I would like to commend the initiative by the Youth and Sports Minister YB Hannah Yeoh and the Ministry (KBS) to ensure stadiums in Malaysia have good football fields.
During a discussion with the Minister in Johor Bahru recently, I mentioned that the cost of a good football field is not more than RM1million. I suggested if KBS could help Malaysian football by providing good fields in all 14 states and for it to be maintained by football teams using it because the pitch is among the fundamentals of the sport. I was delighted when YB Hannah agreed.
Yet when I asked around, I received information that some teams were not interested and unwilling to spend to maintain the pitch despite it being so important. Poor football fields here is also the reason why our neighbours such as Thailand, Vietnam and such get to host international competitions and we don’t.
The maintenance cost is only approximately RM240,000. Can’t you even maintain the field when you’re getting it for free on top of the millions of Ringgit in budget yearly? This is the consequence when there are football owners or presidents who have no interest or love towards football and are only in the football industry for personal gains.
HRH Major General Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, Crown Prince of Johor
Hidup Johor Demi Johor