In a statement, the Malaysian Football League (MFL) said the decision was made after a meeting with club security chiefs to enhance security coordination for all Malaysian League matches this season.

“The safety of the players and fans has been assured by Johor police chief M Kumar, who announced that 1,500 police personnel will be on duty compared to the usual 500,” it said.

“They will conduct strict monitoring and checks during the match.”

As such, MFL said it had to reject Selangor FC’s (SFC) request to postpone the match due to concerns about team safety.

It also said that not only would the Charity Shield match proceed, but all matches scheduled for the first week would follow the predetermined schedule.

Recent weeks have witnessed three attacks on footballers, starting with Terengganu FC winger Akhyar Rashid who was attacked by two robbers last week upon returning from training.

SFC winger Faisal Halim was left in critical condition after being splashed with acid at a shopping mall on Sunday, while Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) midfielder Safiq Rahim had his car windscreen smashed by unknown assailants late on Tuesday.

In the same statement, MFL also expressed sympathy and regret over the incidents involving Akhyar, Faisal and Safiq.

“MFL takes a strong stance in condemning any form of violence against the players and hopes that this case can be thoroughly investigated by the authorities for further action,” he said.

“MFL never compromises on the safety of players and fans attending Malaysian League matches through the cooperation of the teams and local authorities.”