PETALING JAYA: The failed assassination attempt on Malaysian Athletic Federation (MAF) vice-president Datuk Noorul Ariffin Abdul Majeed (pic) on New Year’s Eve could be linked to his involvement in sports associations.

It is learnt that Noorul Ariffin’s involvement in the sports fraternity has caused some uneasiness among several quarters, and that he had received a letter recently demanding that he resign from his positions in the associations.

Noorul Ariffin has also been the president of the Johor Amateur Athletics Federation since 2012.   

In the Wednesday night incident, 49-year-old Noorul Ariffin is believed to have been shot at least four times by two men on a motorcycle at his Bandar Rahman Putra house in Sungai Buloh.

Two of the bullets struck his leg while the rest hit his car.

The assailants sped off when Noorul Ariffin’s daughter screamed for help after the shooting.

He was rushed to the Sungai Buloh Hospital for treatment and was later transferred to Universiti Malaya Medical Centre.

Although police have yet to establish the motive, it is believed that his sports involvement was one of the key areas of police investigations.

When contacted, MAF president Datuk Karim Ibrahim said Noorul Ariffin was in stable condition and had spoken to the police about the shooting.

Karim said he had known Noorul Ariffin for about 30 years since they started running together for the Light Athletic Club in the 1980s.

Noorul Ariffin was a national 3,000m steeplechase runner who had represented Malaysia in several SEA Games.

He is also believed to own several restaurants.

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on January 2, 2015.