Ahmad Faizal Azumu said the falling out between the two was not something that Malaysians and fans of badminton needed “at this moment”.

“If national interest is put first, there will always be a solution,” he said in a tweet.

Faizal said both the player’s future and the country’s ranking on the world stage should not be thrown into jeopardy because of the dispute.

BAM earlier today placed a two-year ban on Zii Jia from representing Malaysia at international tournaments, following the latter’s resignation from the association earlier this week.

The response to the decision by Zii Jia, ranked world No 7, was met with derision from world No 1 Viktor Axelsen, and former deputy youth and sports minister Steven Sim, among others.

BAM president Norza Zakaria previously claimed that Zii Jia “couldn’t take the pressure” and wanted to achieve his dreams “at his own pace.”