KUALA LUMPUR – The support system is in place. The lines are open. But Lee Zii Jia has yet to respond — and his silence speaks louder by the day.
As public concern grows over the independent shuttler’s mental health and competitive future, Malaysia’s top sporting institutions — the Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS), the National Sports Institute (NSI) and the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) — remain in the dark, despite having made it clear they’re ready to assist.
“So far, we have not heard anything. We’ve offered (to help), but nothing. We hope his team will contact us if there is a need,” said NSI chief executive Dr Vellapandian Ponnusamy when contacted by Scoop.
BAM secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh was similarly brief: “No,” he said when asked if Team LZJ had made contact.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, speaking at the Asian Pickleball Summit earlier today, said she would not speculate on Zii Jia’s mental state, but reiterated that the door is always open.
“If an athlete feels they’re not ready to compete, then I respect that,” she said. “Zii Jia has my number, and I trust he’ll reach out to me if he needs anything.”
Zii Jia’s absence from the badminton circuit has become more pronounced after he withdrew from both the ongoing Japan Open and next week’s China Open, further clouding his status ahead of next month’s World Championships in Paris.
This follows a troubling pattern of behaviour on social media, where the Paris Olympics bronze medallist recently posted cryptic and dark content that many interpreted as signs of emotional distress.
Fans have since rallied in support, with some launching an online petition urging others to stand by him and respect his privacy during what appears to be a difficult period.
Ranked 27th in the world, the 27-year-old has only competed in two events this year — the Orleans Masters and the All England — before applying for a protected ranking from the Badminton World Federation (BWF), citing an ankle injury sustained at the 2024 World Tour Finals.
But injury alone no longer seems to explain the full picture.
For now, the institutions are waiting. The phone is on. The offers still stand. But Zii Jia’s silence lingers.— July 17, 2025