By Sofia Nasir
SHAH ALAM, March 18 — The state government has expressed pride for Selangor FC player Faisal Halim, who has reentered the Harimau Malaya squad for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
State executive councillor for youth, sports and entrepreneurship Mohd Najwan Halimi said the agile winger has shown his ability to perform well on the field.
“We are proud as Faisal is back in action on the field. In the previous match, he scored a hattrick, which was extraordinary.
“We hope Faisal can join the main national squad. We are confident that if given room, he will give his best,” Najwan said when met at an iftar function with Selangor youth at Petals Event Space here last night.
Also present was Selangor State Sports Council executive director Mohamad Nizam Marjugi.
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State executive councillor for youth, sports and entrepreneurship Mohd Najwan Halimi speaks to the media during an iftar function with Selangor youth at Petals Event Space, Section 7, Shah Alam, on March 17, 2025. — Picture by MOHD KHAIRUL HELMY MOHD DIN/MEDIA SELANGOR[/caption]
Najwan said the investigation into last year’s acid attack on Faisal is still open, with the last update shared at the latest Selangor State Legislative Assembly sitting.
“The last we heard about the case was that it was under Bukit Aman’s Classified Crime Investigation Unit, and we shared it at the last assembly sitting,” he said.
Last week, the Football Association of Malaysia announced that Faisal was on the list to join Harimau Malaya for the third-round 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers against Nepal on March 25.
Faisal was listed alongside 27 players called by head coach Peter Cklamovski to participate in central training, as well as ending the player’s nearly year-long wait to rejoin the national squad.
On May 5, Faisal suffered fourth-degree burns after being splashed with acid by an unknown individual in Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya.
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Selangor FC player celebrates after scoring against Kelantan Darul Naim FC at the Petaling Jaya City Council on March 8, 2025. — Picture by BERNAMA[/caption]
