Earlier today, Brickfields police chief Hoo Chang Hook said police had arrested a man believed to be involved in the assault, adding that the attack had a personal motive.

Haresh thanked the police for their professional handling of the case, but said he did not agree that he was assaulted over a “personal issue”.

“I would like to ask: whose personal issue is at play here? I want to reiterate that I do not have personal issues with anyone,” he said during a podcast.

“What are the suspect’s personal issues with me?

“As a journalist, I am supposed to be writing news, not become the news. But what happened was the exact opposite.”

Haresh, co-founder of the Twentytwo13 news website, was reportedly assaulted by two men in Bangsar yesterday afternoon, sustaining injuries to his face, hands and body.

The sports journalist, who is also the deputy president of the National Press Club, has spent 25 years reporting on governance and accountability.

He co-founded Twentytwo13 with Pearl Lee and has recently focused on investigative reporting in Malaysian sports, particularly governance issues and the national football team’s naturalisation scandal.

The Football Association of Malaysia has issued a statement condemning the attack, saying it opposes any form of violence, intimidation or threats against anyone, including journalists who play an “important role in the national sports ecosystem”.

The assault was also condemned by several organisations, notably Persatuan Penulis Berbilang Bahasa (PEN Malaysia), which described the incident as an attempt to silence a journalist reporting on matters of public interest.

The attack is being investigated under Section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt.