Tengku Zafrul said this amount is to cover management and administrative expenses, with wages and benefits for players and coaches, as well as the cost of sending shuttlers for international competitions, making up more than half of its annual expenditure.

He said that as of November 2025, the association had already spent RM54 million, Berita Harian reported.

While BAM also spends a high amount to organise competitions here, he said these events actually contribute to its revenue.

“For the first 11 months of last year, our revenue exceeded RM50 million. We also received an allocation of RM5.5 million from the government,” he said.

Nonetheless, Tengku Zafrul said, BAM will need to increase its revenue by about 20% to cover its current operating costs, especially with its annual financial needs expected to increase every year.

He said BAM was strengthening its branding and marketing to attract more corporate support and sponsors.

BAM council member Shazalli Ramly, the former CEO of Telekom Malaysia Bhd, has been tasked with spearheading this effort as chairman of its branding and marketing committee.

“We need to strengthen BAM’s branding so that it’s easier to convince potential sponsors. That’s (Shazalli’s) mandate and we are confident it will bear fruit,” Tengku Zafrul said.

He asaid BAM hoped to be more transparent about the contracts of shuttlers by revealing the details of their contract and salary, though decisions are still at an early stage.

While players may disagree with revealing their salaries, he said transparency was crucial to ensure BAM’s integrity, governance and consistency in management.

“In many professional sports, contracts are usually made public.”