The Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) plans to initiate legal action against para shuttler Cheah Liek Hou, who accused the association of failing to keep its promises regarding rewards for winning medals at last year’s Paris Paralympic Games.
Cheah likened the long wait for his promised rewards to a scam.
PCM president Datuk Seri Megat D. Shahriman Zaharudin (main image) said, besides the legal suit, the association could ban Cheah for life from competing in multi-sport games.
“We will issue a show-cause letter to BAM (Badminton Association of Malaysia) and also NSC (National Sports Council) as Cheah is an athlete under BAM,” said Megat Shahriman.
“We will follow the proper procedure, as he has the right to defend himself. We do not want anyone to accuse us of failing to adhere to the rules. By using the word ‘scam’, he has slandered (libelled) the association.
“When an athlete publicly accuses an organisation or sponsor of unethical practices, it can have a ripple effect. Sponsors may begin to reconsider their partnerships, and public perception can shift quickly. It’s essential to remember that every word shared on public platforms carries weight, and athletes, as public figures, must be cautious about the image they project.”
Megat Shahriman stressed that the PCM has the sole authority to register athletes for multi-sport games such as the Olympics and Asian Games.
“In Cheah’s case, if he wants to compete in the badminton World Championships, BAM will register him for that,” he said.
“But if he wants to compete in the Asian Games, SEA Games, Olympics or Commonwealth Games, we are the authorised body. If found guilty by our disciplinary committee, we could ban him for life from these events.”
On Sept 12, Cheah posted on his social media page: “It’s been a year since the Paris Paralympics, but I have yet to receive the incentive promised. It feels like they (PCM) scammed me. When they want results, they promise you everything. When we deliver, what do we para-athletes get in return?”
Megat Shahriman said: “He slandered the association by accusing us of being a scam for delaying the rewards for winning gold in Paris. However, I’m perplexed as to how he got the figure of RM60,000 when we never mentioned that figure.
“We said that each gold medallist would receive a minimum of RM15,000, RM10,000 for silver, and RM5,000 for bronze.
“In June, Cheah received a RM10,000 cheque and other incentives for his gold medal. I informed him that the sponsor's money had arrived and another presentation would be scheduled.”
Megat Shahriman said he explained to Cheah and the other Malaysian medallists that the owner of B. Grimm Power Sdn Bhd wanted to be present for the cheque presentation ceremony, and that it would be held later in the year. However, following Cheah’s outburst, B. Grimm Power has agreed to allow PCM to release the rewards, and the money will be deposited this week.
B. Grimm Power will pay a total of RM55,000 – RM15,000 each to Cheah and powerlifter Bonnie Bunyau Gustin, RM10,000 each to Datuk Abdul Latif Romly (men’s T20 intellectual impairment long jump) and Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli (F20 intellectual impairment shot put), and RM5,000 to Eddy Bernard (men’s 100m T44, physical impairment).
Meanwhile, Megat Shahriman also clarified that one sponsor had pulled out as it could not fulfil its obligations, but stressed that that particular company did not receive any media coverage for its promise.
“However, I would like to add that this particular sponsor had rewarded Cheah when he won gold in 2021 for the delayed 2020 Tokyo Games,” said Megat Shahriman.
“If any athletes had monetary issues, they could have approached me or spoken to any other official. We would have tried to help.”
For the record, Cheah and Gustin had earlier received RM10,000 from Zero Healthcare, while Abdul Latif and Muhammad Ziyad received RM5,000. Bernard pocketed RM3,000.
“These incentives are out of the goodness of these particular sponsors. They don’t have a permanent contract with us as it was a one-off payment to the athletes,” explained Megat Shahriman.
“The association is not taking a single sen from the incentives,” he added.
