He thinks the gold medals will be delivered by Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, the 2025 world mixed doubles champions, and Pearly Tan-M Thinaah, the 2025 world women’s doubles runners-up.

“These are the two events I dare say (we can win). In mixed doubles, the threat will come from Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran, as they will be playing on home ground.

“If Pearly-Thinaah are in peak condition, we can get gold in women’s doubles as well. But we don’t want to put pressure on them since this will also be their first SEA Games outing,” he said after a council meeting of the Badminton Association of Malaysia.

Rexy did not rule out the possibility that Malaysia could also clinch a gold medal in the men’s doubles.

He said the national badminton team can expect a torrid time from Indonesia and Thailand, who will be just as motivated to steal the show.

“They have yet to win many titles, and they will surely look at this as their best opportunity. In the past few championships, it’s obvious that Indonesia’s doubles pairs have managed to get the better of our top pairs,” he said.

BAM are also banking on former men’s doubles world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik.

Others bound for the SEA Games are Leong Jun Hao and Justin Hoh (men’s singles); and K Letshanaa and Wong Ling Ching (women’s singles).

BAM are also counting on Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun (men’s doubles); Go Pei Kee-Teoh Mei Xing (women’s doubles); and Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin (mixed doubles) to turn on the style.

At the 2023 games in Phnom Penh, Malaysia sent their backup shuttlers and returned home with two silver and four bronze medals to finish behind Indonesia, who bagged five golds, three silvers and three bronzes; and Thailand, who had a 2-2-3 medal haul.