By Ahmad Nazrin Syahmi Mohamad Arif
KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 (Bernama) -- The rise of Kuching City FC is among the positive developments in the 2025-2026 Malaysia League (M-League) competition, according to local sports analyst Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli.
He said Kuching City's achievement of finishing second in the Super League, reaching the Malaysia Cup final and booking a ticket to the AFC Champions League 2 (ACL 2) next season was beyond many expectations.
“Everybody knows that Kuching City was not built on a large budget, but still managed to outperform the favourites, such as Selangor, Terengganu and Kuala Lumpur City, to finish behind perennial champions JDT (Johor Darul Ta'zim) in the Super League standings.
“They are also one of the most solid defensive teams. For me, this is a very positive achievement for the league this season,” he told Bernama when asked to comment on the overall organisation of the 2025-2026 M-League.
However, Pekan said the domestic league continues to face several long-standing issues, including salary arrears, uneven team quality, refereeing standards and relatively low match attendance.
While salary delays appear to be improving, he said a number of Super League clubs have yet to fully resolve outstanding payments.
Pekan said that financial instability may also have contributed to the widening gap between teams, reflected in several one-sided results.
“When you see results like 10-0 or 14-1, that is not the standard expected of the Super League. The gap between teams is still too wide,” he said.
On the refereeing aspect, Pekan acknowledged improvements in the use of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology but said further refinement is still needed.
He also said the use of foreign or international referees in the 2025-2026 Malaysia Cup final also indirectly gives the perception that local referees have yet to earn the trust to handle big matches.
“On one hand, it is good to ensure public confidence in the final match, but at the same time it gives the perception that local referees are not yet at their best,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pekan also raised concerns over logistical issues and last-minute fixture changes, saying they affect both fans and teams.
Looking ahead, he called for stronger enforcement of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations and urged clubs to adopt more professional management structures.
He said well-governed clubs with sustainable finances would be crucial to improving competitiveness in the league.
“We hope that next season the enforcement of FFP will be really strengthened and teams that do not qualify will be subject to appropriate action.
“Clubs also need to be led by individuals who are truly professional and know how to manage the team and generate financial resources,” he added.
For the record, JDT continued their dominance this season, winning the Super League, FA Cup and Malaysia Cup, completing a fourth consecutive domestic treble.
-- BERNAMA
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