KUALA LUMPUR — Kuala Lumpur Badminton Association (KLBA) president Datuk Seri Dr Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos has assured that his appointment to head the ad hoc committee overseeing the Malaysia Pickleball Association (MPA) will not affect his responsibilities at the badminton body.
Jahaberdeen, who also serves as deputy president of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), said he is confident of balancing both roles while steering efforts to resolve the governance issues that have plagued MPA over the past year.
The prominent lawyer was elected unopposed as KLBA president during the association’s annual general meeting (AGM) yesterday.
Last month, Youth and Sports Minister Taufiq Johari had appointed Jahaberdeen to chair a six-member ad hoc committee tasked with restoring order and stability within MPA, following a prolonged leadership dispute that ultimately led to the association’s suspension.
“Taking on this responsibility will not interfere with my duties as KLBA president.
“Governance and institutional reform have always been areas that I am deeply involved in, and I believe the experience I have gained over the years will allow me to manage both responsibilities effectively,” Jahaberdeen told reporters yesterday.
“The priority now is to ensure that MPA is placed back on a strong governance footing. We want to create a transparent and accountable structure that all stakeholders can have confidence in.”
The ad hoc committee, which also comprises Datuk Dr Wan Khalik Wan Muhammad, Professor Datuk Dr S. Shamala, Associate Professor Dr P. Thinavan, Suhaimi Sun Abdullah and A’Amar Hashim, has been given a one-year mandate to carry out its duties.
However, Jahaberdeen is hopeful the process can be completed much sooner.
“Although the committee has been given a year to oversee and manage the affairs of MPA, my personal target is to resolve the key governance issues within six months,” he said.
“There is no reason for this process to drag on unnecessarily. We intend to engage all relevant parties, identify the weaknesses that led to the current situation and implement the necessary reforms as quickly as possible.
“Our objective is clear. We want to clean up the association, review and strengthen its constitution, improve its governance framework and eventually return control to a properly elected leadership through a transparent AGM.”
MPA’s governance crisis began after founding president Farrell Choo stepped down on July 1, 2025, and handed over leadership to treasurer Delima Ibrahim, who became acting president.
This decision was disputed by deputy president Harmeet Singh, who lodged a complaint with the Sports Commissioner’s Office (SCO), arguing that the association’s constitution stipulated that the deputy president should automatically assume the presidency in such circumstances.
Following a meeting with MPA officials on Oct 9, 2025, the SCO directed the association to convene an annual general meeting (AGM) within 90 days, conduct fresh elections and submit a compliance report.
Although MPA subsequently held an AGM on January 13 involving five recognised affiliates, the SCO later concluded that several governance concerns remained unresolved.
Among the issues highlighted were a lack of transparency in the verification of affiliate membership applications and procedural irregularities arising from a committee meeting held on December 22.
The SCO subsequently issued a show-cause letter on February 4 before suspending MPA on February 27 under the Sports Development Act 1997.
MPA later appealed against the suspension, prompting the matter to be referred to the Youth and Sports Minister.
Jahaberdeen said the assignment aligns closely with his longstanding involvement in governance matters within Malaysian sport, including his previous role on the Olympic Council of Malaysia’s disciplinary committee.
“This is not entirely new territory for me. Throughout my involvement in sports administration, I have always been passionate about governance, integrity and ensuring that sports organisations operate according to proper rules and procedures,” he said.
“At the end of this exercise, our responsibility is to leave MPA in a better position than when we found it. Once our work is completed, we will submit a comprehensive report to the ministry and pave the way for fresh elections to be conducted under the supervision of the Sports Commissioner’s Office.”
Upon completion of its mandate, the committee will submit its findings and recommendations to the Youth and Sports Ministry before fresh elections are held to restore elected leadership at MPA. – June 1, 2026