KUALA LUMPUR – Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has hopes that the newly appointed Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president, Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, will review the national body’s ecosystem to ensure the welfare of all national shuttlers is safeguarded.
Hannah also advised players to remain under BAM’s umbrella rather than turning professional, so they can continue to receive full government support channelled through the association.
“There are many factors to be considered when a shuttler contemplates staying with BAM or turning pro.
“The advantage of staying with BAM is that they will have ready sparring partners, which is something that will be lacking should they turn pro and which can also affect their performance.
“That is why I’m asking BAM president Tengku Zafrul to review this ecosystem and ensure the players receive the best possible support.
“If possible, for the shuttlers to remain with BAM so that the government’s assistance will reach them and there will be an orderly system… various types of government support are channelled through BAM,” she said.
She said this at the launch of a Drug-Free Youth campaign video, organised in collaboration with a cinema chain and national athletes. The event was also attended by National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh.
Meanwhile, Hannah expressed satisfaction with the national squad’s performance at the Malaysia Masters, which concluded yesterday.
“With the presence of experienced coaches and support from the Road to Gold (RTG) programme, I believe we can continue raising their performance levels.
“We’ve also allocated a budget under the National Sports Council’s (NSC) talent development programme to ensure a continuous pipeline of new talent,” she said.
Earlier at the same event, Hannah announced a strategic collaboration between the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS), through the Rakan Muda Development Division, the National Youth and Sports Department (JBSN), and TGV Cinemas, to further boost the Drug-Free Youth campaign.
As part of the collaboration, awareness videos on the dangers of drug and substance abuse will be screened before movies at all TGV cinemas nationwide.
“Today, we launched this awareness video in partnership with TGV. They operate cinemas in 40 locations nationwide, excluding Sabah, and have previously supported the government in campaigns such as the baby dumping awareness initiative.
“The campaign was very effective because it encouraged those affected to seek government assistance. So, this time we are collaborating with the AADK to bring this series of promotional videos to the cinemas because many who go for movies are youths,” she added. — May 26, 2025