PUTRAJAYA: The Youth and Sports Ministry is holding weekly coordination meetings until the staging of the Bahrain Formula One (F1) Grand Prix to ensure that all preparations, including security and protocol aspects, run smoothly.
Its Minister, Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari, said the meetings are held every Tuesday and involve the main committee and technical committee, as well as eight sub-committees set up to coordinate preparations for the race.
"We have now set up eight sub-committees at the ministerial level. All these committees will meet every Tuesday until the Bahrain F1 race to ensure everything runs smoothly in terms of security, protocol and other aspects.
"So far, everything is in perfect condition,” he told a media conference after launching the "Month of Friends of Democracy through the Kuasa Orang Muda (KOM)" initiative here on Friday (Aug 7).
Dr Mohammed Taufiq said the government had previously set up two special committees to coordinate preparations for the staging of the Bahrain F1 race at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) from Oct 2 to 4.
He said the government has so far allocated RM16mil for the the staging of the Bahrain F1 race, while any additional costs were still being discussed and would be announced after all negotiations had been finalised.
"We are still discussing whether there will be some additional costs or otherwise, and we will announce them after all discussions have been conducted and finalised. But for now, the cost remains as agreed,” he said.
Dr Mohammed Taufiq said the technical team from the International Automobile Federation (FIA) had carried out an inspection recently and was satisfied with the current condition of the track, with no major issues identified.
"So, the closure of SIC from Sept 7 until the race day is actually at the request of the FIA and Formula One Management (FOM) to carry out maintenance on the circuit, as well as several improvements identified by the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) as necessary.
"Then, there will be training sessions and track testing to ensure that SIC is in good condition, functioning properly and safe,” he said.
The media previously reported that SIC is expected to be closed to the public from 7 September until the end of the Bahrain F1 race to facilitate maintenance, testing and final preparations. — Bernama
