KUALA LUMPUR – Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has lauded the appointment of Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei to the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) council, calling it a significant step forward that exemplifies her long-standing call for former national athletes to take up key roles within sports associations.
Expressing her excitement, Yeoh said the move was something she had hoped to see since taking office three years ago.
“This is truly something I have been looking forward to since becoming Sports Minister in 2022,” she said.
“I believe that Lee Chong Wei has so much to offer to the development of badminton in Malaysia and he should not be on the sidelines of BAM.”
The minister stressed that having athletes of his calibre directly involved in policy and decision-making would be transformative for National Sports Associations (NSAs).
“Having him assisting us in NSC (National Sports Council) and RTG (Road to Gold) is something I am very grateful for, but I believe when athletes lead in the national sports association, it will definitely inject a sense of excitement, confidence and precision in the NSA decisions and policies,” Yeoh added.
Over the past two years, Yeoh has been working closely with the three-time Olympic silver medallist. In fact, it was Yeoh who appointed Chong Wei as a committee member and mentor for the elite RTG programme, which also features other sporting icons such as Datuk Nicol David (squash) and Datuk Mirnawan Nawawi (hockey).
In a personal message to the former world No. 1, the minister expressed her gratitude and encouragement.
“Thank you very much LCW for finally saying yes! Now it’s time to move from knee to waist-deep in pouring back into Malaysian badminton. ‘Kam sia lu’ (Thank you very much),” she said. – Aug 16, 2025