From Iskandar Khoo Kuan Yiaw

The recent revelation that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) allegedly used forged documents to secure eligibility for seven foreign-born players through fabricated claims of Malaysian grandparents is nothing short of a national embarrassment.

It has not only tarnished our country’s sporting reputation, but also raised serious questions about the integrity and credibility of our national registration system.

Sports are meant to unite the people and represent the pride of a nation. But when national representation is built upon falsified documents and questionable citizenship status, it strikes at the very heart of our national identity.

What message are we sending to Malaysians who have fought for years, sometimes decades, just to obtain recognition for their rightful citizenship, while others appear to have been granted it almost instantly for the sake of football convenience?

Matter of moral conscience

What is even more disturbing is the glaring double standard in how citizenship is handled in Malaysia.

While these foreign players seem to have obtained their Malaysian identification cards with suspicious ease, despite having no genuine ancestral link to our country, thousands of stateless children born and raised on Malaysian soil continue to suffer from bureaucratic neglect.

These children are not outsiders. Many of them were born to Malaysian parents, went to Malaysian schools, speak our national language, and share our culture and values.

Yet, they are forced to live in limbo because of procedural complications, outdated laws, and an often indifferent bureaucracy.

Their citizenship applications are delayed, rejected, or simply ignored, trapping them in a cycle of uncertainty and injustice that no child should ever have to endure.

How can we, as a nation, justify such an imbalance?

How can foreigners with no real ties to this land receive citizenship documents in months, while genuine Malaysian children wait years without answers?

This is not just a question of administrative failure, it is a matter of moral conscience.

Harsh reality of being stateless in Malaysia

In Malaysia, not having an identification card means being denied access to almost every basic right and opportunity.

Without an IC, a person cannot open a bank account, apply for a loan, purchase property, enrol in higher education, or even secure proper employment.

They are invisible in the eyes of the system, unable to live a full life despite being part of the community.

These stateless children grow up facing barriers that should never exist in a country that prides itself on justice and compassion.

They are punished for circumstances beyond their control, often because of legal technicalities, parental documentation issues, or bureaucratic delays.

The pain and humiliation faced by these families are real – and often lifelong.

Personal experience that reveals a systemic problem

I have personally assisted parents in applying for identity cards for their children, and the process is painfully slow, burdened by bureaucracy, uncertainty, and cost.

Some families spend years gathering documents, making appeals, and travelling repeatedly to government offices, only to face rejection or silence.

Some succeed after years of emotional exhaustion and financial strain, while others remain trapped in despair despite fulfilling every requirement.

I fully understand that the Malaysian IC is a national privilege, and that strict procedures exist to safeguard our national security.

However, there is a vast difference between protecting national integrity and denying rightful citizens their identity.

Fairness and compassion must remain at the core of our policies. When rules are applied selectively, trust in the system erodes. Citizenship should never be treated as a commodity to be traded for convenience or political favour.

A call for accountability and reform

Law enforcement agencies must now investigate how it was possible for seven foreign players to so easily obtain Malaysian citizenship, while stateless children of Malaysian parents continue to face endless red tape.

Such a discrepancy is not merely a technical error, it is an indictment of how our administrative system can be manipulated when oversight fails.

If these allegations are true, they reveal a dangerous precedent: that our citizenship process can be exploited for short-term gains, particularly in areas like sports, where political and national pride often blur ethical boundaries.

The government must act decisively, not only to hold those responsible accountable, but also to restore faith in the fairness of our citizenship framework.

This includes reviewing the entire process for citizenship applications, simplifying procedures for children born to at least one Malaysian parent, and strengthening verification systems to prevent abuse.

Citizenship is a right, not a favour

The ease with which these seven foreign-born footballers allegedly obtained Malaysian ICs demands not only an explanation, but also systemic introspection.

Transparency and accountability are essential if Malaysia wishes to be respected both domestically and internationally.

Citizenship should never be a privilege for the few, granted through connections or manipulation. It is a sacred bond between the individual and the nation – one that should be earned through truth, fairness, and genuine belonging.

To deny rightful Malaysians their identity while granting it so easily to outsiders is not only a bureaucratic failure, it is a moral injustice.

And until we address this double standard, we cannot claim to be a nation that truly values integrity, equality, and the rule of law.

Iskandar Khoo Kuan Yiaw is a FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.