JOHOR Darul Ta’zim (JDT) owner, Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, has openly criticised the referee’s handling of key incidents during the Southern Tiger’s win against Perak FC at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium (SSI) last night.
According to New Straits Times, he asserted that both players deserved red cards following a scuffle between JDT’s Arif Aiman Hanapi and Perak FC’s Tommy Mawat Bada.
“The ref should have given a red card to both players for fighting,“ he was quoted as saying in a private message on his Instagram account.
Referee Razlan Joffri Ali faced backlash for not sending off Arif Aiman after he was seen punching Tommy, igniting a heated debate among fans on social media.
Many supporters also voiced that Arif Aiman’s actions warranted a red card for violent conduct under International Football Association Board (IFAB) rules.
Tunku Mahkota further noted his surprise over a missed penalty call, after JDT defender Feroz Baharudin fouled Perak FC’s Clayton Silveira in the 37th minute.
“As for Feroz’s 50/50 challenge, I’m not sure. But if I were the ref, I’d have given Perak the penalty,“ he commented.
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Adding to the controversy, a video assistant referee (VAR) review upheld the referee’s initial decision of no penalty for Perak.
However, JDT was awarded a penalty later in the match when Bergson was fouled by a Perak defender, a decision that helped JDT extend their lead as Bergson scored to make it 4-0 by halftime.
The match, marked by two weather-related delays, ended in a resounding 5-0 victory for JDT, with Perak opting to play the game in Iskandar Puteri.
