KUALA LUMPUR – The Charity Shield has been called off by the Malaysian Football League (MFL) after Selangor FC withdrew from the clash amid the string of attacks on three football players.
The Red Giants announced their decision last night, saying they would not participate in the match that was scheduled to take place at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Johor on Friday.
“JDT will receive a walkover 3-0 victory and three points for the Super League match (LS1).
“Other matters regarding Selangor’s withdrawal will be brought to the MFL Board of Directors for further action,” it said in a statement today.
This saga started when Selangor’s winger Faisal Halim was splashed with acid when he was on a family outing at a mall in Kota Damansara last Sunday.
The 26-year-old suffered fourth-degree burns to his body as a result of the attack and has successfully undergone two surgeries so far with a third scheduled for this afternoon.
On Tuesday, Selangor wrote to the MFL requesting for the clash against JDT be postponed to a later date.
However, the league governing body rejected the request on the grounds that the police had beefed up security for the clash.
In response, Selangor pulled out from the match.
JDT also released a statement expressing their disappointment at the withdrawal and urged the Red Giants to reconsider.
The Southern Tigers cited that it too had in the past faced threats during away matches but played anyway.
This morning, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah expressed his support for Selangor FC, saying the priority is the lives and safety of the players, not to win the match – and that it was disappointing that MFL rejected the request to postpone the match. – May 9, 2024