Sabah pulls out of co-hosting SEA Games due to lack of proper facilities, Hannah Yeoh tells Parliament

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 22): The Sabah state government has pulled out of co-hosting the 2027 SEA Games, said Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.

Free Malaysia reported that Yeoh told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday that the Sabah government, which had earlier agreed to co-host the games with an allocation of RM100.52 million, has decided to withdraw due to a lack of proper facilities.

With the total cost to hold the games estimated at RM700 million, Yeoh reiterated that the Sarawak and Penang governments have committed to allocate RM365 million and RM15 million respectively to co-host the games.

The costs of holding the 2027 SEA Games will be jointly borne by the federal government, relevant state governments and corporate bodies, she said when replying to a parliamentary question by Chow Kon Yeow (PH-Batu Kawan), who is also Penang Chief Minister, who asked about the allocations that have been set aside for the SEA Games.

Yeoh added that the ministry would hold further discussions with the private and corporate sectors to get them as sponsors.

She previously announced that the Sabah had offered to cover RM100 million to co-host the games.

However, Sabah Finance Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun later said the state government had yet to make any financial commitment involving the games given its inadequate sports facilities.

On Sept 5, the Sabah Cabinet had unanimously agreed to consider co-hosting the 2027 edition of the regional games.