Instead, one appearance at a high-profile function drew quiet disbelief. There, standing among senior officials, was FAM general secretary Noor Azman Rahman, the same man the association had suspended just two weeks earlier. On October 17, FAM announced that Noor Azman was suspended “with immediate effect.”

It was to make sure he did not interfere with an independent inquiry into allegations that falsified documents had been sent to Fifa so seven naturalised players could represent Malaysia. Such a suspension is not a punishment, but it does have clear boundaries. The person steps aside completely. They don’t represent the organisation or appear at its official events until the investigation ends.

So when the suspended general secretary turned up at a function involving Infantino, it naturally raised eyebrows. It blurred the very line FAM had drawn in its own announcement. FAM has yet to explain why Noor Azman was at the event, or whether Fifa knew of his suspended status. When FMT contacted him via WhatsApp to ask about his presence, he did not reply.

This silence matters. If the suspension was meant to show transparency and accountability, the optics say otherwise. You can’t suspend an official one week and showcase him the next when the world’s football chief is in town. That makes a serious decision look like stage management rather than leadership.

Under employment rules, a suspension “with immediate effect” removes a person’s authority to act in any capacity. If that decision came from FAM’s executive committee, allowing him to appear at an official function could breach their own order.

Beyond that, Fifa’s code of governance is clear: national associations must uphold integrity and consistency. Declaring disciplinary action publicly, then quietly ignoring it, undermines that principle. It also looks tone-deaf at a sensitive time — FAM’s appeal against Fifa’s RM1.8 million fine and the 12-month bans on seven players will possibly be known on October 30.

Public trust in sport depends on credibility. Fans don’t expect perfection, but they do expect honesty — that when the association says “suspended,” it means it. If rules can bend when global attention arrives, what message does that send to players, coaches and supporters?

FAM’s leadership often speaks of transparency and reform. This was a moment to prove it, not blur it. Even one unexplained appearance can undo weeks of careful messaging.

Discipline in football isn’t just for players on the pitch. It starts at the top. A suspension that fades the moment a VIP lands sends the wrong message: that accountability stops when it becomes inconvenient.