KUALA LUMPUR – Former deputy sports minister Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal has pledged to discuss with the Kelantan state government ways to improve and expedite the process of constructing its sports infrastructure for the 2028 Sukma.
The east coast state, which was initially supposed to host the 2026 edition, saw its government opt to host the 2028 edition, citing the need for more time to prepare for the games.
It was reported in 2022 that the Kelantan state government required a total of RM411 million to host the multisport event.
The state government also received a RM276 million allocation last year from the federal government to build six sports facilities, which include the Bukit Merbau Sports Complex and the Madinah Al-Salam Aquatic Centre in Tunjong.
Recently, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh stated the ministry’s commitment to monitoring and ensuring that the sports facilities related to the 2028 Sukma in Kelantan are completed according to schedule by March 2026.
Hannah also stated that work had yet to begin on the RM180 million Bukit Merbau Sports Complex following the demolition of rocks, adding that the state government had yet to receive ownership of the site.
Speaking to Scoop, Wan Fayhsal, who is also Machang MP, said that the Kelantan state government should learn from other states in the country on how to construct their sports infrastructures.
“Definitely, I do have some experience from being in the sports ministry in the past, but I’m not an expert in sports planning. The Kelantan state government is very new to this as they haven’t hosted a prestigious sports tournament in some time.
“The Kelantan state government needs to learn and consult with other state governments that have hosted Sukma before so they know what to expect when they are ready to host the Sukma.
“The problem is that the Kelantan state government relies solely on the federal budget to construct infrastructure, so perhaps the federal government can consider some form of financial commitment or mechanism to ensure that both the state and federal governments have a stake in managing the sports infrastructure being built under the 12th Malaysia Plan.
“But that being said, I’m looking forward to contributing to the discussion with the state government on what aspects they can improve and how they can expedite the process of constructing the sports infrastructure,” said Wan Fayhsal when met.
In 2017, the Johor state government invested RM5 million–RM8 million in constructing a tennis complex in Nusa Duta, Skudai, for the 2020 Sukma, which was eventually postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The complex remains underutilised for tournaments, with few people playing tennis there despite a low rental rate of RM8 an hour for public use.
This year’s Sukma is scheduled to take place from August 17 to 24, with Sarawak hosting the prestigious event for the third time, with the last two times being in 1990 and 2016. – July 29, 2024