SHAH ALAM: The Selangor government will leave it completely to the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) and the 2026 Selangor Malaysia Games (SUKMA) Supreme Committee to decide on the hosting of the Games in August.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said any decision related to SUKMA must be made at the central level, in line with the existing governance structure, in addition to ensuring the preparation of athletes is not affected ahead of the 2027 SEA Games, which is the main focus of the state’s sport development.
“SUKMA will be decided by the SUKMA Supreme Committee. It won’t be determined by the state government. I believe the KBS (Youth and Sports) Minister (Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari) will make the best decision possible.
“The most important thing is that our athletes’ preparation for the 2027 SEA Games is not affected, because SUKMA is one of the platforms for us to identify athletes’ capabilities. We will take a holistic look after hearing inputs from the state executive councillors,” he told a media conference after attending the ‘Tautan Muhibah’ event organised by the Menteri Besar Selangor Incorporated (MBI Selangor) at the Setia City Convention Centre (SCCC) here on Monday (Apr 20).
Elaborating, Amirudin said he has taken note of the views of all parties, including the results of the debate at the State Legislative Assembly, before any stance is finalised, to ensure a balanced and comprehensive decision is made.
He said that the financial implications are among the important considerations, given the initial expenses incurred, and the risk of loss if the decision is changed at the final stage of implementation.
“We will gather all views, including from the debates in the state assembly, and previous findings, because this issue has been raised before, including the amount spent and the risk of losing deposits if it is discontinued.
“The decision needs to be made comprehensively because even though we want to save costs, it cannot be based on logic alone but must be based on reality and the interests of the people,” he said.
Earlier, the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, expressed his view that the hosting of the 2026 Selangor SUKMA should be postponed until the crisis in West Asia is over and until the reconstruction of the Shah Alam Stadium is fully completed.
The 2026 Selangor SUKMA is scheduled to be held from Aug 15 to 24.
Meanwhile, MBI Selangor Group chief executive officer Datuk Saipolyazan M. Yusop said the Shah Alam Sports Complex (KSSA) development project has achieved 8.2 per cent progress, with initial works, including site clearance and earthworks, underway.
“Insya-Allah, in May or June, there will be piling works and more activities will take place at the site, and Insya-Allah, in May 2028, the stadium will be completed. As His Royal Highness said earlier, maybe SUKMA will be held when the stadium is ready. Insya-Allah, we will be ready in 2029,” he said.
In another development, Amirudin said the Selangor government is also paying attention to flood management, which has shown significant improvement following the implementation of several mitigation measures previously.
He added that cooperation with Dutch water management experts would continue in May in line with the Sultan of Selangor’s decree, and joint efforts with the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA) would be strengthened to address flood issues more comprehensively and effectively. – BERNAMA
