Khairy hopes Vietnamese government will ensure safety of Malaysian fans

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has expressed hope that the Vietnamese authorities would look into speculated allegations of threats against Malaysian football supporters, ahead of the second leg of the AFF Suzuki Cup semi-final in Hanoi tonight.

"We've heard of threats on our supporters and I have conveyed our concern and hopes to our counterparts in Vietnam to look into this seriously so as to ensure the safety of our players and officials," he said at a press conference after a visit to the Labuan Sports Complex, here, today.

During the match between Malaysia and Vietnam last Sunday, a group of Malaysian fans attacked the visiting supporters after the national team conceded its second goal and lost in the match.

Photographs of the brawl, which left several Vietnamese supporters injured, went viral.

The Asean Football Federation (AFF) has since issued the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) a show-cause letter over the fracas.

This was the second case of crowd trouble during an international match this year.

Police have identified 15 people involved in the scuffle and five have been questioned and released.

Ten more individuals, also believed to be involved in the crowd trouble, are being sought after to assist in the investigation.

The Vietnamese government has assured the safety of Malaysian fans during the second leg of the AFF Suzuki Cup semi-final match at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi.

The Vietnamese ambassador to Malaysia, Pham Cao Phong was reported as saying that Malaysian fans should not fear attending the match although the Dec 7 fracas, which happened during the first leg at the Shah Alam Stadium, was regrettable.

"But, we (had) received a phone call from Khairy Jamaluddin (Youth and Sports Minister), (and) during the talk, we spoke about it. We guarantee that when Malaysians come to Vietnam, they are welcome," he had said.