KUALA LUMPUR: Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh is thankful to have former national athletes as part of the Road to Gold (RTG) committee.
She feels that they not only provide valuable insights but also speak up on pressing matters with the nation's interests at heart.
Yeoh shared a Timesport report today on her X account expressing her gratitude to former world No. 1 badminton player Lee Chong Wei, who recently voiced out his views on the decline of Malaysian badminton.
"Very thankful Lee Chong Wei is part of RTG committee, he provides valuable insights and speaks up only because he has Malaysia's best interest at heart.
"That's exactly why athletes like him and Nicol David are part of RTG decision making process," read her post on X.
For context, Chong Wei, a three-time Olympic silver medallist, has lashed out at the national shuttlers following their lacklustre display at the recent Petronas Malaysia Open.
For a second straight year, no Malaysian shuttler advanced beyond the quarter-finals last Friday.
Men's doubles, Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi - both pairs under the RTG programme - were the only Malaysian players in the last eight stage.
Chong Wei, a 12-time champion at the prestigious home event, did not hold back, questioning players who went holidaying in December, when it was so close to the start of the event.
However, this did not sit well with some quarters, especially the diehard badminton fans who deem Chong Wei an old-fashioned person, with outdated views.
Unfazed by these armchair critics, Chong Wei told Timesport that he is ready to become public enemy to stop the rot.