KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Stadium Corporation (PSM) did not order the use of shovels and cardboards to remove stagnant rainwater from the National Stadium football field in Bukit Jalil yesterday for the Asia Cup 2023 qualifying round match between Malaysia and Bahrain.

It chief executive officer, Mohd Faidz Sanusi said the manual method should not have been taken as the National Stadium has a well-functioning system of draining water from the field.

"PSM definitely did not suggest removing the stagnant rainwater manually by using shovels and cardboards like in cleaning floors. It's a big no.

"When the match started, there was no more stagnant water seen as it required some time for the water to flow out," he said when contacted today.

Yesterday, the scene of a number of workers removing stagnant water from almost the entire National Stadium field with shovels and cardboards after a downpour, went viral.


According to Mohd Faidz, the National Stadium's drainage system could enable the flooded field be back to normal within 15 minutes after the rain has stopped but if there's heavy rain followed by a drizzle, it could take 20 to 25 minutes for the water to flow out.

"At 7.30 pm after the heavy downpour yesterday. the pitch was still covered with water but at 8 pm, it was subsiding, so they needn't use spades and cardboards to remove the stagnant water.

"By using this manual method, the field condition became worse as it damaged the grass," he added.

Meanwhile in a statement, PSM gave its commitment to working together with the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to ensure the remaining matches of the Asia Cup 2023 qualifying round be better conducted.

PSM said together with the Youth and Sports Ministry, they would start the process of changing the National Stadium field surface, scheduled to be in the first quarter of 2024, besides other improvement works after fulfilling the other commitments for this year.

-- BERNAMA