PETALING JAYA: Kuching City coach Aidil Sharin has welcomed the decision to appoint foreign referees for the Malaysia Cup final, describing it as a positive move that could help improve the standard of officiating in Malaysian football.
The Malaysian Football League (MFL) confirmed that international match officials will oversee the Malaysia Cup final between Johor Darul Ta’zim and Kuching City at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on May 23.
MFL president Ab Ghani Hassan said an official request had been submitted to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to secure four foreign officials for the showpiece final.
The officiating team are expected to comprise a referee, two assistant referees and a video assistant referee (VAR) specialist.
Aidil said the move would not only ensure high-quality officiating for the high-stakes encounter, but also provide valuable learning opportunities for local referees.
“I see this as a positive development and we support the decision made by the MFL,” said the Singaporean.
“They said it well when mentioning that local referees can learn from these games. In football, you are always learning from each other and I strongly believe in that process.
“We look forward to a good final.”
Aidil also drew from his previous experience during the 2019 FA Cup final, when Japanese referees were appointed for the clash between Kedah and Perak.
“I was Kedah’s coach then, and I felt the decisions were excellent and fair. I am not saying local referees are biased or not good,” he said.
“I’ll give an example. Then Kedah captain Baddrol Bakhtiar is a legend in Malaysian football, so there could sometimes be hesitation in awarding a foul or booking him because of his stature or reputation.
“But a foreign referee would not know who he is. They treat everyone equally and make decisions purely based on what they see in the moment. That was what happened during the 2019 final.”
Ab Ghani said the decision to appoint foreign officials was made to maintain the highest standard of officiating for what is expected to be a fiery contest.
“The Malaysia Cup final is a high-profile match. With international-standard officiating, I believe it will enhance the match experience for players, team officials and supporters alike,” he said in a statement on Friday.
Although the move involves additional costs, it is not unprecedented.
The MFL previously engaged Japanese referees for the 2019 FA Cup final between Kedah and Perak, a decision that was well received by both teams and supporters. The latest decision follows a proposal raised during discussions between the MFL and their league partners on April 29.
