THE Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) is pushing for zero referee errors in the 2025-26 Malaysian League season, building on last season’s 98 per cent officiating accuracy rate.
FAM deputy president Datuk S. Sivasundaram expressed optimism while acknowledging the human factor in refereeing.
“We can say zero issue, but we must remember they are human too. Everybody will have some family problem or whatever they bring onto the field… so we hope for the best,” Sivasundaram said during a press conference after the renewal of FAM’s sponsorship deal with Kronos and the launch of the new referees’ jersey.
Sivasundaram, who chairs FAM’s Referees Committee, noted that feedback and criticism are crucial for improving officiating standards.
“Previously, I mentioned that out of 208 matches last season, we received five complaints, of which only two were confirmed referee errors while the other three were not… nevertheless, I respect all opinions, and wherever we have weaknesses, we must improve,” he added.
The introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system significantly boosted decision accuracy to 98.07 per cent last season, up from 88.76 per cent in 2023-24, as per Referee Assessors’ reports. – Bernama
