Artist's impression of what KL Motopark will look like

Artist's impression of one of the types of races at the facility

In the 1960s, the racing circuit at Batu Tiga in Shah Alam, adjacent to the Federal Highway to Klang, was built and became a popular venue for motorsports enthusiasts. However, during the 1990s, the circuit was earmarked for development into a housing estate while at the same time, the F1 circuit at Sepang was built.

The closure of the Batu Tiga circuit was much missed by enthusiasts at the grassroots level. It had been where a whole generation of Malaysian racers had started and advanced their skills, a few becoming good enough to compete overseas. Apart from being at the edge of the Klang Valley, the Sepang Circuit was also conceived as a world-class facility which has meant that its rates are generally higher.

For those at grassroots level, it is already bad enough that high import taxes make their hobby and passion a costly affair and the lack of affordable facilities has not helped. In many cases, they have had to close off public roads or, worse, do things 'illegally'.

There has been much talk over the years by various parties that more facilities should be provided to get the illegal racers off the streets and allow them to race in a safe and controlled environment. But much of it has been talk only and the situation has remained unsatisfactory.

By the third quarter of this year, this should be addressed with the opening of the KL Motopark at the Bukit Jalil Sports Complex (behind the National Hockey Stadium) on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. Described as 'the first-ever recreational motoring park' in Malaysia, KL Motopark is said to be a community-centric infrastructure project  which will engage and involve ordinary Malaysians.

"KL MotoPark was conceptualized to be a multi-purpose urban complex catering not only to recreational motoring but to fulfill a variety of youth-centric needs. The design of the complex makes it ideal for niche events, concerts, engineering to training and road safety to entertainment," said Khaidi Kamaruddin, the General Manager of KL MotoPark.

"We are designing flagship motorsports events, such as Super Street Racing (SSR), Drag Battle Championships, Super Sprint, Drift Prodigi and Super Cub 300. The events will engage the public and elevate the competitive level of our motorsports professionals in the nation," he added.

The facility will be on this field which is behind the National Hockey Stadium

KL MotoPark's core motoring programs will include youth talent-discovery and training programs such as Future Ace, children's safety programs such as Smart Kiddies and its own driver-training programs.

"The KL MotoPark is intended to raise the standards of general motoring, motorsports management, safety, competitions, partnerships, sponsorships and community expectations," he said.

Understanding that the rates at the Sepang Circuit are high, Encik Khaidi said that KL Motopark can make things more affordable for enthusiasts, especially at grassroots level, because the infrastructure cost has been moderated (although safety would not be compromised).

Commenting on the opening of the facility, the Chairman of the Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM), Tunku Datuk Mudzaffar bin Tunku Mustapha, said that the KL MotoPark will finally make motorsports an affordable activity for everyone, and propagate talent development in the industry.

"KL MotoPark will leapfrog the progress of the motorsports industry, bringing us one step closer to the aspiration of making Malaysia a hub for motorsports in the region. Once motorsports become accessible, we will be able to transfer talents from off the road to the track, and further encourage the development of grassroots recreational motoring" he said, adding that he foresees that KL MotoPark will also advocate the creation of future generations of responsible and skillful drivers on the roads and tracks, further improving the motoring standards in the country.

On the high cost of acquiring cars and parts for racing, Tunku Datuk Mudzaffar, who was an active rally driver in the 1970s and 1980s, said that the establishment of the Motorsports Commission of Malaysia will see this issue being addressed with the government. He revealed that it will soon be possible to bring in cars tax-free for the purpose of racing.