Formula One unlikely to return to Sepang, MotoGP the priority, says SIC
During a recent MotoGP event, SIC chief executive officer Azhan Shafriman Hanif said Malaysia must look to secure hosting rights for MotoGP and should avoid "making the same mistake" by letting Formula One go.
He went on to add that SIC and a number of other stakeholders are keen on having Formula One return to Sepang but highlighted the high organising costs and long waiting list to get on the race calendar.
This sparked excitement and debate on whether Malaysia should host Formula One again.
SIC, however, released a statement on Wednesday (Aug 20) reaffirming their commitment to MotoGP. Malaysia's current deal with Dorna Sports to host the pinnacle of two-wheeled racing expires in 2026 and is due for renewal.
"SIC wishes to clarify recent media reports. Our CEO's recent remarks referred specifically to the renewal of the MotoGP Malaysia contract beyond 2026, and not in relation to the potential return of Formula One.
"While Formula One remains a significant part of our history, regaining its hosting rights has proven to be both complex and costly.
"The key priority is safeguarding MotoGP, which continues to resonate strongly with Malaysian fans and remains more accessible from both a spectator and organisational standpoint," he said, adding that Malaysia's contract to host MotoGP runs until 2026.
"SIC is fully committed to working closely with the government through the Youth and Sports Ministry as well as with Dorna Sports and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the continuation of this world-class and longest running international event in Malaysia."
Sepang, which was purpose-built to run Formula One races, hosted Formula One from 1999 until 2017.
The decision to drop the race was made in 2017 due to high organising costs.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
6 hours ago
- New Straits Times
NST Leader: Of defence assets and agents
AUG 16 will be a day that the people who matter in the Defence Ministry will never forget. It was the day His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia disclosed to the nation that the ministry was full of agents, ex-generals turned salesmen and even textile merchants peddling drones. He made this disclosure in his royal address during the parade marking the 60th anniversary of the Special Forces Regiment at Kem Iskandar in Mersing, Johor. Relying on agents is a dangerous pursuit for an institution that is tasked with defending the country. And in case they forget, three days later, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim reminded those responsible for procuring defence assets to end the reliance on agents when replying to a question in Parliament. The Defence Ministry, he said, had faced decades of controversies and scandals involving procurement, forcing the government to adopt government-to-government negotiations. Why then is the Defence Ministry packed with agents? Perhaps the RM5 billion defence procurement and development spending in 2024 — an increase of RM2 billion from that of 2020 — has something to do with it. A royal reprimand and a prime ministerial reminder say a lot about the seriousness of the problem. Enough of the "the decades of controversies and scandals", we say. We know that middlemen is a Malaysian malaise, but of all places in the Defence Ministry? The use of agents — ex-generals or otherwise — comes with at least two dangers. Let's begin with the more dangerous of the dangers: poor quality of defence assets peddled by the agents. Compromise the defence assets, then you compromise the defence of the country. Defence assets of quality don't need agents to peddle them. Nations will beat the path to their door. It is "flying coffins", to borrow a royal phrase, like the second-hand A-4 Skyhawk aircraft bought in the 1980s, that need the hawking, excuse the pun. Scrap the plan to buy the 30-year-old Black Hawk helicopters, Sultan Ibrahim ordered the Defence Ministry. Media reports say the armed forces is scrapping its plan to buy four Black Hawk helicopters at a cost of RM187 million. But the question is: why wait for the royal command? Isn't the internal process robust enough to raise red flags? Or is integrity a challenge? Dropping the purchase of the helicopters is just the first step. More needs to be done. The primary interest of agents, even ex-generals turned salesmen, is how much they can get out of the deal. The quality of the defence assets they are hawking or whether or not they are compromising the security of the nation is secondary. For Malaysia, a nation of small means, every ringgit spent must show up its worth. The purchase of 88 second-hand A-4 Skyhawk jets did the exact opposite. It drained the country's coffers of millions. Although the price tag was US$1 million each, getting them refurbished took years, spiralling the cost to four times that to RM1.2 billion, media reports say. Then there is the Scorpene submarine deal in 2002 that cost US$130 million in commission. If this is how we do procurement of defence assets, even hundreds of billions wouldn't be enough.
Barnama
7 hours ago
- Barnama
Impact Of US Market Restrictions On Malaysian Palm Oil Expected To Be Minimal
According to the KPK, the main factor contributing to this is the specific characteristics and functions of Malaysian palm oil which has been certified sustainable through the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification, making it difficult to replace with other oils in the global market. 'Therefore, the level of industry dependence in the US on sustainable palm-based materials is high,' the ministry said on the parliament website in reply to a question from Kamal Ashaari (PN-Kuala Krau) on the government's short- and medium-term plan for the palm oil industry to adapt to the US market. In 2024, Malaysia exported 191,231 tonnes of palm oil to the US. This value was only 1.1 per cent of the country's total palm oil exports for the year.
Borneo Post
7 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Impact of US market restrictions on Malaysian palm oil expected to be minimal, says ministry
The main factor contributing to this is the specific characteristics and functions of Malaysian palm oil which has been certified sustainable through the MSPO certification, making it difficult to replace with other oils in the global market. – AFP photo KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 20): The Ministry of Plantation and Commodities (KPK) expects the direct impact of the United States (US) market restrictions on the Malaysian palm oil industry to be minimal. According to the KPK, the main factor contributing to this is the specific characteristics and functions of Malaysian palm oil which has been certified sustainable through the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification, making it difficult to replace with other oils in the global market. 'Therefore, the level of industry dependence in the US on sustainable palm-based materials is high,' the ministry said on the parliament website in reply to a question from Kamal Ashaari (PN-Kuala Krau) on the government's short- and medium-term plan for the palm oil industry to adapt to the US market. In 2024, Malaysia exported 191,231 tonnes of palm oil to the US. This value was only 1.1 per cent of the country's total palm oil exports for the year. At the same time, the KPK said the government remains committed to providing various forms of aid, particularly for smallholders. Among which are the Oil Palm Smallholders Replanting Financing Incentive Programme as well as special grants such as the supply of products for the control of ganoderma stem rot disease to assist smallholders. 'This type of assistance can help to reduce the impact on smallholders in Malaysia from changes in international trade policies,' it added. – Bernama government aid KPK palm oil parliament us
