KUALA LUMPUR: The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has ended the services of referee Fitri Maskon from all refereeing duties following a below par performance in a 2024/2025 MFL League match between Negri Sembilan FC and Selangor FC, on Thursday.
FAM deputy president Datuk S. Sivasundaram said the decision was taken after in-depth discussions with the top leadership of the governing body.
"Although this firm decision was made with a heavy heart, it should serve as a lesson to all referees. The decision to sack a referee is the first such action taken because previously, referees were only suspended. The decision is a clear signal that referees need to be more serious when carrying out their responsibilities on the field," he said in a statement to the media on Sunday (Feb 16).
Sivasundaram said based on the match commissioner’s report, Fitri had shown a very poor performance, thus affecting the result of the match which took place at the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi.
He said the FAM Referee Unit had also analysed the match and found that the penalty kick decision given by Fitri in the match was inaccurate.
"The results of the analysis also showed that the extra time given at the end of the match of 15 minutes was excessive, resulting in a match that should have ended in a draw, ending in a different result.
"This clearly proves that the referee's decision had influenced and had a clear impact on the final result of the match," he said.
For the record, in the Under-23 (U-23) league match, Selangor won 2-1. - Bernama
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