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Malaysian shuttler Ong Yew Sin has been advised to lodge a police report after he and his men’s doubles partner were threatened with physical violence over what online abusers described as poor performances, the South China Morning Post said.

Ong said on social media that he received abusive messages, including threats of physical harm, after he and partner Teo Ee Yi were eliminated in the first round of the Indonesia Masters on Jan. 20.

“I will bring a knife and injure Ee Yi’s hand, forcing you to either change partners or retire,” one message said, according to New Straits Times is Jan. 21.

Ong and Teo lost to Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan, marking their third consecutive first-round exit after suffering similarly early losses at the Malaysia Open and India Open.

“You are not only unworthy of facing seeded opponents, you are not even fit to compete in top-level tournaments. You are nothing but a burden to the team, fools … When I say something, I mean it, and I will make it happen. I will use every means possible to force you to retire,” read the messages Ong shared.

Ong said he was distressed and that the threats had crossed a line.

On Jan. 22, Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus said Ong should file a police report as the messages constituted a criminal offence.

“Ong Yew Sin needs to file a report so that investigations can be conducted and appropriate action taken.

“This is the responsibility of the authorities. We have zero tolerance for any reported crime and will respond accordingly. If there are criminal elements involved, we will deal with them as best as possible,” he told local news outlet The Star.

The threats against Ong are part of a wider pattern of online abuse targeting Malaysian badminton players, a sport that carries strong national pride due to the country’s continued international and Olympic success.

National player Toh Ee Wei has also spoken out about online attacks following her early exits at the India Open and the Malaysia Open, with some comments directed at her family.

“For me, I’m OK. But my parents are sad; they took care of me until I grew up, which was not easy. When people say things like that, it’s really unpleasant to hear,” she said.

In Oct. 2025, the Badminton Association of Malaysia said it “strongly condemned such behaviour” and called on the public “to express their views with respect and positivity”.