Sarawak Stadium set for major upgrade ahead of 2027 SEA Games

KUCHING (Dec 12): The Sarawak Stadium will undergo a major facelift starting next month as part of preparations for the 2027 SEA Games, said Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

The State Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development said the upgrading works are scheduled to begin in January, following the federal government’s decision to hold the SEA Games opening ceremony in Kuching.

“The main one will be the Sarawak Stadium because the Malaysian government has agreed that the opening ceremony will be held in Kuching at the Sarawak Stadium,” he said.

Abdul Karim added that the contractor for the project is expected to be appointed before the end of the year.

“In January they will start work, and it has to be completed at least by June 2027 because the SEA Games will be held in September 2027,” he told a press conference at Bangunan Baitulmakmur II.

He added that preparations are progressing smoothly.

“Our facilities are so far, so good. The main organising committee led by Datu Hii Chang Kee is the same team entrusted with hosting Sukma last year, although this time the responsibility is much bigger.

“The Cabinet has also approved a budget to upgrade all the facilities. There are two budgets — one for organising and the other for upgrading. It’s going to be quite costly, but what we want is for the event to be organised successfully and for athletes, officials and visitors in 2027 to have a good experience,” he said.

He noted that Thailand handled the event well overall, despite Cambodia’s withdrawal from the ceremony, which he described as a political matter.

Abdul Karim said Sarawak’s delegation, including representatives from TVS, the State Ministry of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development, and the Sarawak Sports Corporation, closely observed Thailand’s secretariat setup and operations.

“There were many good experiences we can learn from and apply in 2027 when we host the event in Sarawak,” he added.