Datuk Lee Chong Wei is a famous shuttle badminton player from Malaysia who lives in Bukit Mertajam. Lee won the silver medal in the 2008 Olympic Games at Beijing, thus becoming the first Malaysian to reach the final of the men's singles event and ending Malaysia's Olympic medal deficiency since the 1996 Olympic Games. This accomplishment also earned him the title Datuk, and a description by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak as a national hero.

Lee is one of the most proficient Malaysian badminton star having won two All-England championships. However, he is still waiting for his first Olympic Games Gold medal, World Championship and Asian Games titles as the world number 1.