JOHOR BARU: The Malaysian football season opener – the Charity Shield – has taken on a new dimension, after the series of attacks on players in the country.
The usual gala atmosphere and intensity of the first silverware of the year has been put aside. Instead, the focus has switched to security.
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The match between Selangor and Johor Darul Ta’zim, scheduled to be held at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri tomorrow, is supposed to see some heavy police presence.
“Over 1,500 officers and policemen will be deployed during the game to ensure safety and traffic flow; I give safety assurance to all members of the public, including the football players,” said Johor police chief Comm M. Kumar.
Despite his assurance, Selangor announced in a statement last night that the club has decided not to participate in the game.
Earlier, speaking to reporters during the Johor police contingent Hari Raya open house here, Comm Kumar said it has always been the procedure to accompany all teams as they travel between the hotel and the stadium.
On the attack against JDT midfielder Safiq Rahim, Comm Kumar said the public should stop speculating about the attack and let the authorities investigate.
“Safiq has lodged a police report after his vehicle was attacked along Jalan Thompson on Tuesday night.
“He was heading home when he noticed that there were two men on a motorcycle; one of the suspects then smashed the rear windscreen using a hammer.
“The victim could not identify the suspects or the motorcycle registration plate number,” he said.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told the media at the Defence Services Asia and National Security Asia 2024 that Bukit Aman has been tasked with beefing up security after the spate of attacks.
