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About a year ago, on 5 May, 2024, national footballer Faisal Halim was the unfortunate victim of an acid attack that occurred outside a shopping mall in Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya.
The Selangor Football Club athlete suffered fourth-degree burns on his face and other parts of his body after being splashed with liquid corrosive acid.
There was a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage of the attack, where the suspect could be seen splashing Faisal with acid before getting away on a motorcycle with another man.
Police then launched an investigation which led to the arrest of two men suspected to have been involved in the attack.
The first suspect, a man in his 20s, was detained in Pandan Indah, Ampang, shortly after the attack. However, police later determined that he was not involved in the assault, as the motorcycle registration number linked to the crime scene was found to be fake and matched his by coincidence. Despite this, he was rearrested after testing positive for drugs.
The second suspect, who was in his 30s, was apprehended in Bandar Baru Bangi, Kajang, and remanded for five days to assist with the investigation. Reports indicated that he had a history of criminal offences . However, as of May 2025, no charges have been filed against him or any other individuals in relation to the attack.
READ MORE: The Horror Of Acid Attacks: What To Do If You Have The Misfortune Of Witnessing One
Faisal disappointed as authorities are not pursuing the case further
In a statement released by the law firm representing Faisal today (8 May), it was confirmed that the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has officially classified the case as “no futher action”, or NFA.
The decision was made after police investigations failed to identify any suspect despite “exhaustive efforts”.
“Our client is understandably very disappointed by the outcome. Throughout the investigation, we took several proactive steps to ensure this case received the attention it deserved.
“We have fully cooperated with the Royal Malaysia Police and sent formal letters to several key institutions, including the Dewan Rakyat Speaker, the Home Ministry, and the AGC, urging that the case be treated with priority,” said the legal team Mohd Ashraf, Nik Zarith & Co.
NFA, Tiada petunjuk, Faisal kecewa.@ASTROARENA pic.twitter.com/M1mIhJRpDA
— Zulhelmi Zainal Azam (@zulhelmizainal1) May 8, 2025
Looking at the comments section, many Malaysians are not happy with this outcome. Some wondered why the CCTV camera footage was not helpful.
Two other footballers were attacked before and after Faisal’s case
The attack on Faisal was part of a disturbing series of violent incidents targeting Malaysian footballers within a short period.
Three days before the acid attack on Faisal, Terengganu FC member Akhyar Rashid was assaulted in a robbery just outside his house in the east coast state. He sustained injuries on his head and legs after being hit with an iron rod. The attackers fled after taking money from him.
A couple days after Faisal was attacked, two men on a motorcycle took a hammer to Johor Darul Ta’zim midfielder Safiq Rahim’s car while he was driving near a training center. Fortunately, Safiq was not physically harmed by the encounter, although the same can’t be said for him emotionally.
However until today, there has been no evidence that these three attacks were connected.
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