KUALA LUMPUR – The Selangor government should be blamed for the current condition of the Shah Alam Stadium
Kami Prihatin Selangor chairman Datuk Ahmad Mua’adzam Shah Ya’akop took the state to task for the poor management of the stadium, saying the lack of maintenance has reduced the stadium to its former glorious self.
“The maintenance cost each year is already known, it is around RM2 million, yet it has been put aside until things have become so bad.
“This shows that there is weakness in the state’s finance management,” he said at a gathering of 20 Selangor FC fans and residents who want the stadium saved.
Mua’adzam added that the Selangor MB needs to heed the surrounding residents’ voices as the plan affects their comfort in the area.
“If there are plans for redevelopment, you need to sort out the people’s issues first. It has become a flood-prone area, and traffic congestion is getting worse in the area. The MB needs to pay attention.”
Incidentally, an LRT Station is to be opened beside the stadium as part of the LRT 3 alignment.
The gathering was organised by the Save Shah Alam Stadium Committee, which was formed on July 6 after Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said there is a proposal to tear down the Shah Alam Stadium and replace it with a new facility.
The Committee said it submitted a memorandum to the Selangor MB on July 7 to object to the proposal.
The proposal to demolish the stadium also involves building a smaller 30,000 to 40,000 capacity venue, and a mixture of high-density commercial and residential projects.
Also speaking at the gathering was former Shah Alam mayor Datuk Salamon Selamat, who said the redevelopment plan goes against the Town and Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172), as no public hearing has been conducted to proceed with the proposal.
“Based on the act, any suggestions and plans to change an area from recreational to commercial, has to have a public hearing so that residents in the area can voice their approval or disapproval of the suggestion.”
However, the public hearing process is expected to take place after the menteri besar announces more details later this week.
Previously, The Vibes visited the stadium to find that it has become a shell of its former glory with its future left hanging.
Tournaments and events such as concerts have been bypassing the stadium due to its condition which includes the now-famous water-logged football pitch, aerial pictures of which had gone viral. – The Vibes, July 11, 2022.
