Ghaz Ramli, who heads The Badminton Association of Western Australia, tells us why he loves Perth and shares some tips for making the most of a visit to the city
Photography: Shutterstock, Tourism Western Australia, City of Vincent
I was born in Ipoh, a small town two hours from Kuala Lumpur. I had a pretty idyllic childhood filled with friends, fun and games. I started my career as a journalist, specialising in sports journalism pretty early on, and then segued into sports administration. I’ve worked in motorsports, including Formula 1, ATP Tennis, cycling, rugby…you name it.
I moved to Perth in 2011 with my wife and guess what? It feels exactly like Ipoh! They are both smaller cities, with lots of parks and greenery, and that’s why I love living in Perth – it reminds me of home.
My first job in Perth was with the football club Perth Glory in membership sales and service. It was quite a steep learning curve, but I managed to achieve record numbers in acquiring memberships. After that I moved to the Fremantle Dockers, which is an Australian rules football club, and then worked with a pro baseball team. In between, I’d taken a sabbatical to study sports business, and after Covid, I went back to Perth Glory to help them get back on their feet after the pandemic.
In 2022, I joined the Badminton Association of Western Australia (Badminton WA) as their chief executive officer. Coming from Malaysia, badminton is second nature to me. It is more popular as a social sport than an organised sport. But my ambition is to leave a legacy of having developed the sport in Western Australia, where we can start to produce world-class athletes.
Work keeps me pretty busy, but now that I am a father to two kids with a third on the way, I am prioritising work-life balance. I’ve swapped the glamorous world of F1 parties for more low-key hobbies like gardening. But when I do head out, here are some of my favourite places in the city.
Where I get my sports gear
I like Onside Sports in Malaga for all my sportswear needs. When it comes to badminton, Nick Kidd Badminton Arena is great (you can find Yonex gear here) and Perth Badminton Arena also has a good selection of products from Victor.
Sports cheers
When I’m hanging out with fellow sports lovers, I go to Varsity. It’s a chain of American-themed sports establishments where you come for the games and vibe but stay for the food – you can’t go wrong with the classic cheeseburger here.
Meaty feast
My favourite Perth restaurant is Lapa Brazilian Barbeque in Subiaco. It’s a rodizio churrascaria – an all-you-can-eat affair featuring 16 different juicy cuts of meat, served straight from the grill, in a variety of flavours and styles. It’s an amazing experience and the whole family loves it.
The best family-friendly outing in Perth is…
Fremantle. We love hanging out in this harbourfront suburb of Perth near the Swan River. You can do a lot of things here, like go on a river cruise, visit a museum or go shopping. It has a lot of places to eat and drink, from heritage pubs and waterside restaurants. It’s a historic area, so it’s worth visiting the famous Fremantle Prison as well as discovering all the great street art.
What I miss most about Malaysia is…
The food. When I get homesick there are several places where I can have my fill of the flavours of home. Spencer Village Food Court in Thornlie has a familiar setting, with a huge variety of Asian food in hawker-style stalls. Don’t miss the rendang. You can also try out some of the more unique delicacies that will be hard to find anywhere else in Perth, like a smoothie made from durian, Malaysia’s infamous “king of fruit”.
I can spend a whole day…
At Kings Park and Botanic Garden. It’s one of the world’s largest parks and it has a lovely view of the city. It’s also free. The Western Australia botanical garden has over 3,000 species of plants on display, plus there are lots of bush trails. This is also a place of Indigenous cultural importance and it’s a traditional sacred spot for Aboriginal Australians.
A little-known secret about Perth is…
If you are a badminton player, you can join one of Badminton WA’s many tournaments throughout the weekend. With all categories (amateur to open) available, players of different levels can come experience Perth’s local life in a unique way. Go to Badminton WA to find our calendar.
Street style
Head down to Leederville to find some of Perth’s best shopping. There is a strip of trendy boutiques and independent stores along Oxford Street, many housed in historic Art Deco buildings. Meg & Wally offers one-of-a-kind fashion and homeware pieces, while Perlu stocks top Aussie labels including Bec + Bridge and Camilla and Marc. There are lots of lovely bars and cafés here too, and it’s a cool place to hang out and people-watch any day of the week.
