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KUALA LUMPUR: In a rare outbreak of violence against the country’s top athletes, a third Malaysian international footballer has suffered an acid attack within a week, during which two other top players came under attack at the hands of unknown assailants.
On Wednesday, Police criminal investigation chief Mohamad Shuhaily Mohamad Zain noted striking resemblances among three recent attacks, indicating potential targeting of the victims. However, investigators have yet to establish a definitive link between the incidents.
Faisal Halim, a winger for both the national team and Malaysian club Selangor, suffered severe fourth-degree burns in an acid assault at a shopping mall on Sunday. His condition was reported as critical but stable, with impaired movement and speech.
Just three days earlier, Akhyar Rashid, another prominent national team player, fell victim to a robbery outside his home in Terengganu state. He sustained head and leg injuries from an iron rod assault by assailants who fled with his money.
Late Tuesday, former national team captain Safiq Rahim was pursued by two motorbike assailants after a training session in Johor state. Though they threatened him with a hammer and smashed his car window, he escaped physical harm.
Shuhaily disclosed that authorities are exploring a possible connection between the attacks and a recent letter to the Malaysian football federation (FAM) alleging financial mismanagement, bribery, and fraud. However, the country’s anti-graft agency found these allegations unsubstantiated.
Police advised professional footballers to exercise caution during the ongoing investigation, with FAM suggesting star players consider employing bodyguards.