Good Relationship Between Sultan Ibrahim And Bahrain King, Peaceful Country Among Factors Malaysia Chosen To Host F1
TAMPIN (Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia), July 27 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the good relationship between His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, and the King of Bahrain, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, is among the factors behind Malaysia's selection to host the Formula One (F1) Bahrain Gulf Air Grand Prix.
He said Malaysia's peaceful environment and proven ability to organise world-class events also contributed to the country's selection to host the prestigious race.
Anwar added that the Arab world also recognises Malaysia's strong performance as ASEAN Chair last year, which he described as one of the bloc's best-managed chairmanships.
"The close relationship between the King of Bahrain, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim certainly played a role.
"If our country were not peaceful, no one would want to come here. The credit does not belong to PMX (Anwar), but to our national system, the people, the peace we enjoy, the military, the police, civil servants, the private sector, and the management of hotels and restaurants, all of whom work together to make the nation a success," he said Monday.
The prime minister expressed confidence that Malaysia can successfully host the F1 event while keeping costs under control.
He said the International Automobile Federation (FIA) had agreed to waive the initial USD1 million hosting fee, enabling Malaysia to stage the event without incurring that particular cost.
He said the government had initially approached the proposal cautiously, as its priority remained addressing the people's cost of living and housing needs.
"As Finance Minister, I said we should first assess the funding required. We have pressing issues affecting the people, such as the cost of living and housing, that must remain our focus," he said.
Anwar said that about RM16 million (US$3.91) is required annually for the maintenance of the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) to meet the standards set for hosting motorsports events.
The amount, he said, is significantly lower than the hosting costs incurred by many countries, which can range from hundreds of millions of ringgit up to RM1 billion for an F1 race.
On Sunday, it was reported that Malaysia is set to host the F1 Bahrain GP at the Sepang International Circuit from Oct 2 to 4, marking Formula One's return to Sepang after a nine-year absence.
The circuit hosted the Malaysian Grand Prix from 1999 to 2017 before it was dropped from the Formula One calendar due to rising hosting and licensing costs.
-- BERNAMA
