The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) has ordered an immediate post-mortem after the national men’s team suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat to Indonesia in the SEA Games final on Wednesday.
Malaysia’s bid for the men’s team gold fell apart as Leong Jun Hao, Justin Hoh, and Aaron Chia–Soh Wooi Yik all lost convincingly. Indonesia, who did not send their strongest lineup, still managed a clean sweep, raising major concerns within BAM ahead of upcoming major events.
BAM secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh stated that both coaching directors, Kenneth Jonassen (singles) and Rexy Mainaky (doubles), must conduct a detailed review immediately. With the Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) 2026 set for Feb 3-8 in Qingdao, China, BAM wants answers without delay.
Kenny described the result as disappointing and said decisive action is required to prevent similar failures, especially as preparations for BATC continue. Speaking while attending the taekwondo competition at Fashion Island Mall, he emphasised the need for a thorough and honest assessment.
Despite the setback, he urged the shuttlers to refocus on the individual events, scheduled from Thursday to Sunday. Malaysia had originally set a four-gold target for the SEA Games, held from Dec 9-20 across Bangkok and Chonburi.
