Cover image via MalaysiakiniFollow us on Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp for the latest stories and breaking news.
The row between two-time Paralympic gold medallist Cheah Liek Hou and the Malaysian Paralympic Council (PCM) has escalated, with the council now mulling legal action over his complaint that a promised RM60,000 incentive never reached him
PCM president Datuk Seri Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin insisted no such amount was ever pledged and accused Cheah of damaging the council's credibility and sponsorship prospects.
"We are discussing with lawyers to see what the next course of action will be. We will also send a show cause letter to the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM). We will send a letter to the National Sports Council to get an ethics code on whether athletes can do this or not," Megat was quoted by Berita Harian.
Megat argued that going public with grievances "indirectly affects potential sponsorship channels" and stressed that PCM is the authority responsible for registering para-athletes for multi-sport events.
In remarks reported by TwentyTwo13, he warned:
"In Cheah's case, if he wants to compete in the badminton World Championships, BAM will register him for that. 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."
Megat's threat to ban Cheah for life comes after the para shuttler claimed PCM had "scammed" him by failing to deliver what was promised
On 12 September, Cheah posted on social media that a year had passed since his Paralympic gold in Paris, yet the RM60,000 promised had still not been paid.
"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 said the word "scam" amounted to slander and reiterated that the official promise was far lower — RM15,000 minimum for gold, RM10,000 for silver, and RM5,000 for bronze.
He said Cheah had already received RM10,000 in June, with further sponsor-linked payments still pending.
For the record, in August 2024, Megat announced that three companies had pledged rewards for Malaysian medallists at the Paris Paralympics, including a RM60,000 cash incentive for athletes winning gold.
The controversy has now drawn fire from lawmakers
Kampar Member of Parliament Chong Zhemin called Megat a "bully", saying his threat to ban Cheah was an abuse of power.
"A promise of a reward is not a casual gesture. It is a binding financial commitment. Cheah delivered on his side by winning gold for Malaysia at the Paralympic Games, bringing pride and glory to our nation. It is therefore the duty of the PCM to honour its obligation of RM60,000 reward, regardless of whether private sponsors have defaulted."
PKR vice-president and Tebrau MP Jimmy Puah also weighed in, calling Cheah's treatment at the hands of PCM "disgraceful".
"A properly functioning sports body should not have to wait for public pressure before 'staging' a prize-giving ceremony. It is even more unacceptable that they so casually blamed 'withdrawn sponsors' as an excuse to slash an athlete's reward. It must be emphasised: this is not a financial issue, but a values issue; not a lack of funds, but a lack of respect."
Puah accused PCM of poor governance, urged its leadership to apologise to Cheah and Malaysians, and called for full disclosure of how sponsorship money was handled.
Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has since stepped in, making her position clear: Cheah has done nothing wrong
"This is not the way we treat athletes who have lifted Malaysia's name on the world stage. Liek Hou did not violate any disciplinary guideline. He only demanded what was promised to him a year after winning gold. This is not a disciplinary issue, but stems from PCM's own delay."
She added that Cheah is funded by the National Sports Council (NSC) and managed under BAM, meaning PCM cannot act unilaterally over his career.
"Sponsors come forward to celebrate athletes' success, not to sponsor PCM. Decisions on Liek Hou's standing are not solely in PCM's hands. PCM has no right to act alone," she wrote.
