MCA president V Mahinda, who earlier today told a press conference the ministry indicated it would arrange a meeting with all parties involved in light of the Oct 31 deadline for it to vacate the premises, said Syed Saddiq had invited representatives from the sports body to his office in Putrajaya shortly after the press conference.
“We shared the issues we are facing with the minister, and he heard what our challenges are and so forth. I think it’s a start. The minister responded quite quickly and it was a positive meeting today,” Mahinda told FMT when contacted this evening.
Asked if Syed Saddiq had given a timeline or promised anything regarding the issue, Mahinda said he had not. The minister, Mahinda said, needed time to understand the issue.
Mahinda said earlier this morning that he met with Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Steven Sim last Friday to highlight MCA’s concerns and Sim had said a meeting would be held involving all parties to resolve the situation.
Earlier this month, Astro Arena quoted the MCA as saying it had been given notice to vacate the Kinrara Oval, where international cricket games are held, after its lease on the field expired. The land is now the property of Kinrara Housing Berhad (PKB).
It was reported that the land would be developed for a shopping mall complex and condominium project.
This sparked an outcry from players, supporters and cricket club chapters nationwide. Some also held a protest recently at the site.
Kinrara Oval also houses the lodging for the national cricket men’s and women’s teams.
Since it opened in 2003, the Kinrara Oval, a stone’s throw from the BK5 LRT station, has hosted several international cricket tournaments, including the DLF Trophy involving Australia, India and West Indies, and the 2008 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
Kinrara Oval is also lauded by the international cricket community for its upkeep, facilities and state-of-the-art field.
Cricket enthusiasts previously told FMT that the field was one of the very few in the Klang Valley with proper facilities and accessible to many, the other two being Bayuemas Oval in Pandamaran, Klang, and the Royal Selangor Club.
The Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) had previously told FMT it was unable to stop the purported development, pointing out that it did not have jurisdiction over the land.
However, it said it had yet to receive any application in writing to redevelop the site for commercial means from PKB, a subsidiary of I&P Group Sdn Bhd owned by SP Setia Berhad and Permodalan Nasional Bhd.
Former youth and sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin tweeted recently that the issue was highlighted during his time in government, and that it was one of the last things he worked on before the May 9 general election which saw Syed Saddiq taking office.
Syed Saddiq, in response, said talks were already underway to defend the cricket ground against being redeveloped.
“We have filed our objections. Met up with the representatives as well. This iconic ground must be defended. Hopefully, the new PNB chairman will hear our plight,” Syed Saddiq tweeted at Khairy, referring to former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz.
Earlier today, Mahinda also spoke about how Kinrara Oval’s closure would impact the progress of the sport in Malaysia, which was stagnant for years until recently. About 800 schools nationwide take part in the sport, with many training here.
The national cricket team won two medals in the sport at last year’s SEA Games, where cricket was contested for the first time in the history of the games. The last time the national team bagged a prize was in 2014.
Mahinda said ongoing matches which MCA had bid for and won, or had received word from international players that they wanted to play at the field, would continue. This includes the Women’s Cricket Series 2018 match and the ongoing Armed Forces Cricket Challenge 2018.