Malaysian Stadium Officials Apologize For Axiata Arena’s Embarrassing Roof Leak
The management has deployed rooftop personnel, installed water diversion systems, initiated emergency repairs, and enhanced monitoring for the tournament’s duration.
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In what could be described as Malaysian hospitality gone wrong, our prestigious Axiata Arena – home to countless badminton triumphs – offered international players an unexpected shower during the PETRONAS Malaysia Open 2025.
It wasn’t exactly the warm welcome we’re famous for.
Elite athletes from around the world gathered in our house only to find themselves dodging raindrops between serves.
The Malaysian Stadium Corporation (PSM) might as well have served nasi lemak with missing sambal – it’s that level of faux pas in our culture of hospitality.
Terbuka Malaysia 2025: Situasi tidak dijangka di Axiata Arena! Bumbung bocor menyebabkan perlawanan di gelanggang 2 & 3 terpaksa ditangguhkan.
— ZAKI ZAINAL (@_ZakiZainal) January 7, 2025
Para peminat diminta bersabar sementara pihak pengurusan mengatasi masalah ini. 🙏🏻🏸#AxiataArena #Badminton@ASTROARENA pic.twitter.com/gYEqJUshlC
Disruption Hits During Malaysian Pair’s Match
“PSM apologizes to all parties, especially the organizers and badminton fans, for the roof leakage incident that occurred at Axiata Arena,” it said in a media statement.
The timing couldn’t have been more mortifying.
Our own women’s doubles pair, Go Pei Kee and Teoh Mei Xing, were mid-match against China’s Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian when the heavens decided to join the game uninvited.
It’s like having your air-conditioning break down during a family gathering – except this family gathering was being broadcast internationally.
The match was forced into an unscheduled intermission, eventually resuming on a different court hours later – a shuffle that added another layer of embarrassment to an already soggy situation.
KENYATAAN MEDIA : KEBOCORAN BUMBUNG AXIATA ARENA KETIKA TERBUKA MALAYSIA#PSM #KenyataanMedia #AxiataArena #Badminton pic.twitter.com/ODsmK6bLkx
— Stadium.Malaysia 🏟️🇲🇾 (@StadiumMalaysia) January 8, 2025
Rushed Repairs Highlight Questionable Renovation Strategy
PSM’s response reads like a typical Malaysian crisis management playbook: deploy an army of workers (ten on the roof, no less), promise immediate fixes, and hope nobody notices this happening during a BWF Super 1000 World Tour event.
It’s the equivalent of frantically cleaning the house when unexpected guests are already at the door.
The explanation that the arena has been undergoing roof replacement since mid-2024 feels like telling guests “sorry ‘ah’, renovation not done yet” – except these guests are world-class athletes and international media.
The roof replacement process by the Public Works Department (JKR), carried out by contractors appointed by JKR, takes a year to complete using a method that allows Axiata Arena to remain open for events – a decision that now seems precarious.
National Pride At Stake As Organisers Scramble To Save Face
For a nation that prides itself on world-class sporting facilities and legendary badminton heritage, this incident strikes at the heart of our Malaysian sense of ‘malu‘ (shame).
PSM’s four-point action plan – including stationing personnel on the roof and expediting repairs – is our very Malaysian way of making things right.
It’s like when your mother overcompensates for a cooking mishap by preparing twice as many dishes the next day.
As the tournament continues under watchful eyes (and hopefully drier conditions), this episode is a humbling reminder: in our quest to host world-class events, sometimes we need to ensure the basics are covered first.
Prestigious Tournament Highlights Embarrassing Infrastructure Gaps
After all, in Malaysian culture, there’s nothing worse than failing as a host.
The PETRONAS Malaysia Open 2025, scheduled from 7 to 12 January, is one of only four Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 1000 events in the world – badminton’s equivalent of a tennis Grand Slam.
With a prize purse of USD 1,450,000, it represents the highest tier of the BWF World Tour, attracting elite players from across the globe.
The tournament’s prestige, coupled with Malaysia’s rich badminton heritage, makes this infrastructure failure particularly stinging for a nation that has produced multiple Olympic medalists in the sport.
READ MORE: [Watch] Racquet And Ruckus: The Petronas Malaysia Open’s Unexpected Indoor Monsoon
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