KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia Stadium Corporation chief executive officer Faidz Sanusi has assured football fans that safety precautions were taken to ensure the pitch at Bukit Jalil National Stadium was not damaged after the Billie Eilish concert on Thursday night.
Speaking to The Vibes, Faidz said maintenance work started right after the concert in preparation for the FA Cup final on September 10.
“In the next three weeks, we will prepare the pitch for the final between Terengganu FC (TFC) and Johor Darul Ta’zim. Both teams have visited the stadium and were satisfied with the condition of the pitch.”
He said the remedial work will be done, such as grass cutting, levelling, ventilating and fertilising the pitch.
Faidz added that the Malaysian Football League had requested for repair works to be halted temporarily for the FA Cup final as it was a matter of national interest.
Despite being closed for upgrade work since June 15, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu said the national stadium would have no issue with hosting the match next month.
The decision came after appalling conditions during Malaysia’s 2023 Asian Cup Qualifiers match against Bahrain on June 11.
Faidz added that the Billie Eilish concert organisers had booked the stadium before its temporary closure.
“It is a multipurpose stadium, the grass that is currently used (axonopus compressus) is resistant to events other than football.”
He said revenue gained from concerts such as this and Justin Bieber’s show on October 22 helps pay for maintenance costs and upgrades.
Faidz added that the same safety precautions will be taken once the new RM1.5 million Zeon Zoysia grass field gifted by Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim is installed at the national stadium. – The Vibes, August 20, 2022
