Award-winning journalist Haresh Deol, who has been reporting extensively on the ‘doctored documents’ scandal involving seven so-called “heritage players” alleged to have obtained Malaysian citizenship fraudulently, was attacked in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, about 3.30pm today.
He had just concluded a meeting and was walking towards his car when he noticed two burly men loitering nearby.
Sensing trouble, Haresh ran but was knocked down by a third man who was at the scene. He fell to the ground as the two men attacked him. The man who knocked him down used his mobile phone to record the assault.
The attackers fled immediately, and no belongings were taken.
Haresh, the co-founder and editor of Twentytwo13, subsequently lodged a police report at the Brickfields District Police Headquarters and will undergo a medical examination.
Both his elbows were left bloodied, and he suffered bruising to his nose.
Twentytwo13 co-founder and managing editor Pearl Lee urged the authorities to investigate the matter thoroughly.
“Haresh is a respected and well-known journalist, and this incident marks the first such attack in his 25-year career. The assault on him is not only a personal attack but also an attack on Twentytwo13, an attack on journalism and the Malaysian media industry,” said Pearl.
She called for swift action and justice.
National Press Club president Datuk Ahirudin Attan also strongly condemned the assault on Haresh, who is his deputy.
“The attack on Haresh is cowardly and feudal,” said Ahirudin.
“The NPC calls on the police to investigate without fear or favour. There must not be another NFA (no further action) like the acid attack on the footballer. Come down hard on whoever are behind these barbaric attacks before someone gets killed.
“If this attack is an attempt to scare off journalists, it must be dealt with seriously. The media is an institution like the police force and the royalty. We need to safeguard it at all cost.”
“I urge the police to investigate the case without fear. We need to get to the bottom of this incident. It is not just about one person, but about the media institution.”
Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm) also condemned the assault in the strongest terms, calling for an immediate and transparent investigation. The media group, which advocates for press freedom, emphasised that acts of violence and intimidation against journalists threaten the fundamental principles of democracy and press freedom.
“Physical attacks on journalists not only endanger individual safety but also undermine the public’s right to accurate and pressure-free information,” Geramm said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Media Council (MMC) said it takes the reports regarding Haresh’s assault seriously.
The council said the nature of the attack – including the actions of a third individual who recorded the incident – suggests that it was planned rather than random.
“The MMC trusts that the authorities will conduct a proper, fair, and professional investigation. The public is urged to refrain from unnecessary speculation while awaiting the findings,” said the Council.
“The MMC expresses deep concern over any form of violence or intimidation directed at media personnel. Such actions, regardless of motive, have broader implications for media freedom and the ability of journalists to carry out their duties independently, safely, and ethically.”
The MMC stressed that:
• The safety of media personnel is fundamental to a free and responsible media ecosystem. All parties are urged to respect journalists’ working environments and avoid actions that may compromise their safety.
• Any incident that obstructs journalistic work has consequences for the public interest, as it undermines the delivery of accurate, independent information to society.
• As the media industry’s self-regulatory body, the MMC remains committed to upholding safety standards, professionalism, and integrity within the sector.
The council added: “The MMC also stands in solidarity with Haresh and the wider community of journalists who continue to serve in the interest of truth and the public.”
Haresh was reporting on the Football Association of Malaysia’s (FAM) claim that seven foreign-born players – Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomás Garcés, Rodrigo Julián Holgado, Imanol Javier Machuca, João Vitor Brandão Figueiredo, Jon Irazábal Iraurgui, and Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano – qualified to represent Malaysia through grandparents purportedly born in the country.
World football’s governing body, Fifa, permits players to represent the nation of their grandparents’ birth.
However, on Sept 25, Fifa’s Disciplinary Committee imposed sanctions on FAM and the seven players for breaches of Article 22 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code relating to forgery and falsification.
Although FAM denied any wrongdoing, Fifa’s Appeal Committee released its full report on Nov 18, calling on the world body’s secretariat to launch an immediate formal investigation into FAM’s internal operations.
“As an initial focus, the investigation must examine the role of the FAM secretary-general (Datuk Noor Azman Rahman) and that of two licensed Fifa agents named in these proceedings – Nicolás Puppo and Frederico Moraes. Their involvement raises serious concerns that merit thorough scrutiny,” the report stated.
