Previously, it was reported that Malaysia’s double Paralympic gold medalist, Cheah Liek Hou, is facing a possible ban after calling out the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) for failing to deliver the promised RM60,000 cash incentive for gold medal winners at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
In a report, PCM President Datuk Seri Megat D Shahriman announced the suspension threat, claiming that Cheah’s social media outburst was “excessive” and damaging to the council’s reputation.
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Image Credit: Harian Metro
Additionally, Megat claimed he did not know where the RM60,000 figure came from. He added that PCM has only received RM88,000 from one sponsor, which is to be distributed among all Paris medallists.
Under this new arrangement, gold medallists such as Cheah will only receive RM25,000, while silver medallists will receive RM15,000, and RM8,000 will be given to bronze medallists.
For context, back in August 2024, it was reported that a RM60,000 cash incentive awaited athletes who successfully brought home a gold medal for Malaysia at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Image Credit: Astro Awani
Megat also stated that the incentive was a pledge from three companies to boost the motivation of Malaysian athletes.
“Each company will offer an incentive of RM20,000 for gold, RM10,000 for silver, and RM5,000 for bronze,” he said.
Hannah Yeoh confirms Cheah has not been suspended
Image Credit: FMT
In an update, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh confirmed that no suspension awaits Cheah following the dispute with PCM.
Malay Mail reported that PCM will also seek clarification from Cheah regarding the misunderstanding.
“On the matter of para-athletes’ reward claims involving Cheah, PCM and I have agreed that he will not face any suspension."
"PCM will also seek clarification from him on the misunderstanding over the use of the term ‘scam’. From now on, all reward claims will come with a written template, similar to the Road to Gold format, to make the process clearer and more transparent,” she explained.
Additionally, Yeoh expressed appreciation to private sector contributors who came forward to top up PCM’s rewards for the five Malaysian athletes who won medals at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Featured Image Credit: Harian Metro, Sukanz
