Fans Rally in Support of Injured Malaysian Footballers Amidst Rising Violence and Thefts in the Top-Flight

Fans gathered to show support for injured footballers at the Malaysia Super League match between Polis DiRaja Malaysia (PDRM) FC and Kedah on May 11, 2024. The country has been left in shock and outrage after several high-profile incidents involving theft and acid attacks against Malaysian footballers in the top-flight.

Among the victims of crime this month was International defender Khuzaimi Piee, who became the fourth Malaysian footballer to fall victim to burglary. Thieves broke into his house in Shah Alam on Wednesday night and stole his Yamaha motorbike and other belongings while he and his family were not home. Piee took to Instagram to ask for the return of his bike.

In another incident, forward Faisal Halim of Selangor FC suffered serious burns from an acid attack on May 5 and is currently undergoing treatment in the hospital. He is expected to make a full recovery and return to playing as early as August. Halim’s attack was one of many incidents that have left the country stunned and outraged.

Former Malaysia captain Safiq Rahim narrowly avoided harm in a separate incident where he was threatened and had his car vandalized. Another international player, Akhyar Rashid, was injured in a robbery at his home in Terengganu earlier in the month. These incidents have raised concerns about safety for footballers in Malaysia, leading Selangor FC to withdraw from the season-opening Charity Shield citing concerns over the series of crimes and threats targeting footballers in the country.