PUTRAJAYA: The Youth and Sports Ministry has left the decision regarding the venue for Harimau Malaya's upcoming match on Tuesday in the hands of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).
Its minister Hannah Yeoh said it is entirely at the discretion of both parties to select the stadium for the forthcoming Merdeka Tournament 2023 game against Tajikistan.
This development follows an offer by the Crown Prince of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, to make the Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) stadium, Sultan Ibrahim Stadium (SSI) in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, available for Harimau Malaya.
The offer came in response to concerns about the condition of the new turf at Bukit Jalil, which appeared uprooted during yesterday's match.
"First and foremost, congratulations to Harimau Malaya for their victory yesterday. During the launch, concerns were raised about the field not yet reaching its optimum condition, as highlighted by the Crown Prince himself," Yeoh said.
"However, we had faith in the expertise of the contractor, who had also contributed to the JDT Stadium.
"We will wait for the official statement by the Stadium statutory body," she said during the National Sports Day press conference, here, today.
Following an impressive 4-2 victory over India in the opening match of the Merdeka Tournament 2023 last night, Harimau Malaya is gearing up to face Tajikistan in the final, scheduled for Tuesday.