Sabah has officially stated that it will not co-host the 2027 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games or contribute financially to the event, according to state Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun.
Masidi expressed his lack of awareness regarding reports that the state government had confirmed its participation as one of the three states hosting the games, which would have incurred costs of approximately RM100 million for Sabah.
“The state Cabinet meeting today confirmed it had never made any financial commitment towards the organizing of the SEA Games 2027,” he stated on his X account.
He emphasised that the Sabah government is not prepared to be a co-host due to the need for improvements in the state’s sporting facilities.
This announcement follows the recent declaration by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, who stated that Malaysia would host the 2027 SEA Games, with Penang, Sabah, and Sarawak selected as venues for various events.
Yeoh mentioned that these three states were chosen over others that were unwilling to share the hosting costs.
The total estimated cost to host the SEA Games in Malaysia is around RM700 million, with Sarawak agreeing to cover 50% of the expenses. Sabah had proposed RM100 million, while Penang offered RM15 million.
Sarawak’s Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Hamzah noted that his state has submitted a list of sports it could host, including swimming, diving, tenpin bowling, and shooting. Meanwhile, Penang has shown interest in hosting just one sport.
Typically, the SEA Games feature between 35 and 50 sports, highlighting the scale of the event and the need for adequate infrastructure and funding from the host states.
