From Old Trafford to Bukit Jalil

THE eyes of the world will be on Kuala Lumpur at the end of May when the leaders of the 10 Asean member states gather for a summit that will have the impact of US tariffs high on its agenda.

About 20,000 people, including delegates, representatives, parti­ci­­pants, secretariat members and staff, are expected to gather at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Cen­tre for the 46th Asean Sum­mit, which will be held on May 26 and 27.

Beyond Asean, some 19 heads of state and government are expected to attend, including from Gulf nations and China, to discuss regional issues, enhance economic cooperation and advance the principles of inclusivity and sustainability.

As expected, security will be heightened during the summit and, just like the Chinese Presi­dent’s visit last month, several roads that will be used by the delegations will be closed to the public.

The government has encouraged private firms to allow their employees to work from home during this event and has said that schools identified by road closures will also be shut, meaning students affected will be allowed to attend class remotely.

The Public Service Department has also advised civil servants to apply for WFH status during this period.

These initiatives are necessary because the authorities would have learned from the massive congestion caused by Xi Jinping’s visit in April.

The timing for this work and study flexibility is also spot on because there is another huge event taking place simultaneously.

It will come as a surprise to many people that the biggest sporting event in Malaysia this year will take place right after the Asean Summit.

Manchester United vs the Asean All Stars will take place at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on May 28, just a day after the 46th Asean Summit ends.

The police will have their hands full maintaining security at both event venues – the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre for the delegates and the National Stadium for football fans.

There will be misgivings about Malaysia hosting both events of this magnitude simultaneously, but the positives for this happy coincidence far outweighs the negatives.

Tickets for the match are still on sale and the organisers hope it will be a sell-out. But for now, of the 55,000 tickets sold so far, 30,000 have been snapped up by Red Devils supporters around the Asean region.

With these 30,000 ticketholders from all across Thailand, Indo­­­nesia, Singa­pore, Brunei and Vietnam, it is estimated that these fans will contribute an estimated RM300mil to the country via spending on accommodation, shopping, travel and dining.

The match will also be broadcast live to a global audience, and the fact it is happening close to the Asean Summit will provide increased visibility for the country. This augurs well as Visit Malaysia 2026 takes place next year.

The match is already generating a lot of hype: Over 300 media personnel have registered so far, with 150 media registered from Asean and China, and 20 media registered from the United Kingdom.

Manchester United have a ­global fanbase and are arguably the most popular club in the world. The fact that they chose Malaysia for their post-season tour – they will fly to Hong Kong after Kuala Lumpur – says a lot about the value the club places on its supporters in this region.

United have been here before, notably with legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson in 2001 and 2009, and both times playing for a packed stadium in Bukit Jalil.

But this year’s match will be historic because the Red Devils are not playing a Malaysian side.

Their opponents are the best players from this region and, for the first time ever, three heads of government – the Prime Minister of Malaysia Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister of Thailand Paetongtarn Shinawatra – are expected to attend this grand sporting event.

This season has been a difficult one for this United side and, by extension, their long-suffering fans.

But the club could foreseeably be coming to Kuala Lumpur as Europa League winners.

They have the hurdle of the second leg semifinal – played last night – and the final itself in Bilbao to clear first.

And if they do win the presti­gious competition, United will bring the trophy with them to Kuala Lumpur to celebrate with fans.

Eagle-eyed fans would have noticed the LED signboard at ­United’s homeground Old Trafford during the last few games flashing “See you in Kuala Lumpur” as part of the campaign.

The team will fly just three days after this final, arriving in Kuala Lumpur on May 26 in a specially chartered Malaysia Airlines plane with Red Devil livery.

Both their Malaysian partners Maybank and Malaysia Airlines will be hosting activation events as soon as the team touches down.

The match itself, billed as the Maybank Challenge Cup 2025, will take place two days later. The team will then be off on their chartered plane to Hong Kong on May 29.