PORT KLANG – Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has confirmed that she only received two application letters from the state governments of Kedah and Perak for allocations to upgrade stadium football pitches to Zeon Zoysia grass.
However, she said the ministry needed some time to go through the contents of the letters.
“A second meeting with the relevant state executive councillors from all states will be held in the near future to get the latest feedback from them on whether they are still interested or reject the offer made by the ministry (on changing stadium pitches to the new type of grass).
“They (the state governments of Kedah and Perak) are ready because they have already sent in applications to change (pitches) to Zeon Zoysia grass. However, we will still (hold) a meeting with the state excos to get their decision regarding the ownership of the grass,” she told reporters after a meeting with the Malaysian Cricket Association (MCA) here yesterday.
Yeoh said the states interested need to ensure that initial maintenance such as ensuring that the pitch infrastructure is in good condition is carried out before the matching grant funds are handed over to them.
In January, the Youth and Sports Ministry offered allocations through matching grant funds to all state youth and sports executive councillors to upgrade the football pitches to the Zeon Zoysia-type grass on one selected stadium with the annual maintenance to be borne by the respective state governments.
In other developments, Yeoh said she was aware of the problem of MCA not having a permanent training ground at the moment and thanked Sime Darby Properties for offering the parent body to conduct training at the Bayuemas Oval in Klang, starting in August last year.
“Sports is non-profit so it is difficult for them to find their own funds and their focus should be on the issue of sports development but when there are no infrastructure facilities it is difficult for them (to focus).
“So I appreciate the corporate side that helped and this time the ministry does have a budget increase, and I thank Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for helping sports get more attention,” she said.
Meanwhile, MCA president Mohammed Iqbal Ali Kassim Ali said that he hoped that the national cricket squad will have a “permanent home” in case its desire to be at Bayuemas Oval for good does not materialise, besides hoping that corporate bodies would come forward to help and cooperate with them.
“We hope to find a solution whether we can be here for good. I hope the Youth and Sports Ministry would be with us and support us, but unfortunately for the last few years, we didn’t get that kind of support. But I am sure the minister will help us to get through this tough time,” he said.
On June 30 last year, MCA had to say goodbye to their beloved ground at Kinrara Oval, Puchong after 18 years of operating there. – Bernama, March 30, 2023
