“Pot calling the kettle black”: Netizens criticise Rashid Sidek for hounding Lee Zii Jia

“Pot calling the kettle black”: Netizens criticise Rashid Sidek for hounding Lee Zii Jia




UNABLE to stomach badminton legend Datuk Rashid Sidek’s tirade against Lee Zii Jia, netizens took to social media to hurl brickbats at him, reminding the former of his own issues with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) in the past.

User Peter Cheong said:



(Remember your own attitude back in the 1980s, then advise Lee)

User Drs Marul added:



(The Sidek brothers also left the BAM in the past and established Nusa Mahsuri…with no action taken against them)

Netizen Anwar Syafiq echoed the duo sentiments, adding:



(Datuk, you also left BAM in the past. Not only that, you even set up Nusa Mahsuri as you had issues with the BAM. You even lured Roslin Hasim out of BAM until the latter got fined and you people resorted to collecting donations from the public to pay it off.

(Anyhow, one cannot become a professional player if parked under BAM. Everything is controlled that you can’t even train under another coach. If you look at other international players, they are not parked under an association but still represent their countries.

(The problem with BAM is its engulfed with cronyism, nepotism and vindictiveness. If you don’t join them, your name will not be listed to play at the international arena, so as to kill off your career. It’s just like politics; if you don’t vote for me, I will block all allocations)

Ever since Lee decided to resign from BAM to become a professional player, Rashid has been going on a tirade against the former.

He even urged the BAM to penalise Lee, so as to teach a lesson to other players who are planning to leave the national badminton body.

Earlier today, Rashid urged Lee to repent and urged him to return to BAM’s fold as the latter had nurtured him from his rookie years.

“It’s not too late. BAM has the right to take action as they have provided for these badminton players since young and now, they just want to leave which is in breach of the regulation.

“I hope Lee thinks hard about this and if he wants to become a great player, he should repent,” Rashid was reported saying by Astro Awani.

Overhaul BAM instead

It is to note that back in the 1980s and 1990s, the Sidek brothers dominated the national badminton landscape. Rashid was even part of the contingent that helped Malaysia win Thomas Cup 1992.

Back then, the brothers wielded so much influence in the Malaysian badminton arena that they even set up their own establishment, Nusa Mahsuri to train and groom new badminton players.

Unimpressed with Rashid’s assertions, user Mohd Fairuz Mohamed Kassim said that if there was someone who should repent, it should be BAM’s administrators.



(BAM is the one who should repent. Revamp its structure and throw away all the parasites…simple)

On that note, netizen Wan Amirul urged all quarters to stop slandering Lee and find out the real reason why the badminton star was quitting BAM.



(There must be a reason why Lee wants to leave BAM and I don’t think it’s due to money and sponsorship. Anyway, just because he is no longer with BAM it does not mean he cannot represent Malaysia anymore. Just that he will have more freedom in choosing his own tournaments, coach and set his own training regime. Instead of embracing change, BAM is accusing Lee of everything under the sun without any proof) – Jan 23, 2022.

Main photo credit: Astro Awani