SHAH ALAM — The 2026 Malaysia Games (Sukma) to be held in Selangor should be postponed until the US-Israel war on Iran comes to an end, the state’s Ruler, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, said today.
Sukma should also be postponed until the redevelopment of the Shah Alam Stadium is fully completed, he added.
“Regarding the hosting of Sukma by the state of Selangor, I am informed that the allocation required is very high.
“In the current economic situation, I feel it is more appropriate for the event to be postponed until the (Iran) crisis…is resolved and until the Shah Alam Stadium is fully completed,” he said when opening the fourth session of the 15th Selangor State Legislative Assembly here today, Bernama reports.
The biennial Games is scheduled from August 15 to 24.
In a reaction to Sultan Sharafuddin’s proposal, state Youth, Sports and Entrepreneurship Exco Mohd Najwan Halimi said the matter will be debated by state assemblymen during the legislative assembly sitting.
“We are waiting for the assemblymen to discuss first and (listen to) their views, and from that, God willing, the state government will examine and look at the need to either postpone or continue,” Najwan said.
Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari earlier this month said the Games would be held on a smaller scale to reduce organising costs without reducing the number of sports and events contested.
He said the organising committee decided to do so after taking into account the global energy crisis and its economic impact, which is also being felt in Malaysia.
“The cost-saving measures will not affect the quality of sports, athletes or anything related to the competitions themselves. They are more focused on ceremonial aspects and avoiding excessive spending,” Taufik was reported saying.
However, the minister said postponing Sukma could have financial implications for the organisers, and that staging the Games was also crucial to ensuring preparations for a major event next year, the 2027 SEA Games which Malaysia will host.
Meanwhile, Sultan Sharafuddin also decreed that the annual Sultan of Selangor Cup football match between Selangor and Singapore be cancelled.
However, His Royal Highness consented to the organisation of a Jubilee Cup football tournament involving under-15 school students from districts across the state as an effort to nurture young talent and instil sporting spirit at grassroots level.
“Furthermore, football is the most popular sport among the people of Selangor,” he said. – April 20, 2026