Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) deputy president Datuk V. Subramaniam (right) talk to media while looks on is BAM secretary Datuk Kenny Goh during Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) Asian Junior Championships Special Task Force Press Conference in Bukit Kiara yesterday. 28/7/2023/S.S.Kanesan/ The Star.
PETALING JAYA: Could the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) recent investigation on the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) be an attempt to throw a wrench into the body’s upcoming elections ahead of next year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM)?
BAM acting president Datuk V. Subramaniam did not rule out the possibility that someone could have tipped off MACC, leaving BAM to be investigated by the anti-corruption body last week.
With BAM’s annual general meeting and elections expected to be held around April or May next year, Subramaniam said the investigation could be related to the upcoming elections.
“We don’t know what the reason is right now and we have to wait and see. These sorts of things happen for many reasons,” he said when met during BAM’s new five-year partnership with Yonex yesterday.
“I’m not ruling that out (related to the elections), we have seen many things in life.”
When asked if someone from within the fraternity had been the whistleblower, Subramaniam said he had been in the dark regarding the investigation.
He also said he was not aware that one suspect had already been called in by MACC to give their statements, and denied having given his own statement for the investigation.
“I don’t know about that as I did not receive any info about the investigation.
“I have not given any statement. We will wait for them to complete the investigation so at the moment let’s be patient,” he said.
Subramaniam, who took over the reins at BAM from former president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria in August, did not give a timeline for when the investigations will conclude.
BAM had released a statement on Tuesday confirming the investigation. MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki also confirmed that they are currently investigating a high-ranking individual from BAM and not the body itself.
Meanwhile, BAM’s partnership with Yonex will go on until 2028, strengthening their shared commitment to national badminton excellence.
The extension of the tripartite agreement, originally set to conclude in 2026, reflected the strong foundation of trust between BAM, Yonex, and Sunrise, and will see BAM continue to receive world-class equipment for their national players.
