As Faisal and Hassan remain in the public eye, pray for Nurul Masyitah

FOOTBALLERS are used to coping with the pressures of being in the public eye. But two footballers across the 100-year Causeway offer a tale of tragedy and good fortune rarely found in any literature.

As Malaysian international Faisal Halim, who was badly hurt in an acid attack in May, broke down in tears in his first public appearance since the ordeal, Singapore goalkeeper Hassan Sunny was enjoying his moment in the sun.

Selangor winger Faisal suffered fourth-degree burns on his neck, shoulder, hands and chest in the attack at a shopping centre outside Kuala Lumpur on May 5.

Spending three weeks in hospital, Faisal underwent multiple surgeries for the burns to his skin. Scars were visible on the left side of his head, face and left hand as he spoke in the press conference which was streamed live online and on television.

Faisal’s grief is made worse by the fact that no updates from the police were forthcoming.

In contrast, Hassan, a year older than Cristiano Ronaldo, found himself a subject of sudden fame and adulation from Chinese football fans after registering an impressive statistic – he made 11 saves in the pre-World Cup match on June 11.

The Thais needed to win by three clear goals but Hassan’s acrobatics paved the way for China to advance to the Asian qualifiers final rounds.

Social media went wild with Chinese netizens putting Hassan on a pedestal, sparking an outpouring of support for the goalkeeper so much so he had to urge them to stop sending money to his food stall via QR code. He has since then decided to donate the money to charity.

Five days after that match, Hassan was in Shanghai for a family holiday over the Hari Raya Haji long weekend. Naturally he was quickly recognised by fans, who posted pictures and videos of him on Chinese social media.

While Faisal and Hassan came under the spotlight for contrasting reasons, let us spare a thought for Siti Nurul Masyitah Elias.

The kayak athlete who was severely injured when a suspected drunk driver crashed into her motorcycle at the Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL) Highway a month ago, has gone under the radar.

Based on viral online dashcam footage, Nurul Masyitah, 22, was dragged about 600 metres by the car that had ploughed into her motorcycle.

A mechanical engineering student at the Polytechnic Ibrahim Sultan (PIS) Mechanical Engineering Department, Nurul Masyitah has her own sob story to tell.

She frequently travels between the polytechnic in Pasir Gudang and her home to care for her ailing parents in Pontian. Her mother suffers from spinal issues due to a previous accident, and her father is in poor health, requiring dialysis treatment.

But unlike the high-profile footballing duo, Nurul Masyitah is navigating her life in a sport that enjoys virtually no publicity.

She remains anonymous despite winning a bronze medal with the Malaysian Dragon Boat Kayak team at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia.

If not for social media, Nurul Masyitah may continue to be away from the spotlight, bed-ridden without any assistance.

The alleged perpetrator, an assistant factory supervisor, pleaded not guilty in the Johor Baru Magistrates’ Court after being charged under the influence of alchohol and injuring Nurul Masyitah. He was charged with driving with 178mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, exceeding the prescribed limit of 80mg/100ml.

According to Nurul Masyitah’s brother, Mohd Syafiq Elias, she remained in stable condition after a series of operations on her pelvic, right and left shoulder bones. She is expected to undergo plastic surgery as well.

Syafiq said his sister was on her way to the training centre in Kampung Bakar Batu from their family house in Pontian.

PIS was quick to initiate a special aid fund to assist Nurul Masyitah and continues to highlight her plight.

While Hassan gets to donate his “extra income” to charity, let us pray for the speedy recovery for both Faisal and Nurul Masyitah.

# My deepest condolences to Datuk S. Vegiyathuman, former secretary of the Federal Territory Athletics Association (FTAA), on the sudden demise of his son, Nithiaseelan on Friday.

Nithi was a product of the Victoria Institution (VI), a highly talented footballer blessed with close dribbling skills who could slalom past the entire stadium if he wished to. Farewell and rest in peace, Nithi.