Sarawak Badminton Association dispute not about power struggle, says president

Badminton shuttlecocks. — DayakDaily.com file pic. // Photo: Pixabay

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, June 17: Sarawak Badminton Association (SBA) president Nathan Laing has clarified that its internal dispute which was settled in Court recently was not about a power struggle.

He explained that the previous committee removed or excluded nearly 70 per cent of the Divisional Badminton Associations as affiliates based on subjective decisions, including adding new affiliate members that did not represent their respective divisions.

“The Court deemed these actions to be in violation of the SBA constitution and therefore rendered them null and void,” he said in a statement today.

His clarification came in response to concerns expressed by Sarawak Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development (MYSED) Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah recently.

On May 17, 2024, the Kuching High Court ruled to nullify the appointment of SBA office bearers following a dispute over its annual general meeting (AGM) and election proceedings held in a hybrid format in July 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The court also reinstated the leadership of president Nathan Laing, secretary Johnny Ng and treasurer Robert Law, along with the memberships of seven affiliate members.

Nathan further believed that Abdul Karim would not be in agreement of the actions of the previous committee, which were determined by the Court to be an abuse of power and unconstitutional.

“Karim also inquired about whether an EGM and AGM were conducted and announced. We are pleased to inform him that these meetings were indeed held with the majority attendance of the affiliate members.

“These details are thoroughly documented in the review before the Judge and were served on the previous committee members, who are fully aware of them.

“Additionally, the reports of these meetings have been sent to the Sarawak Sports Commissioner,” he explained, adding that an email clarifying the situation has been sent to Abdul Karim.

At the same time, Nathan pledged that SBA is dedicated to upholding its integrity and ensuring that all divisional BAs are properly represented.

He also said the actions of the previous committee, which did not follow the constitution, must not continue; otherwise, there is a risk of similar issues arising in the future where members could be removed through inappropriate means.

“It is essential for the SBA to be managed in strict accordance with its constitution to instil confidence in Sarawak badminton.

“Moving forward, we will ensure that player selections are based on merit and not connections. A fair and rigorous selection process will be implemented and adhered to,” he emphasised. — DayakDaily