KUALA LUMPUR – The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) will consider a proposal to establish an independent refereeing body for the Malaysia League (Liga-M), as suggested by Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) owner Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, said FAM deputy president Datuk S. Sivasundaram.
In a statement today, he acknowledged the concerns raised by the Regent of Johor in a post on X yesterday, which called for refereeing to be overseen by a body independent of the national football governing authority.
“FAM greatly values all suggestions and feedback from Tunku Mahkota Ismail. We welcome such input with an open mind,” he said.
Sivasundaram also addressed TMJ’s suggestion that teams dissatisfied with refereeing decisions should have the option to hire and pay for foreign referees to officiate their matches.
However, he emphasised that all associated costs, including referee allowances, accommodation, and meals, would have to be borne by the respective teams.
“FAM or the Malaysia Football League (MFL) will not cover the costs of hiring foreign referees. It is important to note that securing them is very expensive, as payments are made in US dollars (USD),” he said.
At the same time, Sivasundaram praised the performances of local referees in the M-League this season, highlighting that some have earned recognition from FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
He noted that out of 161 matches played this season, FAM had received only four written complaints, with local referees demonstrating strong knowledge of the game’s laws and maintaining high fitness levels, aided by the effectiveness of the video assistant referee (VAR) system.
“As we know, Nazmi Nasaruddin and his assistants, Zairul Khalil Tan and Mua’zi Zainai Abidin, officiated at the AFC Asian Cup and the AFC Elite Champions League. Nazmi is also among the candidates for the 2026 FIFA World Cup referee list.
“Additionally, FAM has a pool of young and promising referees who have been trained through the Professional Referee Academy Project,” he added.
TMJ also raised concerns about other issues in the M-League, including poor stadium and pitch conditions, delays in player salary payments, and some team managements failing to prioritise their clubs’ welfare.
He further criticised those who frequently make excuses and shift blame onto FAM and MFL for their own shortcomings. — January 31, 2025