Attending football matches are supposed to be an exciting event for all attendees, but sometimes it can turn ugly if fans become unruly and forces the authorities to step in.
The Johor Military Force (JMF) was recently thrown into the spotlight after a 30-year-old man claimed that he was brutally assaulted by several JMF members while watching the FA Cup Final at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium.
For those who don’t know, the JMF is an independent military force in Johor and serves as the private royal guard of the Johor Sultan.
Aside from that, they are also responsible for keeping the royal family safe and work together with the Malaysian Armed Forces if emergencies or armed conflicts break out.
All caught in 4K
According to Malay Mail, the incident took place during the FA Cup Final match between Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) and KL City on July 22.
The entire incident was also captured by an attendee and shared to Facebook by a user named Makcik Kiah, which has gone viral and garnered 1.3 million views.
In the clip, several JMF personnel were seen talking to several spectators, possibly to identify the man and single him out.
They then moved to another section of the stadium and dragged some men off from their seats as the rest cheered them on in the background.
In another clip widely shared on Twitter, it showed some JMF officers stomping and kicking the man at the back of the stadium. (Viewer discretion is advised)
A source has shared a video clip of the assault which has been widely shared. pic.twitter.com/b55lLP5rfm
— Syed Jaymal Zahiid🌹 (@SyedJymalZahiid) July 24, 2023
Man lodges police report against JMF
The incident was later confirmed by Iskandar Puteri district police chief Rahmat Ariffin, who said that the victim lodged a police report at 11:50am the next day.
According to him, he alleged that he was assaulted by JMF personnel and is currently receiving treatment at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Hospital (HUKM) in Kuala Lumpur.
FMT reported that a doctor confirmed that the victim sustained “suffered a broken nose, bleeding in the head and right eye as well as bruises all over the body”.
The case is currently investigated under Section 326 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing severe injury with a weapon or dangerous object and witnesses are encouraged to come forward should they have further information.
Johor Exco defends use of force
When asked to respond towards the incident, state Youth, Sports, Entrepreneurial Development, Cooperatives and Human Resources Committee chairman Mohd Hairi Mad Shah came to the JMF’s defense, saying that their actions had prevented the situation from spiraling out of control.
“The quick action by the authorities was timely to control the provocation and avoid a fight from happening. We have to thank the authorities because they managed to intervene in the situation (and avoid it) from getting out of control,” he said.
He also said that safety is of utmost priority and that “any form of provocation is not welcome”.
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