Malaysian victory over Indonesia in a World Cup qualifier last night quickly turned ugly at Jakarta’s Gerlora Bung Karno Stadium, when trouble erupted among fans.
In the stands, watching the drama unfold, was none other than our own bro Youth and Sports Minister, Syed Saddiq.
Sebentar tadi saya bersama penyokong2 Harimau Malaya menyaksikan Kelayakan Piala Dunia di Stadium Gelora Bung Karno. Objek besi,botol & suar dicampak kpd kami beberapa kali. pic.twitter.com/BxKscJvXsq
— Syed Saddiq (@SyedSaddiq) September 5, 2019
Posting to his ever-active Twitter account, bro Syed Saddiq wrote that Indonesian fans tied to “ram the Malaysian area, and the match had to be stopped temporarily.”
Bottles, flares, and other flying projectiles were seen being launched into the area that sat Malaysian fans, resulting in the minister and his team being absconded to an undisclosed area of the stadium over safety concerns.
Following the drama, Syed Saddiq told followers that the Football Association of Malaysia will be filing a formal complaint with FIFA, in addition to his own personal formal complaint with the Indonesian government.
https://twitter.com/TeamMsia/status/1169615715625627648
Not cool, bros. Not cool.
“This is sad, considering that the football industry was supposed to be a medium of unity. I promise I will demand justice for Malaysians,” he added.
Malula penyokong Indon. Takkan sampai bila-bila macam ni. Semoga semuanya selamat penyokong Malaysia.#HarimauMalaysia https://t.co/c7GbcJJ2Ze
— CAMILA LISA.MY (@camilaxlisa03) September 5, 2019
One Malaysian was confirmed to have been injured during the match.
A video of the football riot showed a Malaysian fan being carried out of the stadium on a stretcher has been shared across social media this morning.
Several Indonesian fans have responded to the Syed’s Twitter statements, apologizing for the behavior of the reprehensible few, saying that it was some fans only, with one user even posting a side-by-side photo of Malaysia and Indonesia fans together and smiling.
Some have even asked Malaysian ultras (violent, superfans) to keep their actions in check. Previous internationals matches have seen Malaysia issued fines over fan behavior, including unseemly chants about opponents.
Malaysia won the match, 3-2. Congrats, gentlemen!! Onwards, and upwards.
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