Selangor FC Says It's Withdrawing From 2024 Charity Shield Match Over Safety Concerns

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In an official statement posted on its Facebook page late last night, 8 May, Selangor FC said that despite the Malaysian Football League's (MFL) decision to continue with the 2024 Charity Shield tournament, the club has to make a very tough decision of withdrawing from the long-awaited match.

The club said the decision to withdraw was reluctantly made after careful evaluation of a series of criminal incidents and threats against several players and team officials within 72 hours.

"Given the uncertainties surrounding the club at present, Selangor would like to emphasise that the safety of the team is of utmost importance and we take all forms of violence and threats seriously. We will not compromise on matters related to the safety of the team," it said while apologising for the inconvenience.

The match was scheduled between Selangor FC and Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT).

In total, three footballers from three different clubs have faced attacks, with Selangor FC winger Faisal Halim suffering the worst scenario after he was splashed with acid at a shopping mall over the weekend.

The other two are Terengganu FC winger Akhyar Rashid, who was attacked by two robbers upon returning from training, and JDT midfielder Safiq Rahim, whose car's rear window was smashed by two men.

Alistair said that the club hoped Selangor FC would reconsider their decision because the police had provided assurances of safety for the team, players, and supporters on match day.

Earlier, authorities had assured that security would be beefed up, with 1,500 police officers deployed to maintain order during the match, which is the season opener for the 2024-2025 M-League.