SHAH Alam Stadium once stood prominently as a ‘respectable venue’ for prestigious domestic and international football tournaments.
However, over the past few decades, the stadium has gradually lost its shine and is no longer able to hold football tournaments or sport activities due to safety factors.
Even our Red Giant team, which is a ‘loyal resident’ to the stadium, had no choice but to temporarily find new ground.
Although it is said that the Selangor state government spends around RM6 million per year just for the basic maintenance of the stadium, it is still not sufficient to cover even 5% of the actual maintenance and upkeep requirement.
The stadium is no longer able to accommodate the role it was built for in 1990.
What was once one of the most iconic buildings in Malaysia, is now in a state of despair.
Exacerbated by devastating floods, what fate will befall to the stadium if it continues to be left as it is?
As a Selangorian and a Shah Alam resident, I was very excited when the Selangor state government announced the proposal to redevelop the stadium, which would incorporate a public recreation park as one of its major components.
According to the state government, the reimagined Shah Alam Sports Complex (KSSA) will be materialised through a public-private partnership where the developer was given the Letter of Intent (‘LOI’) to submit proposals that can merge and fulfil the aspirations of the state government and the people of Selangor.
The proposal was open for public viewing early this year when the state government held its Sesi Libat Urus. The public was also invited to share their thoughts and suggestions.
According to the Menteri Besar of Selangor, KSSA will have a new international standard stadium with the capacity of 35,000 to 45,000 spectators.
60% of the complex area will be allocated for sports activities while the other 40% will be used as a public recreation space.
The future KSSA design will also address the existing issues at the area such as floods and traffic. It is a relief and a pleasant surprise to know that it will be linked to the upcoming LRT3 station.
This proposal is seen to bring major changes to the socio-economic situation and well-being of local people, especially in the nearby community.
It not only offers facilities for sports activities, but also a holistic complex for recreation, leisure and economic opportunities for the people, especially the youth.
With this in mind, the proposal provides better use of the whole area for immediate and future needs.
The current stadium structure has served its role. However, it would not be able to accommodate future needs and requirements. It is timely that today’s generation gives serious emphasis to focus on the needs of the future generation.
Observing social media, the average comments and views, in general, showed positive responses compared to when the proposal was first announced.
Those who were previously sceptical on the idea have already shown their support.
This is because it is a public-oriented project focusing not only on sports but also public well-being.
Critics of the project must be able to appreciate that the stadium cannot continue to function effectively in its current state.
To rile up the local community and stakeholders with unverified data and misinformation is not doing anyone any favours.
One individual in particular has been actively expressing his disagreement.
The stadium forms the core of the masterplan for a football first stadium. Shah Alam Sports Complex, as it is known, will be a catalyst for transforming Shah Alam into a self-sustaining community hub for Selangorians to thrive, develop and connect through sports, recreation, entertainment and youth entrepreneurial opportunities.
So how can this be bad for the people?
Some of the Shah Alam residents that I have met said that this individual’s act is mind-boggling.
He played up his scenarios on the stadium during the last GE 15 campaign. Yet not many listened to him. He went to one radio station to highlight his side of the story. He failed to gather support. He has been pushing his story on and on, however, did not get support. He made negative remarks on several parties including the state government. I believe he is facing a court suit on this matter.
Credit should be given to the state government for being considerate and inclusive simply because they had provided an opportunity for the people of Selangor to provide suggestions and views on KSSA and anyone can do so by sending an email to [email protected].
Even the public exhibition early this year was not a requirement, yet the state government proceeded with the public engagement in the interest of transparency.
The majority of Selangorians have given their support for the KSSA. They also provided feedback on the proposals.
I don’t know whether the individual came to the public exhibition, and if he did, he would have escalated his concern.
The state government can help to confirm whether he shared his suggestions during the public campaign.
Critics should take every opportunity to evaluate all the proposals.
This is a more proactive and effective approach as everyone has access to all the information on the KSSA redevelopment and how it will benefit the people and the state of Selangor.
Importantly, because this was still at the proposal stage (design stage) at that point in time. Obviously, no decision can be made until the Selangor state government meets all the conditions stipulated in the existing law.
The KSSA is designed with everyone in mind. By the time the stadium is ready, it may not be my cup of tea as a sportsman, but the green space and socio-economic activities within the sports complex will bring a lot of joy and benefits to me.
By that year 2026 too, would the critics turn into hypocrites and attend football matches at this very stadium or enjoy their time with family at the green spaces.
In my opinion the benefits of the KSSA cannot be disputed or the project derailed by uninformed people armed with misinformation or worse, petty politics, personal vendetta or lobbying. – November 2, 2023
Nawas Jamaluddin a reader of Scoop and resident of Shah Alam