Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh (middle) having a closer look at the hybrid pitch currently being grown at Larkin Stadium here in Johor Baru recently.
JOHOR BARU: The Bukit Jalil National Stadium will have a new pitch thanks to Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, who donated new turf for the second time.
In a statement posted on the Johor Southern Tigers Facebook page, Tunku Ismail has decreed to donate a hybrid pitch, which is currently being grown at Tan Sri Dato Haji Hassan Yunos Stadium - better known as Larkin Stadium - to Bukit Jalil National Stadium.
“The post-mortem conducted on the Bukit Jalil National Stadium pitch has highlighted that a hybrid pitch will better serve the demands of a multi-purpose stadium as its durability and flexibility caters for both sporting and non-sporting events.
“In view of this and the successful research being conducted by Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) football club at Larkin Stadium, Tunku Ismail agreed to donate the hybrid pitch to the Bukit Jalil National Stadium,” the statement reads.
It added that the decree comes following a meeting with Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) general secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John on Tuesday (April 16).
The statement also said that the Zeon Zoysia grass that Tunku Ismail previously donated to the Bukit Jalil National Stadium will be rolled out and installed at the national sports council field at KL Sports City.
“The field there is often used by the Bukit Jalil Sports School and national football teams,” it added.
The pitch condition at the national stadium has come under scrutiny by local football fans following concerts by Coldplay and Ed Sheeran there since last November as the two events were held before important matches played by Harimau Malaya.
Earlier this month, Malaysian Stadium Corporation announced that there will not be any concert structures erected on the field at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium until June 11.
It said this was to ensure that the field would be in pristine condition for the final match of the World Cup 2026-Asian Cup 2027 second-round qualifiers against Taiwan.
A concert is scheduled for May 25 but the corporation said it would be held on the track area.
"The Harris Jayaraj concert taking place at the stadium on May 25 will not involve the field area directly and will only be limited to the track area," it said in a statement.
"Apart from the 'Battle of the Reds' match between Manchester United Legends vs Liverpool Legends on April 27, no other programme using the field will be held until the World Cup qualifying football match between Malaysia and Taiwan on June 11."
