not attempt to personally confirm the authenticity of the papers."

"The original birth certificates indicated a sharp contrast to the documentation provided," it said.

The organization also mentioned it was "able to obtain the authentic papers without hindrance," which revealed a "failure in due diligence" by the Malaysian body.

FAM responded to FIFA's allegations in a official communication on Tuesday, asserting the inconsistencies were the result of an "administrative error" and the individuals are "legitimate Malaysian citizens."

"Claims that the athletes 'obtained or were knowledgeable of fake documents' are unfounded as no solid evidence has been provided so far," the announcement declared.

The association will present an formal challenge of the international body's ruling, using original documents that have been certified by the national authorities.

Southeast Asian Context and Political Reactions

South-east Asian countries have recently engaged in recruitment drives for naturalised players, inspired by Indonesia's strategy of bringing in Dutch-born players from the overseas community.

The country's sports minister, the official, said in a release that "FAM needs to complete the challenge procedure and that they should not stay quiet but must respond clearly to all revelations from the global authority."

"Fans are angry, hurt and disappointed," she added.

Present Situation and Forthcoming Matches

Regardless of uncertainty regarding the national team's lineup, the team is now placed 123rd in FIFA's AFC ranking and is set to play in qualifying matches for the Asian Cup this month, facing the Laotian team on the upcoming Thursday.