KUCHING: Sarawak is gearing up for its full involvement in the preparations for the 2027 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, including the opening ceremony set to be held in this city.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg expressed his appreciation as he confirmed that the federal government has already approved Kuching as the venue for the opening ceremony.
“As you know, we (federal and state government) have negotiated. The federal government has requested us to be a co-sponsor of the SEA Games, and I have agreed, but we also mentioned that we would like the opening ceremony to be held in Sarawak.
“Therefore, we will be busy in preparation for 2027 and we will manage the necessary venues and facilities across the state,” he said.
He said this in a press conference during the opening ceremony of the International Cricket Championship (ICC) Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 and the newly built Borneo Cricket Ground in Petra Jaya here today (Jan 18).
As preparation for the SEA Games, Abang Johari also called for excellence in sports.
“My colleagues and I in the Cabinet wish for the youth of Sarawak, in particular, and Malaysia, in general, to achieve excellence in this sport,” he said.
At the 2024 Malaysia Games (SUKMA) closing ceremony on Aug 24, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the government’s decision to designate Sarawak as a co-host for the SEA Games.
He said this followed Sarawak’s exceptional organisation of the nation’s biennial multi-sport event.
It was also previously reported in Sept 2024, Sarawak has submitted to the Ministry of Youth and Sports the list of sporting events to be held in the state in the 2027 SEA Games after which the state had been asked to choose half of the 36 sports contested in the biennial multi-sport event.
Later at the 2024 SUKMA Appreciation night on Oct 27, Abang Johari said the state government agreeing to co-host the SEA Games is a form of investment.
“For me, co-hosting the SEA Games is another form of investment, as we all know it would involve several countries and we want to share that our development extends beyond Sarawak’s borders, and even beyond Malaysia,” he said.
