KUALA LUMPUR: Retired national striker Safee Sali broke his silence and cleared the air by addressing claims made by his ex-wife, Fitria Elfina Maharip.
In a statement today, Safee, who was part of Malaysia's 2010 AFF Cup-winning team, said the matter is still in legal proceedings and has not concluded.
"Fitria left the house with the kids without my permission on Feb 6. Now, there are a couple of ongoing proceedings at the Kuala Selangor Syariah Lower Court, related to custody and divorce matters, and they have not been resolved.
"I have filed an interim Hadanah case with the Shah Alam Syariah High Court to gain temporary custody of my children. The interim Hadanah case seeks to address custody issues until a final decision is made by the court.
"This is because Fitria is an Indonesian citizen while our children are Malaysians. The difference in citizenship requires a comprehensive and detailed court order to ensure the children's safety," said Safee.
Safee urges portals and social media platforms to stop speculating and making baseless claims until the Syariah Court has made a decision.
"This is to ensure there aren't any doubts, reactions or confusions from my fans and the public in general.
"I humbly request for everyone to give us room and privacy to settle the matter amicably and peacefully," said Safee.
On Monday, Fitria claimed she was mentally tortured and missed her two children, Shania Safina (seven years old) and Shanika Salsabila (nine), whom Safee supposedly took away on Feb 6.
Fitria claimed that Safee had cited his intention to divorce in a voice note. The story has gone viral since then.