00:00When FIFA President Gianni Infantino visited Kuala Lumpur during the ASEAN Summit recently,
00:06Malaysia had a chance to display its football diplomacy. Instead, one appearance at a high-profile
00:13function drew quiet disbelief. There, standing among Infantino and other senior officials,
00:20was FAM General Secretary Noor Azman Rahman, the same man the National Football Association
00:25suspended just two weeks earlier. His suspension, announced on October 17, was meant to prevent
00:32interference in an independent inquiry into the alleged falsification of documents sent to FIFA
00:37so seven naturalized players can represent Malaysia. Although not a punishment, the suspension
00:43obliged Noor Azman to step aside completely. That being the case, his presence at an official event
00:50with Infantino has raised serious questions. Noor Azman did not respond to inquiries.
00:57In a statement, FAM clarified that Noor Azman was present in a personal capacity
01:02and did not take part in any of the activities, meetings or official programs. Still, his very
01:09presence raises questions about FAM's credibility. Because if rules can bend when global attention
01:15arrives, what message does that send to players, coaches and supporters? Transparency isn't what
01:23you announce at a press conference. It's what you uphold when everyone's watching. For the full story,
01:29read Frankie de Cruz's column, The Suspension That FAM Forgot, only on FMT.
Comments