JOHOR BAHRU (BERNAMA) - The Malaysian Football League (MFL) has decided to form an independent refereeing body ahead of the football season next year to improve the quality of refereeing.
The formation of the body was announced in a statement posted on the Facebook page of Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, who is also the Chairman of the MFL, on Monday (Oct 29).
According to him, local and foreign referees from Japan, England and some other countries will be part of the body.
"The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) also agreed to start it by next season, we will also send 25 new referees to Japan to improve the quality of refereeing.
"Local and foreign referees will work together, plans are being made to have refereeing courses conducted by former English Premier League referees," he said in the statement.
Tunku Ismail, in his recent Twitter account, had rapped the weak quality of refereeing at the 2018 Malaysia Cup final between Terengganu FC and Perak at the Shah Alam Stadium last Saturday.
The Tunku Mahkota of Johor also expressed surprise when he learned the local referee at the final action, namely, Suresh Jayaraman, whom he himself did not know, was assigned to handle the match.
According to him, the MFL had expressed a desire to bring overseas referees for important matches but was opposed by the FAM Referees Committee chairman Subkhiddin Salleh, who claimed that the move appeared to belittle the ability of local referees.
