Kuala lumpur: The Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) has announced that there are no current plans to construct a new international-standard athletics stadium for the upcoming 2027 SEA Games. Instead, the ministry will focus on upgrading existing sports facilities to ensure they meet the necessary standards for the event.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Mordi Bimol stated that this decision stems from the condition of facilities like the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, which are already in excellent condition and compliant with required standards. "The government has decided to upgrade existing sports facilities to ensure that venues are in optimal condition ahead of the hosting of the Games next year," he mentioned during a session in the Dewan Rakyat.

This approach is seen as a more economical and effective means of optimizing the use of current facilities. The minister's response came after a query from Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kasim (PN-Arau), who questioned why Malaysia was not pursuing the construction of a new athletics stadium and a dedicated sports university to enhance the international competitiveness of national athletes.

On the topic of establishing a dedicated sports university, Mordi indicated that existing higher education institutions under the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) are currently sufficient to progressively offer sports-related programs as needed. He highlighted that six public and five private higher education institutions nationwide are already providing courses in this field.

Furthermore, Mordi shared that current enrolment in sports-related bachelor's degree programs includes 4,016 students in public institutions and 710 students in private ones. In addition, the Federal Sports Scholarship offered by KBS has benefited 1,349 recipients up to 2025, with plans to continue this initiative in 2026 through an allocation of RM2 million.