Journalists urged to skip Malaysian colours at Jakarta stadium amid security concerns
Malaysian reporters covering the Indonesia-Malaysia match at Jakarta's Gelora Bung Karno have been told not to wear Malaysian shirts because of safety worries.
Journalists traveling to Jakarta for the Malaysia-Indonesia FIFA Asean Cup group match have been instructed to avoid clothing that clearly identifies them as Malaysian, officials said. The advice stems from a 2019 World Cup qualifier in which a reporter at one outlet Arif and others were surrounded by thousands of angry Indonesian fans, forced into a room for two hours, and only allowed to leave under a heavy security escort.
Nazrin warned that wearing a Malaysia shirt could make reporters a target. Security arrangements this time include more than 5,000 personnel deployed around Gelora Bung Karno and at least two Barracuda vehicles on standby to transport the Malaysian team if needed. TVS correspondent David Andreas urged supporters to accept the result regardless of the outcome. Malaysia opened the tournament with a 3-0 victory over Bangladesh, while Indonesia defeated Singapore 2-0.
Why it matters
It highlights the heightened safety risks for media covering emotionally charged regional football matches.
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