On Saturday, Faisal Halim was discharged from the hospital following multiple surgeries to treat severe burns he sustained in an acid attack. The assault took place at a shopping mall outside Kuala Lumpur on May 5, leaving Faisal with burns on his neck, shoulder, hands, and chest. The case, along with separate crimes committed against three other top-flight Malaysian footballers, has shocked and angered the nation.
Shahril Mokhtar, chairman of the technical committee at Selangor FC, revealed that Faisal had a successful skin graft surgery and is recovering well. Johan Kamal Hamidon, CEO of Selangor FC, announced Faisal’s discharge from the hospital and plans to schedule a media session once he is ready to speak. According to Shahril, Faisal could potentially return to playing as early as August.
Faisal gained popularity for scoring an equaliser against South Korea in the 2023 Asian Cup match which was named as the best goal of the tournament. The domestic football season in Malaysia began in May with Selangor FC pulling out of their opener against Johor Darul Ta’zim due to safety concerns following recent crimes against football players.
In addition to Faisal’s acid attack two other footballers were also victims of crime in May. Akhyar Rashid was injured in a robbery outside his home in Terengganu while Safiq Rahim narrowly escaped harm in a hammer threat incident. Khuzaimi Piee became the fourth Malaysian footballer to fall victim to crime this month after his house was burglarized. These incidents have raised concerns about the safety of professional footballers in Malaysia.