Yeoh berates Paralympic Council for overstepping in athlete's case

Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has berated the Paralympic Council Malaysia (PCM) for overstepping in the case involving two-time Paralympic gold medallist Cheah Liek Hou.

She said the badminton player did not violate any disciplinary guidelines for athletes, as Cheah had only demanded what was promised to him.

"This is not a disciplinary issue but is due to the PCM’s own delay.

"Cheah is under the care of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) and is fully funded by the National Sports Council (NSC).

"Any decision regarding Cheah's position is not in the hands of the PCM alone. The PCM does not have the right to act on its own,” she said in a statement today.

Earlier today, the PCM said it is mulling legal action against Cheah for his public complaints against the council for the delay in giving him a RM60,000 cash incentive after his gold medal win at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

PCM president Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin said if Cheah is found guilty by the council's disciplinary committee, he could be banned for life from participation in multi-sports games.

He said this is because the PCM has the authority to register athletes for participation in such events.

Megat also claimed that the amount of RM60,000 was not promised to Cheah, adding that the athlete's public statement had damaged the latter's credibility while hindering future sponsorship.

In response to Megat, Kampar MP Chong Zhemin called him a "bully" and told him to resign.

Chong also urged Yeoh to act quickly to safeguard athletes from unfair treatment.

At the same time, MCA national organising secretary Kang Meng Fuat called on Yeoh to press the PCM on behalf of athletes.

On Sept 13, The Star reported Yeoh as saying the matter had been resolved, assuring that Cheah will be paid the RM60,000 incentive "soon".

The minister said she had been given an explanation by the PCM and the organisation had already set a date for Cheah to receive the incentive.

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