KUALA LUMPUR — Several documents sighted by Scoop suggest that an administrative oversight could be behind the alleged poison pen letter which prompted the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to launch an investigation into a senior official of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM).
The investigation, which centres on claims that the BAM official received additional payments without board approval, is being carried out under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which deals with abuse of power for personal or related benefit.
It is understood that at the heart of the allegations cited in the poison pen letter, are the additional payments, the RM10 million from BAM’s 2021 land sale in Taman Maluri, and a sponsorship extension deal with sports equipment brand Yonex.
“It doesn’t make sense because there is no embezzlement or misappropriation of funds. The RM10 million is there in BAM’s account and is just waiting to be transferred to the Yayasan BAM foundation once the new account is set up,” said one source.
“As for the additional allowances, the board approves and knows,” the source told Scoop, suggesting that a minor administrative oversight could have been exploited to tarnish reputations.
Further, BAM not only secured Yonex’s sponsorship until the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics but also negotiated a RM2 million increase, bringing the total to RM7 million annually, up from RM5 million in 2021.
BAM is also expected to sign an extension deal with Petronas by the end of the year, as well as a new sponsor early next year, reportedly a major insurance company.
The MACC and BAM both confirmed the investigation after Scoop broke the story last week. Since then, various sources have come forward, sharing their side of the story.
BAM’s acting president, Datuk V. Subramaniam, also did not rule out the fact that the controversy could be linked to next year’s BAM presidential elections, though nominations have not yet opened. – December 5, 2025