KUALA LUMPUR – After spending RM1.6 billion to upgrade the Bukit Jalil National Stadium Complex, the Youth and Sports Ministry now wants to spend billions more to relocate the sports complex to Sepang.
Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu is expected to present his plan to the cabinet at its weekly meeting tomorrow.
It is unclear why the ministry wants to relocate the complex – now known as KL Sports City – following its reopening in 2017 after a massive two-year upgrade project for the South East Asia (SEA) Games.
However, it is understood that a developer has set its sights on the land occupied by the sports complex for a mixed development project.
It is also understood that Faizal is to propose a new site close to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), with land belonging to Malaysia Airports Bhd (MAHB) as an alternative.
However, MAHB chairman Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir expressed surprise at the news.
“I have not heard anything about this,” he said.
Incidentally, both Zambry and Faizal had served as menteri besar of Perak.
Relocating the sports facility will also mean relocating the Bukit Jalil Sports School, the National Sports Council, and the National Sports Institute.
A total of 730ha of what used to be the Bukit Jalil Estate was developed to construct the Bukit Jalil Sports Complex to host the 1998 Commonwealth Games.
The entire project cost the government almost RM2 billion, which included the National Stadium, National Hockey Stadium, National Squash Centre, and the Putra Indoor Stadium (now called the Axiata Arena).
To complement the sports complex, the government built the Bukit Jalil LRT station in order to provide easy access for the public to attend any sporting events and concerts.
Besides the Vista Komanwel Shopping Centre, the authorities also built a village for the athletes called Vista Commonwealth Condominiums (Vista Komanwel A & B), which were later converted into residential properties.
Apart from the 1998 Commonwealth Games, it also hosted the 2001 SEA Games, the 2007 Asian Cup, 2007 BWF World Championships, 1999 Hockey Asian Cup, 2002 Hockey World Cup and hosted football teams such as the Brazilian national team in 2002, Manchester United in 2009, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool in 2011.
In 2015, it was closed in stages for restoration in time for the 2017 SEA Games.
Relocating the KL Sports City to Sepang is expected to be unpopular with the public, due to its distance from the city and lack of cheap and efficient public transport.
“This move will also discourage event organisers from choosing KL Sports City as a venue, given that its distance would likely fail to draw large crowd numbers,” said a source with knowledge of the plans to relocate.
Take the Sepang International F1 circuit as an example. Even during high-profile events such as Formula One then, the venue still failed to attract large turnouts.
“Furthermore, if this relocation materialises, what will happen to the RM2 billion of taxpayers’ money which was pumped into the construction of the Sports Complex and also the RM1.6 billion spent by the government to refurbish and rebrand it?” he asked. – The Vibes, July 12, 2022
