KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s football association has recommended that players consider hiring bodyguards, while Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) have beefed up security for their squad after midfielder Safiq Rahim became the third player to be attacked over the last week.

Safiq, a former national team captain, had his car windscreen smashed by unknown assailants late on May 7.

He was not injured in the incident which happened following a training session with JDT, one of Asia’s top clubs run by the crown prince of the Johor royal family.

The 36-year-old midfielder posted on Instagram a photo of his black Honda with its rear windscreen smashed. “Didn’t expect to be attacked near the Johor Darul Takzim training centre. We need to be vigilant,” he wrote.

He also shared a copy of the police report in which he said: “Two men on a motorcycle suddenly approached my car armed with a hammer and smashed my rear car windscreen. I stopped the car and I was in fear.”

JDT called on police to investigate the attack on Safiq and said they had advised players to be cautious of their surroundings and about what they post on social media.

“The incident, together with the recent attacks on Akhyar Rashid and Faisal Halim, have no place in football,” JDT chief executive officer Alistair Edwards said in a statement on the team’s Facebook page.

He was referring to two other attacks on footballers in Malaysia within just a week, with the motives still under investigation.

Selangor FC winger Faisal is in the intensive care unit with fourth-degree burns after being splashed with acid over the weekend at a shopping mall in Petaling Jaya, outside the capital Kuala Lumpur.

Fellow national team player Akhyar was also injured in a robbery outside his home in the eastern state of Terengganu last week, it was reported.

Terengganu police have said both attacks were unrelated, but the incidents have sparked concern in Malaysia where violence against athletes is rare.

Football Association of Malaysia president Hamidin Mohamad Amin on May 7 urged high-profile footballers to take precautions about their personal safety, including hiring bodyguards.

“While not all players may have the financial means to hire bodyguards, it’s a sensible idea, especially for star players who may attract unwanted attention,” he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times daily.

Malaysia’s national football team achieved their highest ranking of 75th in 1993 and are now 138th. REUTERS, AFP