PETALING JAYA: Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz believes the compensation required from players who intend to leave the national squad before the end of their contracts is fair.
Zafrul explained that the proposal was put forward by committee chairman Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei, who has called for BAM to take a firmer stance to prevent a waste of talent after significant investment has been made in developing players.
Zafrul likened the policy to scholarship agreements, where recipients must either serve their sponsors for a set period or repay the funds if they opt to leave early.
“He (Chong Wei) did mention that we need to be more firm. As a former player and a legend, he never left BAM and has his own views on ensuring that players who leave BAM should compensate the association, as the investment made on each player is substantial, running into millions from the early stages of their development until they turn professional.
“And I think from a governance perspective, it is fair. Everywhere we see, whether it is scholarships from companies, if the recipient does not fulfil the required service period of five to seven years, they have to repay it. It is the same principle, so I have no issue with it,” said Zafrul.
The compensation clause is already included in the contracts of current players, but BAM are now reviewing it to ensure it is fair not only to the players, but also to the association.
Players who intend to leave the national set-up face a two-year suspension from international tournaments or are required to pay compensation of between RM300,000 and RM500,000.
However, Zafrul said there have been instances in the past where BAM waived the compensation, although that stance could change after the proposal is tabled at the BAM council meeting in May.
“But previously, there were cases where players did not comply with their contracts. We do have contracts with our top players, and if they break them in any form, they are required to pay. That has always been there.
“It is just that we have waived some of it before. And I think Chong Wei’s point is that we should not waive it. We need to be stricter. There were instances where players did not fulfil their contracts but we did not enforce the clause.”
So I think Chong Wei believes we have to be firmer,” he added.
