Fourth Malaysian footballer becomes latest victim of crime in recent wave of incidents

Fans showed their support for injured footballers at the Malaysia Super League match between Polis DiRaja Malaysia (PDRM) FC and Kedah on May 11, 2024. Among the victims of crime this month was International defender Khuzaimi Piee, who became the fourth Malaysian footballer in the top-flight to fall victim to burglary, according to police reports.

The incidents, which included an attack with acid, have left the country shocked and outraged, although they are not believed to be connected. Thieves broke into Piee’s house in Shah Alam on Wednesday night, stealing his Yamaha motorbike and other belongings while he and his family were not home.

Piee, who has nine national team caps, took to Instagram to ask for the return of his bike. In another high-profile case, 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.

In addition to Piee and Halim, 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.

Following these incidents, Selangor FC withdrew from the season-opening Charity Shield, citing concerns over the series of crimes and threats targeting footballers in the country.