KOTA BARU, Oct 15 — The state government will fully utilise the RM276 million allocated by the federal government to build six sports facilities in Kelantan in preparation for hosting the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in 2028.

Kelantan Youth, Sports and Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Committee chairman Zamakhshari Muhamad said the facilities involved the construction of the Bukit Merbau Sports Complex and the Madinah Al-Salam Aquatic Centre in Tunjong here.

"The state government has allocated RM164.35 million for the cost of land acquisition, preliminary land works and the provision of infrastructure for the Bukit Merbau Sports Complex and the Aquatic Centre.

"The Bukit Merbau Sports Complex development project is one of the main components in the state government’s application through the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP),” he said in a media statement today.

Yesterday, the media reported that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi hoped that the Kelantan government would make full use of the allocation of RM276 million from the Federal Government for the construction of sports facilities in preparation for Sukma.

Elaborating, Zamakhshari said the development of the 64.15-hectare Madinah Al-Riyadhah would involve 10 main venues including the main stadium, shooting range, indoor arena, hockey stadium, synthetic football pitch and others.

"To complement the development of the sports infrastructure, a 7.2-hectare site for a sports school has been prepared to optimise the use of the sports facilities, in addition to producing more international-class athletes.

"Currently, RM18.15 million is being spent by the state government to reclaim land to complete the overall development site as planned by the Town and Country Planning Department,” he said.

He said the state government is spending RM62 million on earthworks and related development of access roads for the site of the six sports venues, in addition to RM53 million to build Madinah Al-Raidhah Bukit Merbau infrastructure, which is currently in the final stages of coordination by the Public Works Department (PWD).

"An Aquatics Centre in Tunjong worth RM25 million has been approved with RM7.7 million allocated for earthwork, in addition to a cycling track in Bukit Bakar, Machang, at a development cost of RM1.7 million.

"A badminton hall worth RM11 million will also be built in Madinah Al-Salam, Tunjong, in addition to several other plans at the same location,” he said.

He said the overall development is expected to be fully completed by mid-2026 in readiness for Kelantan to host Sukma for the first time in mid-2028. — Bernama