Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has urged the Paralympic Council of Malaysia and the Olympic Council of Malaysia to ensure that sponsors promising rewards for athletes formalize their commitments through signed contracts. This recommendation follows a dispute involving Paralympic gold medalist Cheah Liek Hou, who has yet to receive a promised cash reward, as reported by Bernama.
Yeoh highlighted the proactive approach taken by the ministry’s Road to Gold (RTG) committee during the Paris Olympic Games, where sponsors offering RM1 million and other incentives for gold medalists were required to sign contracts. “This ensured clarity and accountability,” she said. “I strongly encourage the Olympic and Paralympic Councils to adopt the same practice if they haven’t already.”
Cheah Liek Hou, who won gold in the SU5 (physical impairment) men’s singles badminton event at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and successfully defended his title at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, recently expressed frustration on Instagram. He noted that gold medalists are still awaiting a RM60,000 cash reward promised by the Paralympic Council over a year after the Paris Games.
The council’s president, Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin, questioned the origin of the RM60,000 figure, stating that three companies had initially pledged support for medal winners. He confirmed that RM88,000 has been received from one sponsor and will be distributed to athletes. However, Bernama reported in August 2024 that Megat had announced a RM60,000 cash incentive for each Paris Paralympics gold medalist, pledged by three companies.
Megat indicated yesterday that the Paralympic Council is considering legal action against Liek Hou over his social media statements. Yeoh, however, criticized this response, arguing that the issue has been unnecessarily escalated. “Liek Hou’s case has been blown out of proportion. He should not be treated as though he committed a disciplinary offense for simply demanding what was promised,” she said.
Yeoh emphasized a straightforward approach to resolving such disputes: “If a promise is made, it must be honored. If it cannot be fulfilled, the reasons should be clearly communicated, and improvements made. There’s no need for a middleman or threats of banning an athlete.”
The minister called for enhanced governance within the Paralympic Council and firmly stated that her ministry will not support any disciplinary action against Liek Hou. “It’s time for the council to strengthen its processes to prevent such issues,” she added.
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