“The (pitch) condition is a matter of great concern. The poor condition of the field not only compromises player safety but also the overall quality of the game.

“We hope that moving forward, appropriate measures will be taken to ensure the field is maintained to the highest standards,” he said in a post on X earlier today, referring to the recent Merdeka tournament at the national stadium.

Ong added that the nation’s players deserve the best environment to showcase their skills and play safely.

In congratulating the national team for lifting the trophy, he added that he wants to see Malaysia victorious again in future, but under improved conditions.

“It is important to address the condition of the field. It was quite concerning and did not reflect the standards befitting such a great team and event,” he said.

In March, Harimau Malaya’s then head coach Kim Pan Gon said he was disappointed with the state of the pitch ahead of a 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup qualifying match against Oman on March 26.

Pan Gon said he was concerned after inspecting the pitch with Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president Hamidin Amin, Malaysia Stadiums Board chairman Hans Isaac and his coaching staff the previous day.

In April, youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh imposed a temporary ban on concert stage structures on the pitch.

In a statement, the Malaysia Stadium Corporation (PSM) said the ban will remain until the condition of the grass improves to a satisfactory level.

PSM said the decision was made after a post-mortem on Monday to discuss the condition of the pitch during the Oman game, which Harimau Malaya lost 2-0.

In November 2023, the stadium turf suffered damage following a concert by British pop group Coldplay, which was reportedly attended by 75,000 people.

The state of the pitch, which was planted with zeon zoysia grass, became a hot topic again after a viral video and images showed the damaged turf following a concert by Ed Sheeran on Feb 24.