KUALA LUMPUR: After the Regent of Johor's meeting with the most famous football referee in the world, is something afoot to improve refereeing in the M-League?
It seems so after Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) owner, Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, met with Pierluigi Collina in Doha, Qatar.
Tunku Mahkota Ismail posted a photo of him with the legendary Italian, on his Instagram Story with the caption: "We'll be organising a course for Malaysian referees."
This is seen as a significant step towards improving refereeing standards in Malaysia.
Collina is a six-time recipient of the International Federation of Football History & Statistics' "World's Best Referee" award from 1998 to 2003.
Though he has retired from active refereeing, Collina continues to influence the game as Fifa's Referees Committee chairman and is a member of the UEFA Referees Committee.
Meanwhile, Tunku Mahkota Ismail held an audience today with FA of Thailand president, Nualphan Lamsam, better known as Madame Pang.
The goal of the meeting was to foster closer ties between Johor and Thailand, with an emphasis on enhancing opportunities for young Malaysian footballers.
"Today, I received in audience the President of the FA of Thailand, Madame Pang. The discussion centred around ways to strengthen ties between Johor and Thailand, including providing more opportunities for young Malaysian footballers to play in Thailand," read the caption on Tuanku Mahkota Ismail's post on X.
Madame Pang, a prominent figure in Thai football and a driving force behind the country's football development, is well-known for her efforts in nurturing talent and promoting regional collaborations.