Sultan of Selangor suggests state postpones Malaysia Games

SHAH ALAM, April 20 2026:The Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, has suggested that the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in the state be postponed until the crisis in West Asia comes to an end.

His Royal Highness said the event should also be postponed until the redevelopment of the Shah Alam Stadium is fully complete, Malay Mail reported today.

“Regarding the hosting of Sukma by the state of Selangor, I am informed that the allocation required is very high.

“In the current economic situation, I feel it is more appropriate for the event to be postponed until the crisis in West Asia is resolved and until the Shah Alam Stadium is fully completed,” he said when opening the fourth session of the 15th Selangor State Legislative Assembly here today.

Previously, Youth and Sports Minister Mohammed Taufiq Johari said the biennial Games scheduled from August 15 to 24, would be held on a smaller scale to reduce organising costs without reducing the number of sports and events contested.

A total of 53 venues across nine districts in Selangor will be used for the competition which is expected to feature 474 events across 37 sports.

 

Why need to pay RM1.8 billion for the take-over of Bintulu Port? PBK Voon asks the state government

KUCHING, April 20 2026:  The state government should not have agreed to pay RM1.8 billion in compensation for the take-over of Bintulu Port from the federal government, Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan has argued.

PBK president Voon Lee Shan  says that the people deserve transparency. They deserve to know the legal basis, the historical facts, and why such a massive payment is necessary. 

“Why should Sarawak pay RM1.8 billion to reclaim Bintulu Port when the land, the resources, and the wealth have always belonged to Sarawak?” he asked in a statement.

 He was responding to a disclosure by Premier Abang Johari Openg yesterday that the state government has agreed to pay RM1.8 billion compensation, plus goodwill, instead of RM4.8 billion as demanded by the federal government, for the take-over of the port.

Addressing the Gabungam Parti Sarawak (GPS) convention,  he said the asset value of the port was  RM1.1 billion.

Voon said that for decades, the federal government controlled Bintulu Port like it was a federal territory, collecting enormous revenue from one of the most strategic ports in the state.

He said the offshore fields off Bintulu have produced vast oil and gas riches for generations, asking:” 

Did Sarawak receive fair compensation? Did our people enjoy the full benefit of what was extracted from our own backyard?”

“Now we are told that Sarawak must pay RM1.8 billion as compensation to take back control of the port.

“Compensation for what exactly?” he asked.

Voon also asked if compensation was paid to Sarawak when the federal government took control of the port.

“Was rent paid for the use of Sarawak’s land? Was the people’s consent ever truly sought?

“If no compensation was paid then, why must compensation be demanded now?” he asked.

“For over 60 years, we have heard endless committees, endless negotiations, and endless promises. Yet when it comes to reclaiming strategic assets, Sarawak is still expected to pay for what should never have been taken without proper recognition in the first place.

“The people deserve transparency. They deserve to know the legal basis, the historical facts, and why such a massive payment is necessary.

“A government that truly puts Sarawak first must not negotiate from weakness. It must negotiate from principle,” Voon said.