KUALA LUMPUR: The Kuala Lumpur Sports City (KLSC) in Bukit Jalil recorded a rental collection of RM10.647 million as of October, the highest-ever collected by the national sports facility. Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh reported that KLSC collected RM2.147 million from 26 sports events and RM8.5 million from 54 non-sports events, including concerts.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the National Stadium, with an 85,000 capacity, recorded RM1.97 million from sports events, while the Axiata Arena collected RM875,000, and the National Hockey Stadium garnered RM75,000. For non-sports events, the National Stadium collected RM1.8 million, Axiata Arena RM6.4 million, and the National Hockey Stadium RM210,000, indicating Axiata Arena’s popularity for non-sports events.

Minister Yeoh addressed these figures during the Minister’s Question Time at Dewan Rakyat, in response to a query from Khoo Poay Tiong regarding efforts to boost revenue through concerts and enhance the National Stadium as a world-class facili
ty.

Hannah Yeoh also mentioned initiatives like diversifying the National Hockey Stadium for concerts, with 26 bookings already for next year. The ministry, with the Malaysian Stadium Corporation, is preparing grass nurseries for the “lay and play” concept to accommodate quick transitions between events.

Additionally, a digital booking system is being developed to replace the current manual one, aiming for transparency and efficiency from next year. Yeoh noted that discussions with 16 companies showed interest in bringing international performers to Malaysia. She added that the Axiata Arena is fully booked for the entire next year.