Malaysia belanja RM70 juta untuk F1 Bahrain di Sepang, kata menteri

Malaysia allocated RM70 million to host the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit last month, following regional conflicts, marking the sport's return to the country for the first time since 2017, according to the government. This amount exceeded the RM40 million budget initially provided by SIC Chief Executive Officer Azhan Shafriman Hanif in July for pre-event preparations.

In response to a parliamentary question from Nazri Abu Hassan (PN-Merbok), Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Dr Taufiq Johari revealed that the event is projected to cost RM350 million overall, including ticket revenue and circuit-related preparations. Malaysia's share of the budget amounted to RM70 million, covering circuit operation and maintenance costs, while Bahrain bore the remaining expenses.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had stated on July 27 that the government would only need to allocate RM16 million annually for circuit development and enhancement. The following day, Azhan estimated that local preparations would incur around RM40 million in costs, to be shared between Malaysia and Bahrain. The ministry has not explained the discrepancy between the previous estimate and the current figure.

According to the ministry, the race generated an estimated RM950 million in economic activity, based on figures from Formula One Management, including hospitality, tourism, air travel, transportation, food and beverage services, and other amenities. Taufiq also mentioned that the event created approximately 7,300 jobs, comprising 6,167 jobs in the hospitality and service sectors supporting the event, 757 in race operations and infrastructure, and 376 involving F1 teams, personnel, and management.

However, he did not disclose figures on government royalties, taxes, and service revenues generated by the event. Taufiq stated that SIC and the appointed consultancy firm were still assessing the costs and economic benefits of the event, which would help the government decide whether Malaysia should host F1 races in the future.

The Bahrain Grand Prix was moved to Sepang due to regional conflicts, signifying Formula 1's return to Malaysia for the first time since 2017. Malaysia hosted the F1 Grand Prix from 1999 to 2017 before the event was canceled due to rising costs.