Is the iconic Shah Alam stadium turning into a ‘white elephant’?

KUALA LUMPUR – What has happened to the iconic Shah Alam stadium, which was once regarded as a state-of-the-art facility?

Constructed for a total cost of RM480 million in the early 1990s, the stadium and its surrounding facilities now look more like a structure battered by natural elements. 

The roof structure remains tattered with missing panels, with no sign of any repair works being done in the vicinity of the stadium.

The surrounding area seems more fit to be featured in an “abandoned places” video than a sports facility that is “under repair”.

Ticketing booths have not seen any action since the Malaysian Football League (MFL) barred the stadium from hosting matches due to safety concerns.

Connected to the main stadium structure is a furniture bazaar that operates on weekdays. Although there seems to be no waiting customers or anyone operating it, the shutters remain open.

Recently, Indonesian team PSM Makassar had their training session at the Shah Alam Mini Stadium next door ahead of their AFC Cup match against KL City.

‘Under state management’

The stadium falls under the care of Darul Ehsan Facilities Management (DEFM), which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI).

Previously, the facility was closed for more than nine months in 2013 to make way for maintenance work that cost about RM140 million. But not long after the maintenance work was completed, the stadium again deteriorated in 2020.

According to a news report in August 2020, the repair works for the Shah Alam Stadium would cost up to RM250 million.

It was understood that Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari was reported as saying two years ago that replacing the polycarbonate roof alone would cost RM30 million and would take four to six months, while the total repair cost for the now 28-year-old stadium could reach RM250 million.

So, the Selangor football team was asked to temporarily move to the Petaling Jaya City Council stadium to play their home matches while waiting for the Shah Alam stadium to be ready by mid-2022.

It is already mid-2022 and Selangor still plays their home matches in Petaling Jaya while the Shah Alam Stadium is still left to rot.

It has been two years, and only silence from the state government. What is going to be the fate of the second-largest stadium in the country?

When The Vibes contacted Shah Alam stadium special committee member and former state Public Works Department director Datuk Ruslan Abdul Aziz, he said there will be an announcement by the menteri besar on the fate of the stadium on July 25 during a Rancangan Selangor Satu event.

“We need to wait for the menteri besar’s announcement.”

However, there was no reply from the menteri besar or his office when asked about the stadium.

With a 80,000-seating capacity, it is the second largest stadium in Malaysia behind the slightly newer Bukit Jalil National Stadium which holds 87,411 seats and was completed in July 1998 with a construction cost doubling that of the Shah Alam stadium.

Located west of Kuala Lumpur, the Shah Alam stadium has played host to multiple major sporting and non-sporting events. Bayern Munich, Leeds United and the Australian Olympic football team played there during the 1994 Mitsubishi Shah Alam Invitational Championship.

Among the big names who stepped onto the pitch was French legend Jean-Pierre Papin who was playing for Bayern Munich.

The late Selangor legend Anuar Abu Bakar was the first local player to score in the stadium during the opening match against Scotland’s Dundee United.

Legendary American rock band Bon Jovi even made their Malaysian debut at the stadium in May 1995. – The Vibes, June 25, 2022