Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek expressed shock today at the resignation of Misbun Sidek as the national singles badminton coach.

He said that he has contacted the Badminton Association of Malaysia and been told that Misbun gave no reason for quitting, but Ahmad Shabery still wants a report from BAM as soon as possible.

"If there was no reason given, it is possible that Misbun has a personal reason. I will get the information from BAM. It so happens that its president (Nadzmi Mohd Salleh) is overseas now. I will wait for the report," he told reporters in Parit Buntar.

"If he resigns because of a problem we are ready to respond to the reason that he gives. But because he has given no reason, maybe he has a personal problem or there is something he is not happy with," he said.

Asked if he would ask Misbun to postpone his decision, Ahmad Shabery said that he did not want to take any action before hearing from both sides.

He also did not want to comment on reports that senior players, especially Lee Chong Wei, might quit if Misbun resigned.

If Misbun's decision is final, Ahmad Shabery said, the ministry will have to look at the options available to ensure that the "Road to London" preparations continue and the future of Malaysian badminton is not jeopardised.

A newspaper report today quoted BAM general manager Kenny Goh as saying that Misbun had resigned his post via an e-mail dated Dec 31.

'Don't jump at foreign offers'

Meanwhile, Ahmad Shabery said Malaysian footballers who receive offers from foreign clubs should think in terms of career development.      

He said they should consider whether playing for the clubs would improve  their game and career.     

"Would they be comfortable playing in a different club? We must be open minded in answering such a question. There are English footballers who do not play in England, for example, and Spanish players who do not play in their country.     

"This is usual. But when they are entrusted with international duties they go for centralised training to represent their country," he told reporters.       

He was commenting on reports that Malaysian striker Mohd Safee Sali had received offers from football clubs in Indonesia and Vietnam.     
Ahmad Shabery said that Malaysian footballers should not be motivated solely by a high salary, but must look to playing under a top coach and alongside quality teammates.     

On the call by the MIC that national football coach K Rajagobal, who recently guided the Malaysian team to the AFF-Suzuki Cup, be made a datuk, Ahmad Shabery said that such an honour was bestowed only by the rulers and not at the behest of any quarters.     

He said that his ministry could make a proposal on the conferment of datukship, but whether it was agreed to or not was a different matter.     

Meanwhile, in Petaling Jaya, Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) deputy president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah echoed a similar view to that of the sports minister, urging players to assess the quality of clubs and the leagues before making such decisions.     
"If the club they are going to join is on par with clubs Parit Buntar or inferior to ours, it is better they remain put here. However, we (FAM) will not stop any player from plying their career elsewhere," he said.    

- Bernama