KUALA LUMPUR – The hosting of a concert by UK rock band Muse at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium this Saturday will not affect the current replacement of the pitch with Zeon Zeoysia grass.
Perbadanan Stadium Malaysia (PSM) chief executive officer Mohd Faidz Sanusi said the new grass has not been planted and the surface of the pitch, which is covered in sand, will be protected with a cover throughout the concert.
“It is not affected (the grass replacement process), there is no more grass, only the drainage system has been done.
“After the end of the Muse concert, the contractor will start planting new grass from August 1 and it will take two weeks,” he said at the Kuala Lumpur Sports City (KLSC) 25th anniversary celebration press conference here last night.
Muse, which became popular through the songs Time Is Running Out, Supermassive Black Hole and Starlight, rocked Stadium Negara through its debut concert in Malaysia in 2007.
The band is back this Saturday with its Will of The People World Tour 2023.
Meanwhile, Faidz expects the grass replacement to be completed by the end of September and the pitch will then be used for the Pestabola Merdeka tournament this October.
Besides the Harimau Malaya (Malaysia’s national team), the Pestabola Merdeka, which is being organised again after a 10-year hiatus, will involve India, Palestine and Lebanon as the main challengers to the Kim Pan Gon-led squad.
At the same time, Faidz said the construction of the nursery next to the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium had also reached a progress level of more than 50%.
“Before, if the pitch was damaged we would fix it near the stadium ourselves, but after this we can remove the damaged patch and replace it with a new one from the nursery.”
PSM chairman Datuk Hans Isaac is leaving it to the contractor to determine the appropriate time for the pitch to be ready for use after the grass replacement process has been installed.
The planting of Zeon Zoysia grass since last April to replace the existing Cow Grass, is deemed more suitable for the weather and climate in this country. The pitch replacement is estimated to cost up to RM1.4 million and is sponsored by Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.
SNBJ previously used Bermuda Greenless Park grass from 1998-2005, Marimo Seashore Paspalum with Zoysia Material (2005-2013), and Bermuda Mountain Green with Princess (2013-2015). – July 26, 2023