FAM election candidates warned against buying votes

Candidates seeking seats on the Football Association of Malaysia's executive committee have been warned that buying votes could expose them to penalties under three separate systems: FAM regulations, FIFA's ethics code and Malaysian anti-corruption law.

Sports and commercial lawyer Nik Erman Nik Roseli said giving or accepting money to influence the election for the remainder of the 2025-2029 term was not merely an internal sporting matter. The rules, he said, could also apply to anyone who knew about the misconduct but failed to report it.

Under Section 67 of the FAM Disciplinary Code, offenders could face a fine of at least RM2,500, a ban from football activities or a lifetime suspension. Article 8 of the FAM Statutes also allows people charged with corruption-related offences to lose their eligibility for appointment as FAM officials. Those convicted cannot be appointed for five years after completing their punishment.

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Political money or corruption is not only a sports issue. In this matter, it involves FAM, FIFA and the Malaysian authorities.

FIFA rules carry further consequences. Article 21 of the FIFA Code of Ethics covers the giving or receiving of gifts and other benefits, with penalties that can include a CHF10,000 fine, equivalent to RM53,000, and a two-to-five-year ban from football activities. Article 26 prohibits the abuse of office for personal gain and carries the same fine, along with a ban of at least two years.

Nik Erman also cited Sections 16 and 17 of Malaysia's Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act, which cover those who give and receive bribes. He referred to FIFA's action against former Equatorial Guinea Football Association president Gustavo Ndong, who received a RM53,000 fine and a three-year football ban for accepting financial advantages while in office. “The important thing to understand is that it is not only the person who gives or receives a bribe who can face action,” Nik Erman told Utusan Malaysia. “If someone knows the act is taking place, that person also has a responsibility to report it.”

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The important thing to understand is that it is not only the person who gives or receives a bribe who can face action. If someone knows the act is taking place, that person also has a responsibility to report it.