The Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) is considering legal action against para shuttler Cheah Liek Hou after he accused the association of breaking promises over medal incentives from last year’s Paris Paralympic Games, calling the delay a “scam.”
PCM president Datuk Seri Megat D. Shahriman Zaharudin said the council will issue a show-cause letter to the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) and the National Sports Council (NSC), as Cheah is under BAM. He warned that, depending on the disciplinary process, Cheah could be banned for life from multi-sport events such as the Asian Games, SEA Games, Olympics, or Commonwealth Games.
“When an athlete publicly accuses an organisation or sponsor of unethical practices, it can harm sponsorships and public trust,” Megat Shahriman said. “We’re following proper procedures, but using the word ‘scam’ is defamatory.”
Cheah had posted on social media on Sept 12 that despite winning gold at the Paris Paralympics, he had yet to receive the promised incentive, saying: “When they want results, they promise you everything. When we deliver, what do we para-athletes get in return?”
Megat Shahriman clarified that PCM had never promised RM60,000, as Cheah claimed. Instead, medal incentives were set at a minimum of RM15,000 for gold, RM10,000 for silver, and RM5,000 for bronze. He said Cheah had already received RM10,000 in June, and the remaining funds were delayed because the main sponsor, B. Grimm Power Sdn Bhd, wanted to be present for a presentation ceremony.
Following Cheah’s post, the sponsor agreed to release the money immediately. 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 and Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli, and RM5,000 to Eddy Bernard.
Megat Shahriman also explained that another sponsor had pulled out but noted that this company had previously rewarded Cheah for his gold medal at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Games. He stressed that PCM does not take any share of the incentives and that athletes facing financial issues could approach the council directly.
Earlier, Cheah and Gustin had received RM10,000 each from Zero Healthcare, Abdul Latif and Ziyad RM5,000 each, and Bernard RM3,000. Megat Shahriman reiterated these were one-off contributions by private sponsors, not permanent contracts.
