PETALING JAYA – Despite undergoing a four-hour procedure following an acid attack, footballer Faisal Halim may require more surgery due to the extent of his injuries.

Selangor Football Association deputy president Shahril Mokhtar said the Malaysian national team winger and Selangor FC player underwent an initial procedure on the night of the attack on May 5, but would need at least a second operation.

Mr Faisal is now being treated for fourth-degree burns instead of second-degree burns, which was the initial assessment. 

Datuk Seri Shahril said: “We met him at the first hospital. He could talk, but only in soft and low tones.

“The club then transferred him to our panel hospital, which said he needed another operation due to the condition of his skin.

“At about noon on Monday, we were told he had fourth-degree burns, not second-degree.”

Mr Shahril added that Mr Faisal’s condition was stable but not good.

“It is quite bad. He can’t feel his left arm. There will be a second surgery or even more,” he said.

He also said Mr Faisal is unable to communicate clearly after the surgery and will be in the intensive care unit (ICU) for 10 days.

“He is feeling stiff, unable to talk well,” Mr Shahril said, adding that the player, who is fondly known as “Mickey”, will need to be hospitalised for at least three to four weeks.

Mr Faisal was splashed with acid at a shopping mall in Kota Damansara in Petaling Jaya. A man in his 20s has been arrested and the reason behind the attack is still unknown.

A second suspect was detained on May 6.

Separately, on May 2, national team winger and Terengganu player Akhyar Rashid was assaulted and robbed near his residence in Kuala Terengganu. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK