Stop spreading hatred, provocation on football-related social media platforms - Sports analyst

KUALA LUMPUR - Local football fans have been urged to stop planting the seeds of hatred and provocation on social media following the incident where Harimau Malaya winger Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim was splashed with acid recently.

Local sports analyst Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli admitted that the elements of hatred that are being instilled either directly or indirectly via 'troll’ accounts on national football-related social media platforms, especially in connection with the current domestic competitions, are worrying indeed.

He did not rule out the possibility that the incident involving Mohamad Faisal, who is better known as Faisal Halim, could have been due to extreme hatred mooted by the many hate-fuelled postings.

"This is extreme hatred. It is very dangerous and sports should not be tainted by such incidents. Don't let this lead to incidents where athletes are murdered, like what happened in Colombia last time.

"Hope this case can be resolved and police can uncover the motive or the real cause, the logic behind it (the acid attack), whether the perpetrator acted on his own or was hired, who hired him and so on. We hope this case can be solved swiftly to erase all concerns,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.

Pekan also urged that monitoring be stepped up on the misuse of social media accounts to prevent such an incident from recurring.

"We need to have stringent control on the use of social media in any matter. Don't let it become a platform that breeds extreme hatred,” he said.

Meanwhile, former Selangor manager Zakaria Rahim described what happened to the 26-year-old Selangor FC player as an "inhumane, extreme and uncivilised act”.

"I urge all sports fans and athletes, either still active or retired and from whatever discipline, to stand in solidarity and strongly condemn such acts.

"No religion will legitimise such an act. No religion will ask its followers to harm another human being, or even animal or plant,” Zakaria posted on his Facebook page today.

On Sunday (May 5), the local football fraternity was in shock when Faisal Halim suffered fourth-degree burns after being splashed with acid, in addition to his movements and speech also being affected.

The player, who won the 2023 Asian Cup Goal of the Tournament award in Qatar in January, is expected to be out of action for five to six months and will, thus, miss out on competing in the two remaining matches against Kyrgyzstan and Taiwan in next month's 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers.

Yesterday, police confirmed having arrested a man in Pandan Indah, Ampang to assist in the investigation into the attack on Faisal Halim.

This is the second unfortunate incident to befall a national player after Muhammad Akhyar Abdul Rashid suffered injuries to his head and legs from being attacked by two robbers at his residence in Kuala Terengganu last Thursday. - BERNAMA