The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) presented a quality audit of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) at an Extraordinary Congress in Petaling Jaya on June 4, 2026, exposing widespread governance, accountability, and institutional challenges [1, 2, 3, 4].

The audit assessed most of FAM’s operational areas at Level 2 (Pre-Intermediate), highlighting major improvements needed across governance, legal affairs, finance, administration, and football development, all scoring below 2 out of 5 [1, 2, 3, 4]. AFC Deputy Secretary General Vahid Kardany said, “I think the grades... show that you are in a pre-intermediate level in terms of organisation” [2].

Issues identified by the AFC included the use of unapproved governance structures, excessive authority concentrated at the top, key-person dependency, lack of annual plans and key performance indicators, and weak succession planning [1]. The audit also found that FAM had operated without formal budget approval since 2016, a regulatory requirement, raising concerns about financial oversight [2, 3]. FAM denied it failed to present audited financial reports since 2016, stating that reports were tabled at annual congresses and reviewed by finance committees, but acknowledged shortcomings in statutory budget presentations between 2023 and 2025 [5].

In response to the audit, all 18 FAM affiliates unanimously approved 94 amendments to FAM statutes proposed by the AFC, including abolishing the deputy president post and restructuring the executive committee [2, 3, 6, 4]. This reform process was conducted in the Extraordinary Congress where the audit report was delivered [1, 2, 3, 6, 4].

AFC Secretary General Datuk Seri Windsor Paul John said Malaysia has strong potential to become a leading football nation in Asia if reforms are fully implemented. He added, “Malaysia ticks all the boxes. Government support, fan support, sponsorship and media coverage are all there. So the potential is huge.” He urged that "those achievements must return. FAM wants that more than anyone else. That can happen with the right governance structure in place and with the right people" [4].

The AFC initiated its review of FAM in January 2026 after allegations surfaced of doctored documents relating to seven naturalised players ahead of the Asian Cup qualifier [2, 3]. In March, the AFC overturned Malaysia’s qualifying wins over Nepal and Vietnam due to these breaches, ending Malaysia’s chances to advance in the competition [2, 3].

The focus now shifts to the implementation of these governance reforms and improved compliance with regulatory standards.