Paralympic Council welcomes MACC's view on Cheah's incentive row

The Paralympic Council Malaysia (PCM) has welcomed the advice of Azam Baki on the incentive issue affecting para badminton star Cheah Liek Hou, which the MACC chief commissioner has described as a governance issue.

In a statement today, PCM said its president, Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin, has directly engaged with Azam to provide further clarification on the matter.

“The PCM president stressed that the council will continue to uphold the Corruption-Free Pledge, which was signed together with 23 National Para Sports Associations on Nov 25, 2021,” the statement said.

Azam, in his closing speech at the 4th National Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Research Conference 2025 in Sepang last Friday, said weaknesses in governance and a lack of transparency were the root causes of the controversy involving Cheah (above).

He said shortcomings in information delivery and policy implementation could lead to misunderstandings and frustration, particularly among beneficiaries.

Failure to deliver

Cheah recently claimed that PCM failed to deliver the promised RM60,000 cash incentive after he won a gold medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, expressing his disappointment via social media.

According to media reports, Megat had announced last year that cash rewards of RM60,000 each awaited athletes who brought home a gold medal at the prestigious event, sponsored by three companies to boost the national athletes’ motivation in their quest for gold in Paris.

However, the delay in payment led to a public dispute, with the PCM last Thursday even considering legal action and suspension against the athlete.

Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, however, confirmed on Sunday that no suspension would be imposed as Cheah’s demand was not a disciplinary breach but instead related to an outstanding sponsorship pledge.

In the same statement, PCM also thanked the Youth and Sports Ministry for sharing the Road To Gold (RTG) sponsorship “template,” which will now serve as an additional reference to ensure that sponsors’ promised rewards are officially documented.

“PCM manages contractual obligations according to procedure, but in the process of securing sponsorships or rewards, unforeseen circumstances such as sponsor withdrawals may occur.

“In such situations, PCM will inform all stakeholders of any changes with full transparency,” the statement said.

- Bernama

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