PETALING JAYA, Sept 24 — National para badminton ace Cheah Liek Hou has expressed his willingness to reconcile with the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) over the 2024 Paris Paralympics reward issue.
He is open to meeting with PCM to mend ties and ease tensions, which had somewhat affected his mental state recently.
“Why not? I am open to discuss with them… if they (PCM) want, I can always welcome them,” Cheah told a press conference today.
However, the two-time Paralympic men’s singles SU5 (physical impairment) gold medallist admitted that PCM has yet to reach out to him for clarification regarding the controversy sparked by his recent social media post.
The 38-year-old had claimed that PCM failed to deliver the promised RM60,000 cash incentive after his Paris 2024 gold medal win, voicing his frustration through social media.
According to news reports, PCM president Datuk Seri Megat D. Shahriman Zaharudin had announced that gold medallists at the prestigious Games would each receive RM60,000 in cash last year, contributed by three external companies to boost the athletes’ motivation.
However, the delay in payment led to a public dispute, with PCM considering legal action and suspension against the shuttler on Thursday (September 18).
Subsequently, on Sunday, (September 21), Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh confirmed that no suspension was imposed, saying that Cheah's demand was not a disciplinary breach but rather related to an unsettled sponsorship commitment.
The athlete said that he now considers the issue resolved after receiving the outstanding RM35,000 yesterday from retail chain 99 Speed Mart Sdn Bhd, following an earlier receipt of RM25,000 from PCM.
“I think this issue is settled. I have received the full RM60,000… so now, what I want to do is focus on training for upcoming tournaments and try to win more titles for the country,” he said.
Earlier, Cheah also received an additional RM35,000 reward from Johor-based property developer Faire Development.
Grateful for the contribution, he said they are the first company to reach out after he voiced his concerns about the Paris 2024 reward issue on social media.
Faire Development managing director Kenneth Lim said the company was honoured to recognise Cheah's dedication and empathised with the challenges he had faced recently.
