Big finals rarely turn on tactics alone. They also turn on trust.
That is why the reported plan makes sense. If the referee team is seen as neutral and experienced, the temperature around every decision can drop a notch. In a one-off final, that matters almost as much as formation or finishing.
The report says the request covers four overseas officials, including a referee, two assistants and a VAR specialist. That points to something bigger than one night at Bukit Jalil.
Ab Ghani also said local referees could learn by observing the visiting team at close range. That is a sensible argument. Malaysian football has grown louder, faster and more scrutinised, and officiating has to keep pace. Bringing in outside expertise, even briefly, can be part of that process.
There will still be mixed feelings.
Both views are fair. But in a final of this scale, administrators are often judged less for boldness than for avoiding preventable controversy.
The next step is whether the requested officials are secured in time for 23 May. If they are, the spotlight will shift back where it belongs: on JDT, Kuching City, and whether the final delivers a match worthy of the occasion.