The series of alarming attacks on Malaysian national football players have continued, with the latest being Malaysian Super League club Johor Darul Ta'zim’s (JDT) player Safiq Rahim having his car smashed with a hammer. His rear windscreen was broken by two men in Johor Bahru on the night of May 7.
36-year-old Safiq is widely regarded as one of the best Malaysian midfielders of all time. He has represented the Malaysia national team since 2007. Safiq shared about the incident on his Instagram page with a picture of his broken windscreen. His caption read, “I did not expect myself to be attacked near the JDT training centre. Looks like we have to be really careful.” He also posted a picture of the police report he made.
According to The Star, the incident happened after he went to collect some items from the training centre and returned to his residence in Johor Baru. As he was headed to Pantai Lido, two men on a motorcycle used a hammer to break his back mirror. Shocked, he stopped his car and the two men went towards him but the player was able to reverse his car, and the perpetrators left the scene.
Defending Super League champion Johor Darul Ta’zim have beefed up its security for its players after the attack. The club’s chief executive officer Alistair Edwards said the Southern Tigers are concerned over the incident and advised their players to be mindful of their surroundings.
Faisal Halim undergoes second surgery
ICYMI, Selangor FC’s Faisal Halim, was the victim of an acid attack on May 5 in Damansara. Earlier on 3 May, JDT’s football player Akyar Rashid who is now on loan with Terengganu FC was robbed, suffering injuries to his head and leg. On 6 May, Selangor FC’s chief executive officer Dr Johan Kamal Hamidon received an anonymous call, threatening him with a potential acid assault.
In the latest update by CNN, Faisal suffered fourth-degree burns from the attack rather than second-degree burns as previously reported and has injuries on his face, neck, arms, and body. Fourth-degree burns are the most serious classification, where the injury has gone through the skin and underlying tissue to deeper tissue and even as far as the bone. According to Harian Metro, he was splashed with concentrated sulphuric acid.
He has now undergone a second surgery on the evening of May 7 after the attack at a private hospital in Shah Alam. He is in critical but stable condition and remains in the ICU.
Image Credit: @redzuannewsmpb, @faisalhalim.7
Shahril Mokhtar, the deputy president of the Football Association of Selangor told Bernama, “Faisal will now undergo at least two more surgeries (a third and fourth one) as determined by doctors. Currently, he is still in the ICU and is being closely monitored by specialists.”
“The left side of his body and arm are severely affected, which affects his movement,” Mokhtar added. “It’s quite bad, he can’t really feel his left arm and couldn’t communicate clearly after surgery. He’s feeling stiff and is unable to talk well.”
Second suspect remanded
According to The Star, Selangor police chief Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the motive behind the attack is still under investigation. The second suspect detained over Faisal’s attack was remanded on May 7 for five days. The suspect in his late 30s was arrested in Bandar Baru Bangi on May 6. It was reported that a man in his 20s had been arrested in Pandan Indah on Sunday night in connection with the acid attack.
The Police are now also searching for Muhammad Imran Suresh, the owner of a social media account that claimed to have information on the incident.
Hussein also confirmed that the case had been taken over by the Bukit Aman CID Special Investigation Unit (USJT).
We hope these horrible incidents are put to an end soon!
Featured Image Credit: @sportsrevobysafiqrahim