PUTRAJAYA, April 30 — Malaysian Games (SUKMA) Selangor 2026 costs have been reduced by nearly 50 per cent to between RM40 million and RM50 million, compared with the original RM100 million allocation from the state government.
State executive councillor for youth, sports and entrepreneurship Mohd Najwan Halimi said Selangor’s approach is to control spending without jeopardising athlete development and talent recruitment, in line with Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj’s decree.
“We are formulating plans for the reductions. Most of the cuts involve ceremonial events.
“We will shrink the scale and ensure (funds) are used as best possible to stage SUKMA. This event is not to celebrate politicians, but to appreciate athletes and youth potential,” he told a press conference after a SUKMA Supreme Committee meeting at the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) headquarters here today.
Also present was Youth and Sports Minister Mohammed Taufiq Johari.
Najwan said cost-saving measures also involve not holding the opening ceremony at the Sepang International Circuit.
“We will hold it at another location at a smaller scale and (lower cost),” he added, saying the opening and closing ceremonies will be moderate and symbolic.
He also said the cost of staging the biennial event will be borne by the state government, but it is still exploring a partnership with KBS, especially for infrastructure sharing, to optimise costs.
“There are facilities we previously planned to rent, and we are now looking into the possibility of using existing facilities belonging to the National Sports Council,” Najwan explained.
On April 20, Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj suggested SUKMA Selangor 2026 be postponed until the West Asia conflict is resolved and the Shah Alam Sports Complex is completed.
Yesterday, Sultan Sharafuddin granted Taufiq an audience at Istana Bukit Kayangan in Shah Alam, to obtain updates on the biennial event Selangor is hosting.
According to the Selangor Royal Office in a Facebook post, His Royal Highness expressed satisfaction over the meeting and with organisers’ cost-saving measures.
The 22nd SUKMA will be held from August 15 to 24, while Para SUKMA will be held from September 5 to 14.
SUKMA Selangor 2026 will see 474 events in 37 sports held in 52 venues across Selangor’s nine districts, except for track cycling, which will be held at the National Velodrome in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, while Para SUKMA Selangor 2026 will see 316 events in 10 sports.
