KLANG, Dec 11 — The conferment of an honorary title in conjunction with the 79th birthday celebration of the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, is just the tonic for Selangor FC winger Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim to move forward after falling victim to an acid attack in May.

Although surprised by the honour, Mohamad Faisal, better known as Faisal Halim, said it had strengthened his resolve to continue his football career and perform at his best, as he did before.

"During the award ceremony, Sultan Sharafuddin advised me to work hard, never give up and keep moving forward. His Royal Highness also offered words of encouragement.

"This honour is certainly a boost to my career. It’s not a title for me to boast about but rather a personal inspiration to rejoin the Selangor team with renewed determination,” he said to reporters after the investiture of state awards and medals in conjunction with the 79th birthday of Selangor Sultan at Istana Alam Shah here today.

Faisal Halim, who was conferred the Darjah Kebesaran Ahli-Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah (A.I.S.), was among 94 individuals receiving state awards, honours and medals.

The player, known as Mickey, revealed that he was informed about the award two months ago but, due to a packed training schedule and representing the Red Giants in several matches, he was unable to attend any of the rehearsals for the ceremony.

Speaking about his condition, Faisal Halim shared that he is recovering well, although he still has limited movement due to burns on parts of his body.

"I’m just waiting for the right time to play my normal game. I need to get back to playing to improve my condition. Nothing can hinder me now. I can do everything,” he said.

On May 5, the 26-year-old, whose goal in the 3-3 draw with South Korea in a group match was voted the best goal of the 2023 Asian Cup, became a victim of an acid attack at a shopping centre in Kota Damansara that left him with fourth-degree burns on several parts of his body. — Bernama