• 2025-07-24 08:31 PM

THE Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has formally reached out to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) following the alleged desecration of the Jalur Gemilang during Malaysia’s ASEAN Under-23 Championship match against Indonesia. The incident occurred at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, where fans were seen defacing the flag.

FAM president Datuk Mohd Joehari Mohd Ayub expressed strong disapproval, stating, “We don’t condone this kind of act, whether at the national or international level. We are dealing with the AFC and AFF for the next course of action.” The controversy arose after images circulated online showing the flag marked with an ‘X’ and held upside down by Indonesian supporters.

The match ended in a 0-0 draw, eliminating Malaysia from the tournament. The team finished third in Group A with four points, behind Indonesia (seven points) and the Philippines (six points). Earlier, Malaysia suffered a 2-0 loss to the Philippines before a dominant 7-1 win over Brunei.

Separately, Mohd Joehari confirmed FAM is consulting legal advisors regarding false claims made by an Indonesian football observer. The individual alleged in a podcast that Malaysia faced a FIFA suspension until 2027 and questioned the eligibility of heritage players in the national squad.

Malaysia’s recent 4-0 victory over Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, powered by heritage players like Facundo Garces and Joao Figueiredo, has strengthened their Group F lead with six points. - Bernama