KLANG: The conferment of an honorary title in conjunction with the 79th birthday celebration of the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, is a welcome boost for Selangor FC winger Faisal Halim to move forward after falling victim to an acid attack in May.
Although surprised by the honour, the footballer, whose full name is Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim, said it has strengthened his resolve to continue his career and perform at his best, as he did before.
“During the award ceremony, Sultan Sharafuddin advised me to work hard, never give up and keep moving forward.
“His Royal Highness also offered words of encouragement.
“This honour is certainly a boost to my career. It’s not a title for me to boast about but rather a personal inspiration to rejoin the Selangor team with renewed determination,” Faisal told reporters after the investiture of state awards and medals in conjunction with the Selangor Ruler’s 79th birthday at Istana Alam Shah here yesterday.
Faisal was conferred the Darjah Kebesaran Ahli-Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah (AIS), Bernama reported.
The player, nicknamed Mickey, revealed that he was informed about the award two months ago but due to a packed training schedule and his representing the Red Giants in several matches, he was unable to attend any of the rehearsals for the ceremony.
Speaking about his condition, Faisal said he is recovering well, although he still has limited movement after suffering burns on parts of his body.
“I’m just waiting for the right time to play my normal game. I need to get back to playing to improve my condition. Nothing can hinder me now. I can do everything,” he vowed.
On May 5, the 26-year-old, whose goal in the 3-3 draw with South Korea in a group match was voted the best goal of the 2023 Asian Cup, became a victim of an acid attack at a shopping centre in Kota Damansara, Selangor, leaving him with fourth-degree burns on several parts of his body.
Meanwhile, a total of 94 people received various awards and medals from Sultan Sharafuddin on the occasion of His Royal Highness’ birthday.
Among the award recipients at the investiture ceremony yesterday were Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz and The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd executive director Tan Sri Tong Kooi Ong.
Both received the Seri Paduka Mahkota Selangor (SPMS) award, which carries the title Datuk Seri.
Selangor Pardons Board and former head of prosecution at the Attorney General’s Chambers Datuk Nik Suhaimi Nik Sulaiman also received the Dato’ Setia-Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah (SSIS) award, which carries the title Datuk Setia.
Malaysia’s High Commissioner to Australia Sharrina Abdullah, Malaysia’s Ambassador to Morocco Shahabudeen Adam Shah, and Kuala Lumpur Family Court judge Evrol Mariette Peters all received the Dato’ Paduka Mahkota Selangor (DPMS) award, which carries the title Datuk for men and Datin Paduka for women.Two senior journalists, Bernama chief executive officer Nurul Afida Kamaludin and Media Chinese International Ltd group editor-in-chief cum Sin Chew Daily editor-in-chief Kuik Cheng Kang, received the Dato’-Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah (DSIS) award, which confers the title Datuk for men and Datin Paduka for women.
