Malaysia has begun laying the groundwork for hosting the 2027 SEA Games, sending more than 50 officials to Thailand this week to observe operations for the upcoming 33rd SEA Games.
The visit marks the first major step in Malaysia’s preparations to stage 38 sports across four host cities — Kuala Lumpur, Sarawak, Penang and Johor — from 18–29 September 2027.
The delegation was welcomed on 15 November by Datuk Seri Chaipak Siriwat, Vice President of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand and CEO of the Southeast Asian Games Federation. The group was led by Abdul Rashid Yakub, CEO of the Malaysia SEA Games 2027 Secretariat.
During the meeting, Chaipak highlighted the importance of building the Games around Olympic sports as the foundation for raising ASEAN athletes to global levels.
“Malaysia has confirmed that only 38 sports can be contested due to venue and cost limitations. My recommendation is clear — prioritise Olympic sports first, then add traditional and regional sports. This is how we help ASEAN athletes progress to the Olympic Games,” he said.
Malaysia plans to operate a multi-city format similar to Thailand’s 2025 edition, requiring significant budget allocation and manpower. The delegation reviewed Thailand’s critical systems, including IT operations, results reporting, broadcast infrastructure, venue organisation, and logistics management.
In a major development, Malaysia proposed a platinum-tier sponsorship package worth RM5 million to the SEA Games Federation. Chaipak described the contribution as a “significant investment” that will strengthen the management and long-term development of ASEAN sports.
With Thailand entering the final phase of preparations, Chaipak assured that the 33rd SEA Games would be fully ready one week before the opening ceremony.
“Only minor venue adjustments remain. With strong support from the government, all issues are being resolved quickly. We are confident of 100% readiness,” he said.
Malaysia will sign the official hosting contract on 8 December and receive the SEA Games flag during the closing ceremony of the SEA Games 2025.
Credit Photo : NOCT
