PETALING JAYA: Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM) president Mokhzani Mahathir today said he “stands corrected” after finding out about Formula E’s interest in its grand finale race in Malaysia next year.
In a letter addressed to FMT editor Frankie D’Cruz, Mokhzani said:
“My input was the basis of (youth and sports minister) Hannah Yeoh’s comment yesterday.
“On first reading your article of March 13, MAM had informed (Yeoh) that MAM had not been engaged by any party to discuss the hosting of Formula E.”
Yeoh yesterday slated an FMT report in the Dewan Rakyat as being premised on “hearsay” and not on facts. She said MAM would issue a statement to “correct the facts” in the report.
However, Mokhzani’s letter acknowledged that FMT’s reporting of the matter was correct.
“I stand corrected now after further information from Sports Tech Holding via FMT’s article today, March 14,” the letter read.
In the letter, MAM, the official sanctioning body for motorsports in the country, also acknowledged that Formula E “can and does deal with individuals, private entities, corporations and governments in promoting their races”.
“MAM wishes all the best to Sports Tech Holding in their effort to get Formula E back in Malaysia,” he said.
Mokhzani said he was looking forward to Formula E racing in Malaysia in light of the country’s emerging EV market, both for vehicle sales and manufacturing.
Malaysia, he said, was “well ahead of the curve”, having hosted the Putrajaya ePrix a decade ago and has the resources to host any motorsports event, concert or conference, said Mokhzani, the former Sepang International Circuit chairman.
“Now that EV (electric vehicles) are becoming the preferred choice of many car buyers, revisiting Malaysia hosting an e-Prix is timely,” he said.
What would truly make it great is to have the public and private sector work and share the hosting responsibilities together to ensure it is a success, he added.
Malaysia hosted the Putrajaya ePrix, a race on the Formula E circuit, in 2014 and 2015, at a specially designed street circuit in Putrajaya.
Yesterday, FMT reported that Putrajaya had yet to respond to offers from Formula E for Kuala Lumpur to host the 2025 Formula E-Prix Grand Finale and to serve as the host city of its final race annually until 2030.
Formula E’s local partner Sports Tech Holding then confirmed it was awaiting a response from the Prime Minister’s Office to discuss hosting the event.
Earlier today, FMT reported that Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds had in a letter dated Feb 26 to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim highlighted the “impactful and long-lasting economic benefits” of the race.
Formula E, officially known as the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, is an open-wheel single-seater motorsport competition for electric cars. - FMT
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