NETIZENS have applauded Hannah Yeoh following her earlier announcement that the Malaysia Stadium Board had greenlighted the purchase of a canvas to cover the pitch surface of the Bukit Jalil National Stadium (SNBJ).
The Youth and Sports Minister, in the same tweet, further announced that her ministry remains committed to improving the facilities at the stadium.
She also expressed her gratitude to the Tunku Mahkota of Johor (TMJ) Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim – who is also the owner of the Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) football club – for his loan of a canvas to cover the pitch surface previously.
.@StadiumMalaysia telah membeli kanvas baru bagi menutup permukaan padang SNBJ semasa hujan dan @KBSMalaysia komited membawa penambahbaikan fasiliti.
Menjunjung kasih kepada @HRHJohorII yang meminjamkan kanvas padang sebelum ini.
Terima kasih sukarelawan Satria @JBS_Negara. pic.twitter.com/bXGcqWW3UA
— Hannah Yeoh (@hannahyeoh) January 3, 2023
Recall that on Dec 24, Tunku Ismail had agreed to lend a canvas to cover the pitch surface of the stadium ahead of the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Cup 2022 Group B second match between Malaysia and Laos.
This was in view of the rainy conditions almost daily in the Klang Valley area, especially in the evenings and nights.
This was also after images of workers having to use shovels and dustpans to clear the stadium’s waterlogged pitch during the national squad’s Asian Cup 2023 qualifying match against Bahrain went viral in June 2022.
In response to Yeoh’s announcement, user @pareez_ said:
Baru sebulan jadi menteri dah buat kerja. Kerja paling senang mcmni pun @PejaOfPerak tak boleh buat. Tapi sibuk nak jadi menteri.
— Pagheez 🇲🇾 🇵🇸 (@pareez__) January 3, 2023
(“It has only been a month as a minister and she has already gotten to work. Even @PejaOfPerak couldn’t pull off something as simple as this. Yet he wants to be a minister”)
The user was throwing shade at former youth and sports minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu – who goes by the Twitter handle @PejaOfPerak – who previously said that while there were plans to purchase the canvas for the National Stadium, it was currently not the right time to do so.
On Sept 11, Ahmad Faizal, who is popularly known as Peja, added that the protective cover is “not cheap” and can cost up to RM300,000, and that the stadium’s pitch needed to be repaired beforehand.
Meanwhile, user @mohdazfisha sarcastically said:
Kalau nak tunggu si peja tuh,kiamat pon belom tentu dapat dan dpt hanya rasa kuah mee kari.
— mohd azfisha (@mohdazfisha) January 3, 2023
(“If we were to wait for Peja, we might not have gotten (the canvas) even if the world were to end and will only get to taste the sauce of his curry mee”)
The user was referring to a TikTok video that went viral last year showing Ahmad Faizal tasting a “curry mee” dish at his Putrajaya office and giving a blow-by-blow account of its quality, which had left netizens flabbergasted as the nation was still reeling from the worsening COVID-19 cases and deaths.
User @koyotitos said:
Sebelum ni stadium memang takda canvas sendiri rupanya, padahal benda basic je tu. Pelik pelik
— Aiman 🇲🇾🏴 (@koyotitos) January 3, 2023
(“So the stadium previously did not have its own canvas when this is just something so basic. This is very strange”)
Mocking Ahmad Faizal, user @kucingrules said:
You made this as easy as peanuts. Wonder what @PejaOfPerak was doing b4 ha3.
— Kucing Rules (@kucingrules) January 3, 2023
Meanwhile, user @Gumball2017 asked:
Dear YB, can we know the total cost of acquiring the said canvas? And from which fund did you use? Just curious because the person incharge before you was unable to provide it in a timely manner.
— Abd Bachok (@Gumball2017) January 3, 2023
User @taukeleh said:
Kita x perlu seorg bekas atlet atau pakar sukan utk menjadi menteri sukan sebenarnya, asalkan org yg komited dan fokus dgn keutamaan, syabas YB.
— Ben (@taukeleh) January 3, 2023
(“We don’t need a former athlete or a sports expert to be the sports minister just as long as the person is committed and focused on the priorities. Well done, YB”)
User @HanafyRashid said:
YB, we hope padang SBJ dapat jadi seperti padang JDT. Pemain bolasepak HM perlu rumput world class quality untuk tingkatkan level quality bolasepak.
— Pakcik Hanafy (@HanafyRashid) January 4, 2023
(“YB, we hope the Bukit Jalil National Stadium’s field would be like the JDT field. Harimau Malaya football players need world class-quality grass to improve the nation’s football quality level”)
However, @abulriz noted:
Good move…but in term of agriculture/horticultural/engineering point of view also has been considered, right. Finding best condition for the grass & the ground.
— Pak Chaq 🇲🇾 (@AbuIriz) January 4, 2023
User @izzudeenn said:
Now focus on kualiti padang YB, klau heavy rain kasi takda lopak!!!
— Deen🐝 (@izzudeenn) January 3, 2023
(“Now focus on the quality of the field, YB. Make sure that there would not be any puddles during heavy downpours”) – Jan 4, 2023
Main pic credit: The Star
