No Suspension For Liek Hou - Hannah

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 (Bernama) -- The Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) has confirmed that national para-badminton ace Cheah Liek Hou has not been suspended following the recent dispute over reward claims for para-athletes.

Minister Hannah Yeoh stated today that the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (MPM) will also seek clarification from the athlete regarding the misunderstanding surrounding the use of the term “scam.”

“On the matter of para-athletes’ reward claims involving Liek Hou, MPM, and I have agreed that he will not face any suspension.

“MPM will also seek clarification from him on the misunderstanding over the term ‘scam’. From now on, all reward claims will come with a written template, similar to the Road To Gold format, to make the process clearer and more transparent,” she said in a Facebook post.

She said it is time for everyone to move on so that athletes can give their full focus to training and competition.

Hannah also expressed appreciation to private sector contributors who came forward to top up MPM’s rewards for Malaysia’s five Paris 2024 Paralympic medallists.

Media reports cited that the athlete had accused MPM on social media of being a ‘scammer’ for not paying him the RM60,000 cash incentive promised after he won a gold medal at the 2024 Paralympics.

The national para-badminton star’s complaint also drew Hannah’s attention, as she disagreed with MPM’s move to issue him a show-cause letter, saying that Liek Hou had not breached any code of conduct, only demanding what was promised to him a year after winning his gold medal in Paris, France.

--BERNAMA