KUALA LUMPUR – It has been over two months since Scoop first reported the contract standoff between Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah and the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM). Yet, there is still no confirmation as to whether the world No. 3 women’s doubles pair will remain under the national setup or go independent.
Former international Datuk James Selvaraj believes the prolonged uncertainty is unhelpful, warning that it could hinder the players’ focus and performance.
“I don’t know what’s going on or why it’s taking so long, but as a former player, I just want to tell Pearly and Thinaah to resolve this matter quickly; it’s for their own good.
“An athlete’s focus should be solely on training and competing. This sort of uncertainty is an unnecessary distraction that could affect their performance,” James told Scoop today.
James, who previously served as BAM’s high-performance director, also urged the pair to use this competition break wisely — both to settle the issue and to improve key aspects of their game.
To their credit, the former French Open champions have been enjoying a strong run of form. Since winning the Thailand Open last month, they have reached the semi-finals of the Malaysia Masters, the quarter-finals of the Singapore Open, and finished runners-up at the prestigious Super 1000 Indonesia Open.
“The girls have made clear progress, and I think part of that is down to coach Rosman Razak — they wanted him.
“So why not make the most of this time? Let Rosman take them to the next level. There’s no need to be distracted by this contract issue,” James added.
The ball now appears to be in Pearly and Thinaah’s court, with BAM yet to issue a firm deadline.
Yesterday, newly-appointed BAM president Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz reiterated his desire to retain the pair — even though they have now been without a contract for over six months.
As previously reported by Scoop, Pearly and Thinaah have been seeking revised terms in line with BAM’s top earners, believed to be around RM2 million per year.
Although their contracts expired in December 2024, they have continued to train at the Akademi Badminton Malaysia, fly business class, and receive salaries — despite not having a formal agreement in place. — June 14, 2025