Malaysian soccer star, Faisal Halim was the victim of a horrifying acid attack on May 5, 2024. This incident has left the soccer world stunned. According to reports, the attack has left him with fourth-degree burns on several parts of his body including his face, hands, chest, neck, and shoulders.
Faisal Halim plays as a left-winger for club, Selangor FC in the Malaysian Super League. The 26-year-old has 29 appearances to his name with the national side, scoring 14 goals in the process. He enjoys a fine career record in the Malaysian top division having scored 27 goals and assisted a further 24. In the recent 3-3 draw between Malaysia and South Korea in the Asian Cup, Halim even provided a torrid time to Bayern Munich defender, Kim Min-Jae.
Small dude from Penang, rocked the world against one of Asia’s best.
Faisal Halim gave me and many others our best nights supporting Malaysian football. But i think he did more to inspire the new gen; You dont need to be big, just big hearted ❤️pic.twitter.com/Oi5ktJUacT
— chunhang 🇲🇾 (@chunhang7) May 6, 2024
The attack on Halim has followed violent assaults on two other soccer players of the Malaysian national team. Former national team captain, Safiq Rahim was involved in a confrontation with two attackers following a training session but was fortunate enough to escape without any physical damage. On the other hand, Akhyar Rashid, another national teammate of Faisal Halim, was left with serious injuries to his head and legs after being hit by an iron rod during a robbery at his house.
A detailed look at the attack on Faisal Halim and ongoing investigations
The incident took place outside of a shopping mall in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. Halim was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where the true severity of the attack was evaluated. Unfortunately, the diagnosis does not provide an encouraging view for Faisal Halim. He suffers from fourth-degree burns which are classified as the most serious ones.
The deputy president of the Football Association of Malaysia, Shahril Mokhtar made a statement after the assault saying, “Faisal will now undergo at least two more surgeries as determined by doctors”. Halim has been significantly affected with the movements in the left side of his body the worst hit. Images of Halim were circulated soon after the attack, leaving the nation horrified.
🇲🇾 Sad news from Malaysia: The Malaysian international Faisal Halim got an acid attack, suffering from fourth-degree burns. pic.twitter.com/D4h5tIWa5w
— BabaGol (@BabaGol_) May 7, 2024
The fact that the acid attack on Faisal Halim was just one of the three recent violent proceedings on soccer stars in Malaysia does present a possible relation between the three. The investigation team has been able to detain two men in connection with Halim’s case. Currently, the whole soccer fanbase in Malaysia is hoping for a swift recovery of their star player so that he can return to the playing field soon.
The series of attacks has undoubtedly raised concerns over the safety of the players nationwide amongst the Malaysian officials. There have been discussions to postpone the upcoming league fixtures. The police officials have advised the soccer stars to adopt a more cautious living approach for the time being. Football Association of Malaysia has even suggested some of the more popular players to hire security personnel to ensure their safety.