Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has taken a firm stance over refereeing standards following concerns raised during the Liga Super clash between Negeri Sembilan FC and Johor Darul Ta’zim on January 9, 2026.
In an official statement, FAM confirmed that its Match Officials Performance Evaluation Committee had thoroughly reviewed the Referee Assessor’s Report, conducting a comprehensive assessment of the match officials’ performance, including an in-depth analysis of key incidents throughout the game.
The evaluation found that several decisions were deemed inaccurate, particularly in the application of Law 12 of the Laws of the Game – “Fouls and Misconduct”. The referees involved were S. Logeswaran (match referee) and Muhd Usaid Jamal (VAR official).
As a result, FAM has decided to place both officials under a two-week recovery and refinement phase, aimed at improving their decision-making, consistency and overall match control.
In addition, the FAM Referees Unit, together with the Performance Evaluation Committee, has issued an official notice to all match officials involved — including the referee assessor — to attend a Post-Match Debriefing session at Wisma FAM, Kelana Jaya, scheduled for January 15, 2026.
According to FAM, the primary objective of the session is to evaluate, guide and educate match officials, ensuring that identified weaknesses are addressed through structured feedback and professional development.
FAM secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman Hj Rahman stressed that the governing body will not compromise when it comes to officiating standards.
“FAM has never compromised on matters related to refereeing quality. Any match official who displays weak performance will be called in for guidance and performance recovery,” he said.
Credit Photo : JST
