A Malaysian soccer player was splashed with acid; comes the same week that two other athletes were attacked

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — A Malaysian soccer player was splashed with acid and two other top players were attacked by unknown assailants within a week, sparking a rare outbreak of violence against athletes in the country.

Criminal Investigation Department chief Mohamad Shuhaily Mohamad Zain said on Wednesday that there were similarities in the three attacks and that the victims appeared to have been targeted. However, investigators have not determined whether there is a connection between the cases.

Faisal Halim, who plays as a winger for the national team and Malaysian club Selangor, was hospitalized on Sunday with fourth-degree burns following an acid attack by two assailants at a shopping mall. He was reportedly in critical but stable condition with limited movement and speech.

Just three days earlier, another prominent international player, Akhyar Rashid, was attacked in a robbery outside his home in the eastern state of Terengganu after returning from training. He was hit with an iron rod, causing head and leg injuries. His attackers fled after taking money from him.

Late on Tuesday, former national team captain Safiq Rahim was chased by two attackers on a motorcycle after a training session in the southern state of Johor. They later threatened him with a hammer and smashed the rear window of his car, but he was not physically injured.

“Our investigations also revealed that the players involved were already being followed before the attacks. “The perpetrators also worked in pairs in all the attacks,” said Shuhaily, the head of the investigation, from the English-language daily The Star.

Two people were initially arrested over Faisal’s attack, but one was later released.

Shuhaily said police were investigating the possibility that the attacks could be linked to a recent letter sent to the Malaysian Football Association (FAM) accusing it of mismanagement, bribery and fraud. However, the country’s anti-corruption agency considers these allegations to be unfounded.

Police urged professional footballers to remain vigilant during the ongoing investigation, while FAM urged star players to consider hiring bodyguards.

The Selangor club has launched a solidarity campaign for Faisal, while Safiq’s Johor team has increased the security of its players.