Two-time Paralympic gold medallist Cheah Liek Hou recently found himself in hot water after the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) announced that it’s mulling legal action and a potential ban against him.
This comes after Cheah took to social media to rant his frustration over the delay in paying the RM60,000 cash incentive which was promised to him after winning gold at the Paris Paralympics last year.
Now, the matter has also gotten the attention of Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, who criticised PCM for its heavy-handed reaction to Cheah’s grouses.
‘Not how we should treat champions’
In a statement posted on her Facebook account, Yeoh came in Cheah’s defense, reiterating that he didn’t break any disciplinary rules by expressing his unhappiness over not getting what was promised to him.
“Sponsors are present because they want to support and celebrate the success of athletes, not merely to sponsor PCM.
This is not how we should treat an athlete who has elevated Malaysia’s name on the world stage. Liek Hou is a hardworking athlete and every time he competes, he brings home medals for Malaysia.”
Yeoh also slammed PCM for overstepping its authority, adding that Cheah was under the care of the BA of Malaysia (BAM) and fully funded by the National Sports Council (NSC).
“Any decision regarding Liek Hou’s position is not solely in PCM’s hands. PCM has no right to act unilaterally.”
Competing as usual
Meanwhile, when asked for a comment over PCM’s move to potentially sue and bar him permanently from all competitions, Cheah remained calm and seemingly unfazed by it.
“Right now, I don’t want to comment on this. I just want to focus on my competition in China. I think winning the title is my priority for now,” he told NST.
Cheah, who’s currently competing at the China Para International on Sunday in Beijing in the SU5 category, is largely seen as the favourite to capture the singles title.
If he does win, this will be his fourth World Para Tour crown for 2025.
Read our exclusive interview with Cheah about his journey to the top here:
