KL may not host 1999 SEA Games

KL may not host 1999 SEA Games

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP): Because of expanding events and rising costs, the Southeast Asian Games might not be held in 1999, a Malaysian sports official said yesterday.

The 1997 games are to be held in Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur had been scheduled to stage the 1999 games. But the Malaysian capital, busy preparing to stage the 1998 Commonwealth Games, is not keen to act as host for the 1999 competition.

In an interview with the national news agency Bernama, Sieh Kok Chi, secretary of the Olympic Council of Malaysia, said another Malaysian city might be persuaded to act as host.

Sieh said: "Maybe the games should take a rest in 1999. Then the member countries can reassess the objective and its achievement and decide whether they want it to continue."

Brunei is also reluctant to act as host due to a lack of facilities as the number of sports has risen to 34 in Jakarta.