KUALA LUMPUR – Sepang International Circuit (SIC) chief executive officer Azhan Shafriman Hanif sees the racetrack as a holistic venue for all and not just a playground for the rich.
Speaking at the SIC Open Day, Azhan said he wants to change the public’s costly perception of the iconic circuit.
“Maybe because they think of big events like Formula 1, and they think that coming to SIC is expensive.
“It is not just a venue for two-wheeled and four-wheeled activity, we have opened up the circuit for many running and cycling events.
“This year we will open up more event spaces with appropriate prices. We hope those that want to organise events will contact us.
“But the weekend slots for the year are already booked, we only have the weekdays available now,” he said.
However, Azhan noted that the Selangor entertainment tax is still a topic of discussion between the circuit and state government.
“We hope for either a full waiver or maybe the state could reduce the tax slightly.”
With the main event on the SIC calendar this year being the Malaysian MotoGP taking place on November 12, Azhan is hoping for an increase in attendance.
“Last year we had 164,000. Now we are targeting a 5% increase.
“We are hoping to bring in more tourists into the country and attend the race weekend in November,” he added.
Meanwhile, Azhan also said that the Terengganu state government is in talks with national rider Syarifuddin Azman’s team, ZK Racing, to get funding from the state to support their riders.
“We hope that the state government will support our local riders.
“We have very talented riders such as Hakim Danish who is from Terengganu and was the first Malaysian to win in the European Talent Cup,” he said.
SIC also announced the return of the Sepang 12 hours which is scheduled to take place from March 16 to 18 with free entry to the main grandstand. – The Vibes, February 21, 2023
