Disputing Hannah Yeoh, state minister says Sabah didn’t agree to co-host or pay for SEA Games

KOTA KINABALU (Sept 4): Sabah has not agreed to co-host the 2027 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games or committed to paying any part of the costs, said state Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun.

Masidi previously said he had no knowledge about the state government purportedly confirming to be one of three states hosting the game, at a cost of around RM100 million to Sabah.

“The state Cabinet meeting today confirmed it had never made any financial commitment towards the organising of the SEA Games 2027.

“The Sabah government is also not ready to be the co-host because the sporting facilities in the state still needs to be improved,” he said on X, formerly Twitter.

Last week, Youth and Sports Minister announced that Malaysia would be hosting the 2027 SEA Games, adding that Penang, Sabah, and Sarawak have agreed to be the venues for the various events.

Yeoh said the three were selected over those that were unwilling to share the cost of hosting the biennial games.

She said it would cost an estimated RM700 million to hold the entire tournament in Malaysia, with Sarawak agreeing to cover 50 per cent of the cost, while Sabah is offering RM100 million and Penang RM15 million.

Sarawak Youth, Sports And Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Hamzah previously said his state has submitted a list of sports they could host including swimming, diving, tenpin bowling, and shooting.

Penang has expressed its interest in hosting just one sport.

Typically, the SEA Games feature between 35 and 50 sports. – Malay Mail