THE Malaysian Football League (MFL) has confirmed that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system will undergo refinements ahead of the 2025/2026 M-League season.
This follows multiple contentious incidents during its inaugural implementation last season.
Acting MFL CEO Mohd Shazli Shaik Mohd revealed that two special briefings were held with the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and FIFA to address system enhancements.
“The improvements are not yet finalised, but we recognise the concerns from last season, which was VAR’s first year in Malaysia,“ he said.
FAM Referees Committee chairman Datuk S. Sivasundaram previously stated that VAR performance was rated excellent, averaging 0.57 on-field reviews per match and 2.27 minutes of added time for VAR checks.
However, errors such as the suspension of referee Razlan Joffri Ali after a Super League match between Perak and Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) drew criticism.
Despite setbacks, Razlan earned praise for his handling of the 2024-2025 Malaysia Cup final, where JDT defeated Sri Pahang 2-1.
Mohd Shazli added that the MFL is working to avoid scheduling delays seen last season.
The full M-League 2025/26 fixture will be released after finalising key events like the Shopee Cup draw and Asian Champions League (ACL) commitments.
