Former national badminton coach Pek Siah slams BAM

Former national women’s doubles coach Lim Pek Siah launched a scathing attack at the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), claiming they ditched her without a valid reason despite doing well during her stint.

Lim was not given a contract extension and made to leave in 2018 after more than three years in the national setup.

The national body had also decided against retaining the services of three other coaches in what they called a trimming exercise.

Now, the former Commonwealth Games gold medalist has shed light on her exit.

"They could not give me a good answer when I asked why I had to leave. The bonus promised for meeting the key performance index (KPI) was also not given.

"I felt it was unfair. The salary of the foreign coaches are three times more than the locals. We work just as hard but we are left out when we are not needed. I was a pioneer with the BAM when they started their first academy in 1992. I worked hard but some leaders don’t even know my name.

"It all depends on the leadership really," Lim told The Star.

The 40-year-old was especially aggrieved at her exit because the women’s doubles team had done well under her and Wong Pei Tty.

Vivian Hoo-Chow Mei Kuan clinched gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, while the rest also contributed several titles on the World Tour circuit that year.

Lim was roped in by former technical director Morten Frost in 2015, who also left with a shock resignation in 2017 despite have a five-year contract.

She is now attached with the Singapore Badminton Association and she feels valued serving there.

"I’ve been coaching the women’s doubles in Singapore for five months now. The way they do things here are different, but at least they take care of their coaches. Their hiring process is professional and they are clear with their expectations," she added.