KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government is unaware of any discussions regarding plans for the state to co-host the 2027 South-East Asian (SEA) Games.
Sabah Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun expressed surprise at the announcement made by federal Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh at the 2024 Subang Jaya Jiwa Merdeka Convoy last week, which mentioned a RM100mil pledge from Sabah to support the event.
“I am not aware of any RM100mil pledge,” Masidi said when met at the CGC Appreciation Night on Monday (Sept 2), clarifying that the state government had never made such a commitment.
Yeoh had stated that, in addition to Sabah, Sarawak and Penang would also co-host the international sporting event, contributing RM300mil and RM15mil, respectively, towards the overall cost of RM700mil.
The announcement has raised concerns within Sabah Umno, with the party arguing that the RM100mil could be more effectively used to address the state’s pressing infrastructure needs.
Libaran MP and state Umno information chief Datuk Suhaimi Nasir pointed out that beyond the RM100mil pledge, additional funds would be necessary to upgrade sports facilities to meet international standards for the games.
However, Masidi dismissed these concerns, reiterating that the state was not involved in any agreements or financial commitments related to the SEA Games.
“This issue (of spending) does not arise, as the state was not aware of this or made such a pledge,” said Masidi.
Efforts to contact Sabah Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ellron Angin for comment have so far been unsuccessful.
