Tengku Zafrul to unveil long-term plan for Malaysian badminton by end-August
Tengku Zafrul, who was elected unopposed to the post in May, has since embarked on a series of engagement sessions with key stakeholders including former players, to gather input and conduct a full stocktake of the current badminton ecosystem.
Describing the engagement sessions as quite productive, the Investment, Trade and Industry Minister said the positive response from various quarters shows a shared desire to improve the sport.
'They (stakeholders) have different views but the fact that they want to share means they want to see improvement in the sport.
'I think it (plan) cannot be overnight, but at least we have targets for the next three years, the next five years and the next 10 years,' he said during a session with media here, today.
In May, Tengku Zafrul requested a 100-day period to gather input from stakeholders, players, the coaching team, and sponsors before formulating a strategic and effective plan for the development of badminton in the country.
Asked whether he had met all stakeholders, Tengku Zafrul said discussions are ongoing and will include official calls on the Youth and Sports Ministry including its minister Hannah Yeoh, National Sports Council, and national coaches by end of the month.
When asked about the key area he aims to address in steering BAM forward, he said it is important to understand the current landscape before mapping out long-term goals.
'To understand where you want to go, you must understand where you are today. To know where you are today means you have to do a stock-take from finance to the governance structure, to the players, to the coaches,' he said.
Tengku Zafrul said that each segment of the national badminton ecosystem including sponsorship, grassroots development, infrastructure and coaching must be assessed and improved cohesively, as progress in one area cannot compensate for weaknesses in others.
He added that expectations for Malaysian badminton remain high among the public and stakeholders, and meeting those expectations would need a unified approach, structured planning and a clear understanding of current capabilities. — Bernama
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
29 minutes ago
- The Sun
Asia-US shipping rates to fall further amid tariff turmoil
SINGAPORE: Asia-US sea freight rates are set to drop further in 2025 as shipping capacity outpaces demand and trade routes shift due to tariffs and geopolitical tensions, though vessel rerouting is expected to limit some losses, industry experts said. Average spot rates for containers from Asia to the US west and east coasts have slumped by 58% and 46% respectively, since June 1 and are expected to fall further, according to shipping analytics firm Xeneta. Adding to uncertainty are unresolved trade talks between the US and China. Officials from the world's top two economies last week agreed to seek an extension of their 90-day tariff truce. The China-US trade lane remains one of the most profitable for container ship operators. Sea freight saw a brief uptick in late May and early June as shippers took advantage of a 90-day pause in US President Donald Trump's tariffs, but rates quickly fell as capacity outweighed demand, Xeneta data showed. 'There is significant overcapacity globally and this will continue to shape the market,' said Erik Devetak, Xeneta's chief technology and data officer. 'China-to-US trade is dampened and the EU economy is not exactly hot, so blanked sailings and cancellations will become a recurring theme as carriers desperately try to keep freight rates up,' Devetek said. Blanked sailing refers to cancelled port calls or voyages. Logistics major DHL noted that spot rates, which rose in the early summer surge of traffic from Asia to North America, have since reversed. 'Carriers rushed to add capacity on the transpacific to chase early gains, but oversupply is becoming apparent as the momentum fades,' said Niki Frank, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific. Jarl Milford, maritime analyst at Veson Nautical, expects rates to decline steadily in the second half when more vessels are expected to enter the market. 'Ongoing uncertainty, including tariff policy and slowing global demand, adds continued pressure,' Milford said. Ocean Network Express, a joint venture between Japan's Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Nippon Yusen, said last week that 'recent trade uncertainties further complicate visibility for the latter half of the fiscal year'. A key factor helping absorb some of the excess capacity, however, is the rerouting of vessels from traditional sailings. Carriers are diverting from the Red Sea following attacks by Yemeni Houthis, and some are bypassing US ports to avoid tariffs. These longer voyages are soaking up more ships and helping provide a floor for rates, analysts said. 'These diversions continue to soak up in excess of 10% of containership supply, leading capacity utilisation to a healthy level in the 86-87% range,' analysts at Jefferies Research wrote, referring to the Red Sea. And while China's exports to the US have fallen, shipments elsewhere have climbed. Jefferies analysts said spot bookings to the US in recent weeks suggest July volumes are likely to be down, pushing transpacific freight rates to their lowest this year, but rates to markets such as Europe and Latin America remain elevated. – Reuters
Malay Mail
29 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Bangladesh's Yunus calls for reform on revolution anniversary
DHAKA, Aug 5 — Bangladesh's interim leader today marked the one year anniversary since the overthrow of the autocratic regime of Sheikh Hasina by calling for people to seize the 'opportunity' of reform. But Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, the 85-year-old who is leading the caretaker government as its chief adviser until elections are held, also warned against those he said sought to roll back gains made. 'Today marks an unforgettable chapter in the history of Bangladesh', Yunus said, marking a day he said had led to 'liberating our beloved nation from the grip of long-standing fascist rule'. Yunus will address expected crowds outside parliament in the evening --- where he is slated to issue a 'proclamation' alongside leaders of key political parties. The South Asian nation of around 170 million people has been in political turmoil since a student-led revolt ousted then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024, ending her 15-year rule. The anniversary is a public holiday, and apart from scattered political rallies, the streets of the capital Dhaka were quiet. Ordinary Bangladeshis who could took the opportunity to relax while others continued the daily grind of work. 'The working class people sacrificed their lives in large numbers and then returned to their regular jobs,' said Rafiqul Islam Helal, 40, running a roadside tea stall. 'Politics doesn't help us pay the bills, so we didn't take part in any programmes.' 'Stand united' Hasina's rule saw widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents, and Yunus has pledged to overhaul democratic institutions. 'The sacrifice of thousands has gifted us this rare opportunity for national reform, and we must protect it at any cost,' Yunus said in letter issued to mark the anniversary. 'The fallen autocrats and their self-serving allies remain active, conspiring to derail our progress.' But he said that while the interim government had made 'extensive reform efforts', a deal on measures to prevent a return to authoritarian rule remained elusive. Efforts have made slow progress as political parties jostle for power ahead of elections, slated for early 2026. 'Dialogue continues with political parties and stakeholders on necessary reforms, including the political and electoral systems', he added. He called for people to remember the sacrifices made last year and work together. 'Let us stand united beyond all divisions to confront and defeat these threats,' he added. 'Together, we will build a Bangladesh where tyranny will never rise again.' Protests began on July 1, 2024, with university students calling for reforms to a quota system for public sector jobs. They culminated on August 5, 2024, when thousands of protesters stormed Hasina's palace as she escaped by helicopter. Hasina, 77, remains in India, where she has defied court orders to attend her ongoing trial on charges amounting to crimes against humanity. — AFP
Malay Mail
29 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
China to offer free pre-school education from autumn
BEIJING, Aug 5 — China said today it would introduce free pre-school education from the autumn, as the world's second most populous nation seeks to boost childbirth in the face of a looming demographic crisis. China's population has declined for three consecutive years, with United Nations demography models predicting it could fall from around 1.4 billion today to 800 million by 2100. There were just 9.54 million births in China last year, half the number in 2016, when Beijing ended its one-child policy after more than three decades. The population declined by 1.39 million last year, and China lost its crown as the world's most populous country to India in 2023. Marriage rates are also at record low levels, with many young couples put off having babies by high child-rearing costs and career concerns. Yesterday China's cabinet, the State Council, announced that: 'starting in the fall semester of 2025, childcare and education fees will be waived for children attending public kindergartens in the year before school'. The policy aims to 'effectively reduce the cost of education, improve the level of public education services, and provide education that satisfies the people', the State Council said. Beijing described it as an 'important measure that concerns thousands upon thousands of households and relates to long-term development'. Funding for the new measure would be shared between central and local authorities, while children attending approved private kindergartens would also be eligible for fee reductions. The announcement comes a week after the country said it would offer parents the equivalent of US$500 per year for each child under the age of three. At a news conference in Beijing last week, National Health Commission (NHC) official Wang Haidong acknowledged that the country had 'gradually shifted from a phase of population growth to a phase of population decline'. 'The childcare subsidy system can directly increase people's cash income,' Guo Yanhong, vice minister of the NHC, said. Chinese leaders have in recent years struggled to breathe life into the economy, beset by a years-long property crisis that has spooked would-be homebuyers and dissuaded many people from having children. China's shrinking population is also ageing fast, sparking worries about the future of the country's pension system. There were nearly 310 million people aged 60 and over in 2024. — AFP
