Justice of the Pitch

In 1974, one George Suppiah put Singapore on the football map by officiating at the World Cup. Since then, neither team nor referee has made it back there – until now.

Meet Shamsul Bin Maidin, the painfully shy referee who insists he’s ecstatic about making it to the World Cup but hates being in the media.

Unfortunately for him, despite his protests, he’s the man of the moment – Singapore’s representative at the greatest tournament of the world’s most loved sport. While talking to him, we sensed a gentleness about him and wondered if he’s firm enough to be a referee – until he red-carded us for not listening and made us run laps round the stadium.

We’ve never had a National team go to the World Cup but two of our referees have. Is it any consolation that you “can’t play football”?
[laughs] It’s true I’d never be in the World Cup if I’d played football. By the way, I’m the second referee at the World Cup but we’ve had an assistant referee in the 2002 World Cup. Anyway, I’ve a strong feeling that if Singapore were to get focused – and better (foreign) players – we might have a chance. It’s just a matter of time.
We’re not holding our breath. So why did you switch to refereeing?
My dad was a former FIFA referee. He retired in 1989, while I joined in 1991. He saw the potential in me and encouraged me to try at being a referee. I’m just fortunate to have a private tutor like him.
Out of curiosity, are you married?
Yes, I am – with four kids!
That definitely calls for some time management, huh?
To be honest, I haven’t had much time for them in the past year-and-a-half. My social life is zero, [laughs] hopefully, things can get back to normal after the World Cup. I’m very lucky to have a supportive family – especially my wife, she’s been my pillar of strength through all these years.
That’s very sweet. Have you been threatened off the pitch before?
Threatened, no. Just a general show of unhappiness, but that’s normal. They don’t scold us to our face, they usually utter something or voice their displeasure from the back.
Have you been told by bookies to throw a game, on pain of death?
If something like that happened, I would… I wouldn’t like to think about such things at the moment but, if it really happens, I’ll probably handle it. Of course, I wouldn’t want this to happen but, I always believe in God, you know? I do not know what I’m going to do if it happens, really. [laughs] Maybe because I’ve never thought about this at all. I hope it wouldn’t happen.
We hope it doesn’t either. How about bribes; have you been offered any?
Bribes? No. So far, no. I don’t think we have a corruption problem in Singapore. But, surprisingly, you hear of such things from other countries. But, personally, I’ve not experienced these things.
Rats! We were hoping for something juicy. So, no stories?
You can read the newspapers for news on these things. But I wouldn’t like to elaborate on this. I think it’s very sensitive.
Fair enough. Do you think bookies are more likely to bribe players or referees?
That one, God knows! [laughs] I’ve no comments on that. As far as refereeing is concerned, I’d rather stay focused on the game than worry about who’s coming… whether anyone’s going to bribe me. It’s important that your conscience be clear in all that you do. When I found out about my World Cup selection, I told myself to do well because I’m not only carrying the flag of Singapore, but of Asia as well.
So there isn’t a price that would make you sell out?
None.

To find out how Shamsul came into refereeing, and his full interview, check the June issue of Maxim