THE Petaling Jaya Stadium in Kelana Jaya will be given a facelift and will be closed in early August to facilitate the upgrading works.
Petaling Jaya deputy mayor Puasa Taib said the city council (MBPJ) had allocated RM1mil for Phase 1 upgrading works, which include repainting the building structure, upgrading toilets, replacing the existing fire system, minor electrical works and termite control. The project is currently at the tender stage.
Puasa said the stadium would be closed till the end of December, after which the cost for the second phase of upgrading would be determined.
“Phase 2 involves major electrical works, including upgrading the stadium spotlights and calibrating the roof structure.
“However, the bulk of the cost will be in replacing the score board, which is very expensive,” he said when met at his office in MBPJ.
Initial stage: Puasa Taib says MBPJ has allocated RM 1mil for Phase 1 of the upgrading works .
He said the state government had agreed to partially fund the purchase of a new score board but would not disclose the actual amount.
He added that the council had temporarily stopped accepting bookings for major events.
The last event to be hosted at the stadium will be the council’s Hari Raya Open House celebration in July.
Puasa said the revenue generated from rental of the stadium was between RM150,000 and RM200,000 a year. However, he said MBPJ spent about RM160,000 a year on maintenance works, which does not include the cost of water, electricity and repairing damage incurred during events.
He disclosed that most of the maintenance work at the sports facilities, involving the cleanliness and security aspects, had been outsourced to private contractors.
“They are also required to assist the council by reporting defects found at the sports facilities,” he added.
On whether any action would be taken against private contractors who have neglected their job, Puasa said the council would send them a notice of warning first.
On the fate of the Petaling Jaya Hockey Stadium, he said a public hearing would be held to decide whether to retain and upgrade it or change it into a multi-purpose sports complex.
“Ideally, it is better to change it into a sports complex to promote many more sporting activities such as futsal, sepak takraw, netball and other indoor games,” he said.
As cost is a major factor to be considered, Puasa said this would be tabled in the next budget meeting and discussed with the state government.