Cover image via The Borneo Post & Hannah Yeoh (Facebook)
Sabah Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun has denied claims that the state has agreed to co-host the 2027 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games or made any financial commitment towards the event
Masidi said the state government has not made any financial promises and is not prepared to serve as a co-host due to the need for significant improvements in Sabah's sporting infrastructure.
"The state Cabinet meeting yesterday, 4 September, 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 need to be improved," he posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Mesyuarat Kabinet Kerajaan Sabah hari ini mengesahkan tidak pernah membuat sebarang komitment kewangan bagi penganjuran Sukan SEA 2027. Kerajaan Sabah juga belum bersedia menjadi “co-host” kerana kemudahan2 sukan di Sabah masih perlu dipertingkatkan. https://t.co/1gkOkgRNeT
— Masidi Manjun (@MasidiM) September 4, 2024The rebuttal comes in response to Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh's recent announcement that Malaysia will host the 2027 SEA Games, with Penang, Sabah, and Sarawak selected as venues
According to Yeoh, Sarawak has agreed to cover 50% of the estimated RM700 million cost, while Sabah and Penang were set to contribute RM100 million and RM15 million, respectively.
However, Masidi's statement contradicts these figures, raising questions about the state's involvement.
Read more about Yeoh's statement here:
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