MARCH 12 — Last week, a smackdown happened, but maybe it did not.

The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) walked into a large room. Imagine everyone is in the room, all of Malaysia’s citizens and migrants — legal, illegal or merely expatriates. About 35 million folks. It’s a well-lit room, so millions can see clearly, the proceedings.

CAS walks over to Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).

This is exactly a soap opera, so there’s a backstory. A pathetic one, I did say a soap opera.

When FIFA, the global overseer of football, accused FAM of fielding biologically and culturally — and I accuse emotionally — disconnected players, FAM got incensed. 

FIFA in its misguided and completely ludicrous notion of trying to be fair wanted to ensure countries just did not buy players to advance the fortunes of their national teams. 

Apparently, fairness is a universal thing and not really just a thing a country, actually solely Malaysia, gets to determine based on its historical baggage and demographical realities. 

Right can be judged by even strangers according to FIFA but FAM is a Malaysian institution therefore is completely entitled by Malaysian standards to feel aggrieved at anything anytime.

In FIFA’s defence, this is not new, the rule that a player even if granted citizenship by the new home country, has to prove a residential record or biological tie. 

Even the great Alfredo Di Stéfano who won five straight European Cups with Real Madrid could not play for Spain in 1953 because he was born Argentinean and spent most of his first living years there. He waited four years to play for his new country. 

So, FIFA and its ancient rules said that Malaysia had misled it when it approved seven players to play in the famous 4-0 victory over neighbours Vietnam on June 10, 2025.

This it said in September after an investigation. Malaysia appeals, FIFA’s appeals board listens. It says in November the evidence still points to cheating. Appeal overturned. Worse, it gives a glossary list of errors on November 18, 2025.

FAM remained unperturbed. As a Malaysian institution by definition ought never be wrong, the national association in charge of football is duty bound to show the finger to the world, in this case, to FIFA.

Where then?

When they go low, Malaysia goes high. The national officials gather in a circle, and speaking in tongues, they decide, to the CAS.

If window dressing was a sport, Malaysia would win a bunch of gold medals every Olympics. Going 15 rounds of nonsense, FAM files a police report as asked by FIFA in its written motivation. To complete the charade, all FAM exco members resign en masse.  

Malaysia’s love for CAS was unrequited. Rather than just agree with Malaysia, which is the polite thing to do, the court in Lausanne ruled in favour of FIFA. It was not a very difficult decision to arrive at. One side was peddling fairy tales, and the other side exclaimed, “Fairy tales!”

FAM never had a leg to stand on, but conceding last June or September or November or ever means the game is up. 

In Malaysia, the game is never up. Truth has to stand in line behind pomp, ceremony and imagined greatness of the special ones, who can only be celebrated not denigrated.

CAS is unfamiliar to the Malaysian way of life. It went with common sense, looked at FIFA’s information and made its judgement.

This was the disciplinary whack CAS gave FAM in the very public room last week, watched by all.

The gasps were palpable. 

In the minds of the sensible, usually an attribute that damages anyone applying to be Malaysian, the whole library, not just the book, would be thrown at FAM and everyone involved in the matter, even the janitorial staff. 

Instead, in the aftermath, there is nothing.

There are two dudes in the movie Dumb and Dumber. The audience are dumbfounded constantly on who is, well, dumber. Either one of them can figure out what actually occurred in the FAM situation.

But here we are in Malaysia. It is not possible to adopt Occam’s Razor or anything remotely intelligent. Everyone has to play along, to get along.

So, the 35 million people are asked to leave the room. Leave and do not think too hard about it.

This is between FAM and FIFA, FAM and CAS, FAM and the sports ministry, or FAM and destiny.

What it is not about is the Malaysian people.

We are all expected to look the other way. And in time, this won’t matter anymore. Slip into the cracks of history. There are enough international tournaments for Malaysia to fail to qualify for.

When the new sports minister gave us the advice to learn from the debacle when nothing actually is done, it dawns upon us. If there is someone to be blamed, then it is the Malaysian people.

Every time we win, it is due to our courageous, diligent and aspirational leaders. They have such imagination, such gusto.

Every time we fail, it is due to our limp, passive and morbid rakyat. We have no knowledge, no gumption.

One way to look at the diabolical outcome is to confront the truth that those who love to cheat got caught, and now must face the music.

Another way to look at it, the way our leaders want us to accept it standing outside the room, was that at least they tried to help Malaysia and failed, and our eternal gratitude should be to them for trying, unlike ourselves. 

In fact, we should punch out any doubt we had of our leaders. And the memory of doubting.

What smackdown? Everything is blissful here in heaven on earth. Even the football.

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.