KUALA LUMPUR — The Malaysian Football League (MFL) has pledged that there will be no repeat of last season’s Video Assistant Referee (VAR) blunders in Borneo as it gears up for the 2025/26 Super League campaign.
Following past issues with outdated infrastructure and weak connectivity at several stadiums, MFL said it has spent the off-season working to ensure the VAR system functions smoothly at the home grounds of Kuching City FC, Sabah FC, and league newcomers Brunei DPMM FC.
Speaking to Scoop, MFL acting CEO Mohd Shazli Shaik Mohd said a remote VAR system will be implemented to overcome logistical and technical hurdles in the region.
“Last season, we had issues at stadiums with old infrastructure, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak. But we’ve rectified them, and we’re confident these problems won’t happen again,” he said.
“We’ve spent a lot of time at these venues analysing connectivity, installing backup systems, and ensuring signal strength meets the standards required for VAR. We believe the system will now run smoothly.”
To bolster the system’s reliability, MFL will adopt a hybrid approach — VAR officials will still be present at matches, but central operations will be managed remotely from MFL’s data hub in Kuala Lumpur.
“A team of broadcast and VAR specialists will be heading to Brunei from August 1 to 3 to conduct final signal and system tests at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium,” Shazli said.
Brunei DPMM’s ground will join Likas Stadium in Sabah and Negeri Stadium in Sarawak in benefiting from the enhanced setup.
VAR was introduced in the Malaysian Super League last season but was marred by teething issues, including a controversial decision in the Perak-Johor Darul Ta’zim match that led to the suspension of referee Razlan Joffri Ali and a VAR official for two matches.
“We understand the criticism from last season. This time, we’re doubling our efforts to ensure the technology does what it’s meant to do – help referees make the right calls and avoid the mistakes of the past,” Shazli said. — July 28, 2025