KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia Stadium Corporation has assured the public that the Bukit Jalil National Stadium pitch is playable, despite complaints from football teams Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (JDT) and Terengganu FC for the poor condition.
Their complaints come ahead of the Malaysia Cup Finals between the teams which will be held at the stadium tomorrow night.
Speaking to Scoop, Stadium Corp chief executive officer Mohd Faidz Sanusi said recovery works were being done to mend the pitch to address the aftermath of the November 22 Coldplay concert.
However, he admitted that the time constraint due to constant rain in the Bukit Jalil area halted their efforts to get the field to optimum levels.
“After the end of the Coldplay concert, there was work done to mend the pitch but we faced challenges. One of them is the daily rain at the stadium which disrupted the work to fix the pitch.
“But my team worked with the contractors to get the playing surface to be playable for the Malaysia Cup final tomorrow night.
“It is the best we can do with the time constraint that we were under,” he said when contacted.
Earlier, the Stadium Corp released a statement apologising to the Malaysia Football League (MFL) as organisers of the Malaysia Cup, as well as to Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (JDT), Terengganu FC, and football fans for the condition of the pitch.
“(We) did not have enough time to repair and return the pitch to optimum levels after Coldplay’s concert on November 22.
“(We are) committed to improving the standard operation procedure for the management of events at the National Stadium going forward,” read the statement.
Meanwhile, MFL chief executive Datuk Stuart Ramalingam refrained from commenting on the matter.
“Let’s focus on the finals tomorrow and make the best of it,” he told Scoop.
On Monday, Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, who is also the owner of JDT, chided Stadium Corp chairman Datuk Hans Isaac for the condition of the pitch, which was undergoing repair works.
As the match approaches, the Stadium Corp encourages fans to use public transport due to the concurrent Madani government’s first anniversary programme in the surrounding area of the national stadium. – December 7, 2023