KUCHING: The Sarawak Stadium upgrading project is progressing ahead of schedule, with work reaching 33.65 per cent, or 2.86 percentage points ahead of the planned 30.79 per cent.
Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Sarawak, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, said the progress reflected the smooth pace of preparations for next year’s SEA Games, with the stadium among 11 facilities being upgraded for the Games.
“For the stadium here alone, the actual now is 33.65 per cent, ahead by 2.86 per cent. The planned one is 30.79 per cent, but the actual is 33.65 per cent.
“That means they are ahead of time,” he said during a press conference at the Sarawak Stadium’s upgrading project progress briefing and site visit today.
Abdul Karim said the contractor had also secured key materials for the works, including the aluminium facade, with supplies already on site.
“The contractor has got all those things in place here already. Whether it is the aluminium facade or even the items at the back there that we saw, they are all in place. That is welcoming news,” he added.
He said the overall upgrading programme was similarly on track, with close monitoring helping to keep the projects moving without major setbacks.
“There doesn’t seem to be any project that is very far behind; most of them are ahead of time,” he said.
The 11 facilities are the Sarawak Shooting Range, Sarawak Squash Centre, cricket and rugby grounds, Pandelela Rinong Aquatic Centre, Sarawak Archery, Pusat Petanque, Sarawak Stadium, Stadium Perpaduan, Lawn Bowls Arena, Wushu Training Centre and Sarawak Lawn Tennis.
Abdul Karim said the facilities would be completed progressively, with some expected by the end of this year and others by January, while the overall programme is targeted for completion by June, ahead of the SEA Games in September next year.
Also present during the press conference were Deputy State Secretary (Operations) and Chairman of the Sarawak Cluster Secretariat for the 2026 Malaysia SEA Games, Datuk Hii Chang Kee, and Sarawak Sports Corporation’s (SSC) Chief Executive Officer, Mu’azamir Jili.
