Top Malaysian footballer splashed with acid leaves ICU as concern grows over player safety
Faisal Halim was the third Malaysian Super League footballer to be attacked in space of one week
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A Malaysian football star has been moved out of intensive care but will stay in hospital after he was splashed with acid in the latest of a string of attacks on prominent footballers in the Southeast Asian country.
Faisal Halim was attacked at a shopping mall outside the capital Kuala Lumpur on 5 May. The attacks have triggered concerns about the safety of players.
Halim, 25, a star winger for Selangor Football Club, has undergone several skin graft surgeries to treat severe burn injuries to his neck, shoulders, hands and chest. He is out of the ICU now but will continue his recovery in hospital, Shahril Mokhtar, deputy president of the football association in Selangor state, said.
Mr Mokhtar said the footballer is in “stable condition” and his voice is “getting stronger” each passing day.
Police were yet to establish a motive for the assault on Halim and whether the attacks on players in the recent spate of incidents were linked.
The attack on Halim came three days after another national player, Akhyar Rashid, was attacked with an iron rod by a pair of robbers. He was robbed of money and left injured.
In a similar attack, Safiq Rahim was attacked by a man wielding a hammer who smashed his car’s windscreen. Rahim, 36, who plays as a midfielder for Johor Darul Ta’zim football club, was unharmed.
After the attack, Rahim’s club beefed up security for its players.
Halim’s Selangor Football Club withdrew from their Charity Shield match, Malaysian football’s season opener, against Johor Darul Ta’zim over safety concerns.
The Malaysian football association last week recommended that players hire bodyguards.
“While not all players may have the financial means to hire bodyguards, it is a sensible idea, especially for star players who may attract unwanted attention,” the association’s president Hamidin Mohd Amin was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.