The case of the seven footballers is no different. False particulars were submitted, so why are they being treated as heroes instead of zeroes?

Why are we mollycoddling these players as if they were innocent bystanders with no role in falsely claiming their grandparents were born in Malaysia?

Ancestry information can only come from the players themselves - not football officials, and certainly not the NRD. If the NRD issued documents based on false data, shouldn’t revocation be the order of the day?

It may be absurd to expect the NRD to prosecute itself. But what of the seven players who knowingly signed off on falsehoods? Are we to believe they are blameless?

The NRD now stands accused on the global stage of falsely declaring that the grandparents of these players were born in Malaysia, despite knowing the truth.

The players weren’t intoxicated, coerced, or confused. They submitted the false information and signed those forms willingly - chasing that ever-elusive pot of gold and a shot at the Fifa World Cup.

Legally naturalised

This brings us to Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail’s claim that the seven were naturalised legally, in full compliance with Malaysian law.

But naturalisation requires three conditions: the applicant must have resided in Malaysia for 10 years with the intent to stay permanently, be of good character, and possess adequate knowledge of the Malay language.

Saifuddin said he invoked discretionary powers under the Federal Constitution. Yet human rights lawyer Eric Paulsen challenged this, stating that no such powers exist in the statute books.

As Paulsen rightly pointed out, the residence requirement is clear and unambiguous, with no room for improvisation or exemption.

In a response, I wrote: “This use of discretionary power is not a mere technicality - it effectively abolishes the minimum residency period, creating a pathway for ‘instant citizenship’ that bypasses an essential requirement for every other applicant.

“If this interpretation stands, what prevents it from becoming a precedent for any foreign national who seeks citizenship?

“This alarming legal flexibility is compounded by an insightful lack of transparency, raising the danger of selective privilege. The minister has provided no timeline or clear rationale for these expedited approvals.”

What about players’ version of events?

Fifa’s concern is not with how the players obtained citizenship. It is with the false particulars submitted when registering them as national players.

Why haven’t the players themselves come forward with their version of events? Why and who directed them to declare that their grandparents were born locally?

Why rely on third parties, many unconnected to their employer - the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) - to speak on their behalf?

Are they afraid their bluff will be called because of their inability to speak the Malay language? Or being kept under wraps lest the truth emerges?

This entire affair reeks. And while football may be the subject, the country finds itself entangled in yet another scandal involving falsified documents - for the second time.

Recall the 2008 sovereignty dispute over Pedra Branca (Pulau Batu Puteh), Middle Rocks, and South Ledge. Singapore’s attorney-general accused Malaysia of “photographic tactics,” presenting a doctored image to make the Johor coast appear closer to Pedra Branca than it actually was.

Yet even then, no credible reports emerged of Malaysia using false or fraudulent documents.

This time, the evidence is far more damning - and the silence, far more deafening.