Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said on Saturday the process of granting citizenship to the seven players had complied with the Federal Constitution.

The granting of citizenship through naturalisation is provided for under Article 19(1) of the Constitution and involves a strict vetting process before any decision is made, he said, as reported by the New Straits Times (NST).

“A naturalisation case refers to a situation where an applicant, through their family lineage – whether father, mother, grandmother or ancestors – has ties or origins from Malaysia,” Saifuddin said, as quoted by NST.

Describing it as a “very thorough” process, he said his ministry examines all documents submitted to ensure they meet every requirement under the law.

Saifuddin also clarified the decision is under the purview of FIFA and FAM, and that the Home Ministry’s focus is “strictly on citizenship matters”.

Johor’s regent Tunku Ismail and Malaysia’s former sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin, meanwhile, questioned who had lodged the complaint and why FIFA reversed its earlier decision.

“FIFA has already approved (the naturalisation) before, so why has the decision changed now?,” Tunku Ismail said in a post on X on Saturday.

“What led to such a decision? Was there any external party that influenced FIFA’s decision?” he added.

“Who was in New York?”

It is unclear who he was referring to in his New York question.