Youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh has come to the defence of Paralympic gold medallist Cheah Liek Hou, saying the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (MPM) has no grounds to punish him for speaking out about unpaid incentives.
In slamming the MPM for warning Liek Hou that he could be suspended for his public criticism, Yeoh said the athlete falls under the care of the Badminton Association of Malaysia and is fully funded by the National Sports Council.
“Any decision on Liek Hou’s position is not solely in MPM’s hands. MPM does not have the authority to act unilaterally,” she said in a Facebook post.
Yeoh said that sponsors support athletes because of their achievements, not merely to back the council as an organisation.
“This is not how we should treat an athlete who has brought Malaysia glory on the world stage. Liek Hou is a hardworking athlete who brings home medals for Malaysia every time he competes,” she said.
Yeoh also said that Liek Hou did not violate any disciplinary rules but was simply demanding the RM60,000 cash reward promised to him a year ago.
“This is not a disciplinary issue but stems from MPM’s own delays,” she added.
Liek Hou, who won gold in Tokyo 2020 and defended his title at the 2024 Paris Games last year, took to Instagram on Sept 12 to voice his frustration that gold medallists were still waiting for the RM60,000 reward more than a year after the Games.
However, Megat has questioned where the RM60,000 figure originated from. He said three companies had initially pledged support for medal winners, and MPM had now received RM88,000 from one sponsor to be distributed to the athletes.
Gold medallists, including Liek Hou, will now receive RM25,000 each, silver medallists RM15,000, and bronze medallists RM8,000, with payments to be made today.
