DYAM Tunku Ismail, the Acting Sultan of Johor, and owner of Johor Darul Ta’Zim, has urged Malaysian football stadiums to follow Terengganu FC’s example in improving pitch quality.
His comments come after the JDT vs. Perak match at Ipoh Stadium was postponed twice due to a waterlogged and slippery pitch following heavy rain, reigniting discussions on poor field conditions in Malaysian football.
In response to the ongoing issues, Malaysia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) has allocated RM4.6 million in grants to 10 states for upgrading football fields and drainage systems. Eight states, including Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, Pahang, Terengganu, Selangor, Perak, Kuala Lumpur, and Melaka, received full grants of RM500,000, while Perlis and Kedah were awarded RM300,000 for drainage upgrades.
Tunku Ismail suggested that stadiums should replace their current grass with Bermuda grass, similar to Terengganu FC’s Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium. “If you don’t want to switch to Zeon Zoysia, at least change to Bermuda like Terengganu. Both types of grass are sand-based, so they don’t get muddy when it rains. Cow grass, which is soil-based, becomes waterlogged and muddy,” he explained.
Addressing rumors that cow grass was being used to weaken JDT’s performance, Tunku Ismail dismissed the idea. “There’s a theory that cow grass disadvantages JDT, but we haven’t lost an away game in the league since March 2018—six years on cow grass without a loss. Let’s think professionally and focus on improving the country’s football infrastructure.”
In a positive development, Darul Makmur Stadium in Pahang has announced plans to switch to Bermuda grass, making it the second stadium in Malaysia to do so after Terengganu’s Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium. This shift highlights the increasing attention on improving pitch standards across the country.
Credit Photo : Emmer Farid/SNE Images
