Faisal Halim suffered burns on his neck, shoulders, hands and chest after the attack.©X (Twitter)
A Malaysian national soccer player was attacked at a shopping mall over the weekend and suffered second-degree burns after being doused with acid, sports officials said. Selangor state sports official Najwan Halimi said national team player Faisal Halim suffered burns on his neck, shoulders, hands and chest in the attack in the Petaling Jaya district on the outskirts of the capital Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. . Faisal, 26, is a winger for Selangor Football Club.
“I strongly condemn this violence and call on the police to bring the perpetrators to justice,” Najwan said in a statement late Sunday.
Selangor state police chief Hussein Omar Khan on Monday did not specify a motive, but private television station Astro Awani was quoted as saying that a male suspect had been arrested.
Photos circulating online showed a visibly shocked Faisal sitting on a bench wearing brown pants with burn marks on his body.
The attack came three days after fellow national team player Akhyar Rashid was injured in a robbery outside his home in the eastern state of Terengganu.
According to local media, Akhyar, 25, was beaten with an iron rod by two unidentified suspects, causing injuries to his head and legs that required stitches.
Local police chief Azri Noor said the suspects fled after taking Akhyar’s money.
Malaysian Football Association president Hamidin Mohamad Amin said he was “upset and saddened” by both attacks.
“Malaysians wish Akhyar and Faisal a speedy recovery and return to action,” he said in a statement on Sunday.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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