KUCHING: National women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah were among the recipients of the Bintang Kesatria Mangku Negara (KMN) at the 2026 Federal Awards, Decorations and Medals Investiture Ceremony held in conjunction with the Official Birthday celebration of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, at Istana Negara today.
The recognition caps a remarkable rise for the duo, who have spent the past few years rewriting the record books for Malaysian women’s doubles.
Their biggest breakthrough came at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where they became the first Malaysian women’s doubles pair to reach the semi-finals.
A year later, the World No. 2 pair added another historic achievement by securing silver at the BWF World Championships in Paris, becoming the first Malaysian women’s doubles pair to win a medal at the tournament.
The pair have also enjoyed success on the BWF World Tour, collecting seven titles since winning their first crown at the Swiss Open in 2021.
Among their notable victories are the French Open, Hong Kong Open, Thailand Open, Arctic Open, Japan Masters and Indonesia Masters.
Pearly and Thinaah were also instrumental in Malaysia’s successful campaign at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where they captured the women’s doubles gold medal and contributed to the country’s mixed team gold.
Last year, the pair ended Malaysia’s decade-long wait for a SEA Games women’s doubles gold medal after triumphing in Thailand.
Their latest honour comes as they prepare for another challenge on the international stage, with the duo set to begin their Indonesia Open 2026 campaign tomorrow.
The Malaysians will face Canada’s Crystal Lai and Jeslyn Dent in the opening round of the Super 1000 tournament in Jakarta tomorrow.
For Pearly and Thinaah, the KMN award is recognition of a partnership that has not only delivered medals and titles, but also helped elevate Malaysian women’s doubles to new heights.
