Earlier, Paralympian Cheah Liek Hou took to social media to call out the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM), accusing them of failing to pay him the RM60,000 cash reward he was promised after winning the gold medal in last year’s games.
In response, PCM president Datuk Seri Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin said they are considering legal action, claiming his public outburst has damaged the council’s reputation.
Cheah Liek Hou
PCM plans to sue and suspend Cheah
Megat reminded that PCM is the only body allowed to register athletes for major competitions like the Olympics and Asian Games, and warned that Cheah could even be suspended if the issue drags on.
“For multi-sport events, only PCM has the authority to register athletes. That’s our responsibility. And once a show-cause letter is issued, it could even lead to suspension,” he said.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh later came out swinging, jumping to Cheah’s defence while slamming PCM for threatening to suspend him.
Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin
“PCM has no right to act unilaterally”
In a Facebook post, Hannah voiced her disappointment, saying an athlete who has brought glory to Malaysia on the world stage shouldn’t be treated this way.
“The truth is, sponsors step up to support and celebrate athletes’ success, not just to sponsor PCM. Liek Hou is a hardworking athlete who brings home medals for Malaysia every time he competes,” she wrote.
Hannah Yeoh
She stressed that Cheah had not broken any disciplinary rules and was only asking for the reward he was promised after winning gold.
“This isn’t a disciplinary issue; it’s PCM’s own delay. Liek Hou is under the care of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) and fully funded by the National Sports Council (MSN). Any decision about his position isn’t PCM’s alone to make,” she added.
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