MCA advised to consider alternative training venues

KUALA LUMPUR: The National Sports Council (MSN) recommends that the Malaysian Cricket Association (MCA) consider alternative training venues to ensure that the continuity of their sports programmes are not affected in the future.

MSN suggested this after an issue involving a training and competition centre managed on a lease by MCA, namely the Kinrara Oval for 15 years since 2003 from Perumahan Kinrara Berhad, arose recently.

MSN in a statement yesterday said the lease involved an agreement to allow MCA to use the land owned by the private company provided it bore the joint cost of the initial construction of the Kinrara Oval apart from MCA being responsible for paying land tax and assessment tax to the local authorities.

“However, MCA are alleged to have not reimbursed the initial construction cost of Kinrara Oval, and even disputed the assessment tax rate which had been paid in advance by the landowner, Perumahan Kinrara Berhad.

“The crisis arose when the lease period ended in 2018 and SP Setia (a housing developer) together with Perumahan Kinrara Berhad took action to take back Kinrara Oval on the grounds that MCA did not keep its promise as stipulated in the previous agreement,” the statement said.

In this regard, the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) and MSN were asked to help and after finding that Kinrara Oval was indeed built on land owned by the landowner, MSN has tried to find a new venue to replace Kinrara Oval, which will be taken back by the owner.

According to MSN, coincidentally, Multimedia University (MMU) has agreed to offer their field in Cyberjaya to set up a new training centre and cricket competition ground.

MSN added that MMU had obtained the approval of the university’s senate for the purpose while SP Setia was also ready to help relocate Kinrara Oval to the new location.

“Unfortunately, MCA still hope to maintain Kinrara Oval as their training and competition centre.

“In fact, MCA had obtained the consent of the Prime Minister and it was discussed at the Cabinet meeting then with the decision being that the Kinrara Oval area should not be developed.

“As such, SP Setia have postponed their intention to take back the land, “ the statement added.

However, MSN said due to MCA’s refusal to settle the assessment tax arrears which had to be paid by SP Setia, the developer had filed a lawsuit in court and the court ruled that MCA should carry out the responsibility or see Kinrara Oval seized if the court decision was not complied with.

MSN also informed that following SP Setia’s action, neither KBS nor MSN could any longer help MCA solve the problem.

The national sports governing body further believes that the legal issue can be resolved well if the national cricket body accepts the fact that the land that houses Kinrara Oval belongs to Perumahan Kinrara Berhad and SP Setia and MCA should consider other alternatives.

MSN is also confident that the national cricketers training programmes will not be disrupted as MCA were offered by Sime Darby Properties to take over the management of the Bayuemas Oval, a cricket training and competition centre which had better facilities than Kinrara Oval after the new location was vacated by the Malay Cricket Association of Malaysia last year.