KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 (Bernama) — The Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) will take legal action against a national para athlete who accused the organisation of being a scam after it allegedly failed to keep its promises regarding rewards for those who won medals at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
PCM president Datuk Seri Megat D. Shahriman Zaharudin said the accusation had tarnished the reputation of the council and its sponsors.
“I feel that this allegation of the PCM being a scam is an act of slander and irresponsible… I believe that such actions could also prompt the sponsors or companies to seek legal advice to protect their credibility as well as that of the PCM.
“We are discussing with our lawyers to determine the next course of action,” he told a press conference here today, adding that PCM would not hesitate to suspend the athlete from participating in future Games.
In a social media post last week, a national para athlete expressed his frustration with PCM for not delivering the promised reward of RM60,000 after he won a gold medal for the country at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
According to media reports, Megat D. Shahriman had announced last year that a gold medallist at the 2024 Paris Paralympics would receive a cash reward of RM60,000.
The reward was part of an incentive programme sponsored by three external companies aimed at motivating national athletes in their pursuit of gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Megat D. Shahriman said the PCM will also take action against several other para athletes who shared the post.
Meanwhile, he said that one of the sponsors, Zero Healthcare, had already provided massage chairs worth over RM30,000 each to 30 para athletes, in addition to extra cash rewards of RM10,000 each to the two gold medallists, RM5,000 each to two silver medallists and RM3,000 to the bronze medallist.
He said another external sponsor, B. Grimm Power Sdn Bhd, contributed RM88,000, with RM25,000 each going to the two gold medallists, RM15,000 each to the two silver medallists and RM8,000 to the bronze medallist.
Malaysia ended its 2024 Paris Paralympic campaign with two gold medals from para badminton ace Cheah Liek Hou and powerlifting champion Bonnie Bunyau Gustin; two silvers from athletics through Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli (F20 intellectual impairment shot put) and Datuk Abdul Latif Romly (men’s T20 intellectual impairment long jump); and one bronze from athletics by Eddy Bernard (men’s 100m T44, physical impairment).
— BERNAMA
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