A Malaysian footballer from the national team experienced second-degree burns after acid was thrown on him in an assault at a shopping mall over the weekend, according to a sports official.
Faisal Halim, a player for the national team, sustained burns on his neck, shoulder, hands, and chest during the Sunday attack in Petaling Jaya district, located outside the capital Kuala Lumpur, as per Najwan Halimi, a sports official in Selangor state.
Faisal, 26, is a winger for the Selangor Football Club.
Najwan, in a statement late Sunday, strongly condemned the violence and urged the police to apprehend the perpetrator and deliver justice.
Hussein Omar Khan, the Selangor Police Chief, was quoted by private television station Astro Awani on Monday as saying that a male suspect had been arrested, though he did not reveal a motive.
A widely circulated photo depicted a visibly shocked Faisal, wearing brown pants and seated on a bench with burns on his body.
The assault occurred three days after another national player, Akhyar Rashid, was harmed in a robbery outside his home in the eastern state of Terengganu.
Akhyar, 25, was hit with an iron rod by two unidentified suspects and sustained injuries to his head and leg, requiring stitches, as reported by local media.
Local police chief Azli Noor stated that the suspects fled after taking Akhyar’s money.
Hamidin Mohamad Amin, the president of the Football Association of Malaysia, expressed being 'upset and sad' over both attacks.
“The people of Malaysia hope for Akhyar and Faisal to recover swiftly and return to action,” he stated on Sunday.
Attacks on football players, both on and off the field, are not uncommon in the world of sports.
In March, tension escalated at the end of Fenerbahce’s 3-2 victory over Trabzonspor in the Turkish Super Lig.
The disciplinary hearing of the Turkish Football Federation following a clash with Trabzonspor fans is ongoing.
After Fenerbahce's 3-2 win in the Super Lig match on March 17, home supporters stormed the pitch at Trabzonspor’s stadium after the final whistle.
The attacks occurred after the Fenerbahce players and coaching staff celebrated their victory, with goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic being punched in the face.
AFP