Fourth top Malaysian footballer falls victim to crime this month
The other players were separately injured in a robbery, splashed with acid and threatened with a hammer.
Photos of a damaged cupboard and door shared on Instagram by Malaysian football player Ahmad Khuzaimi Piee on May 23, 2024, after a burglary at his home. (Images: Instagram/@khuzaimipiee)
KUALA LUMPUR: International defender Ahmad Khuzaimi Piee became the fourth top-flight Malaysian footballer this month to become a victim of crime after police said on Thursday (May 23) that his house was burgled.
The string of incidents, which included one player being attacked with acid, have shocked and angered the country.
They were not thought to be linked.
In the latest incident, thieves broke into the house of Selangor FC's Ahmad Khuzaimi on Wednesday night and stole his Yamaha motorbike along with other possessions.
The 30-year-old, who has won nine caps for his country, and his family were not at the house in a suburb of Shah Alam at the time, local police chief Mohamad Iqbal Ibrahim said.
In a post on Instagram early on Thursday, Ahmad Khuzaimi said burglars took his motorcycle, four sling bags and his passport.
“Anyone who comes across a blue Y15 Movistar with plate number RV1700 please contact me or the nearest police station,” he said.
Other photos shared via his Instagram Stories showed signs of damage to a door and a cupboard in his home.
Ahmad Khuzaimi said he was away training with the Red Giants squad when the incident happened.
“On my return at 9pm, I found the front and back gates open. On inspecting the house, I realised that certain personal belongings had gone missing,” he said in his police report lodged at the Shah Alam police station.
According to the police, two men who arrived in a white MPV were responsible for the break-in.
They then fled separately, with one man riding the stolen motorcycle.
Police investigations are ongoing.
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STRING OF INCIDENTS
The burglary comes after three separate incidents involving high-profile Malaysian football players this month.
Akhyar Rashid was injured in a robbery outside his home in the eastern state of Terengganu on May 2.
International forward Faisal Halim - who also plays for Selangor FC - suffered severe burns in an acid attack on May 5 outside the capital Kuala Lumpur.
He is recovering in hospital following multiple surgeries and could be back in action as early as August.
And on May 7, former Malaysia skipper Safiq Rahim escaped unhurt after he was threatened with a hammer and had his car windscreen smashed.
Safiq is a Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) player, one of Asia's top clubs run by the crown prince of the Johor royal family. Akhyar is currently on loan to Terengganu FC from JDT.
Several football clubs told CNA earlier this month that they were stepping up security, with one installing closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) around its training grounds.
Selangor FC also pulled out of the season-opening Charity Shield this month citing "a series of criminal incidents and recent threats".
Investigations into the three incidents are still ongoing.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department's director Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the police were also looking into whether the attack on national players was linked to a poison pen letter sent to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).
It was previously reported that the poison pen letter had criticised FAM’s leadership and management, among others.
