Kuala Lumpur: The Government should upgrade sports facilities at the Sipitang and Beaufort Sports Complexes to better support sports development and meet the needs of local communities, said Sipitang MP Datuk Matbali Musah (pic).He also called for more sports facilities to be provided in villages to give young people opportunities to develop and hone their talents.
Speaking in support of the Sports Development (Amendment) Bill 2026 in the Dewan Rakyat today, Matbali said sports development should not be concentrated only in major cities.
He said Sipitang had produced several sports figures, including footballers Andrew Laban, Ronny Harun and Mafry Balang, while Sipitang-born athlete Gerfan Nigel Frank won gold in the men’s pole vault at Sukma Selangor 2026 with a 4.55-metre clearance.
Matbali, who is also Malaysian Cocoa Board chairman, said the Sipitang Sports Complex needed upgrading as the main venue for recreational, sporting and community activities, while the Beaufort Sports Complex should also be enhanced with facilities including an indoor games hall, hockey field, lawn bowls facilities, swimming pool and floodlights for the football field.
