8-5-2024 (KUALA LUMPUR) The beautiful game has taken an ugly turn in Malaysia after a sickening acid attack left a national football star fighting for his life with horrific burns. Faisal Halim, a 26-year-old winger for Selangor FC and the Malaysian national side, is in critical but stable condition following the vicious assault outside Kuala Lumpur at the weekend.
Faisal, nicknamed “Mickey”, suffered fourth-degree burns to his neck, shoulders, hands and chest when unknown assailants doused him with corrosive liquid in the Petaling Jaya district. Gruesome photos circulating online showed the visibly traumatised athlete shirtless on a bench, his torso bearing livid red lesions.
“Faisal’s condition is a bit critical but stable,” confirmed Shahril Mokhtar, deputy president of the Football Association of Selangor. “He was initially diagnosed with second-degree burns but after being transferred to another hospital, doctors reclassified the injuries as fourth-degree which will require more surgery.”
Mokhtar revealed the talented right winger’s movement and speech have already been impacted by the heinous attack. With the new football season kicking off on Friday, there are also fears over the mental wellbeing of Faisal’s traumatised teammates.
Baru dapat perkhabaran Faisal Halim kena simbah asid di sebuah mall terkemuka tanahair.
Allahuakbar @ASTROARENA pic.twitter.com/Zi0b2EPBFc
— FinaNasrom (@fnasrom) May 5, 2024
“We are shocked and disappointed that such an attack happened here,” Mokhtar said. “Security has been heightened for all our players, staff and officials although I cannot elaborate further.”
Police have launched a manhunt after arresting two suspects but are still seeking a motive for the sickening crime that has rocked Malaysian sports. The incident came just days after another national player, Akhyar Rashid, was injured in a robbery outside his Terengganu home in an unrelated case.
Football Association of Malaysia president Hamidin Amin has urged the country’s high-profile footballers to consider hiring private security in light of the recent spate of attacks. “If you’re a big player, you can get a bodyguard like overseas footballers do,” he advised.
