Azam Baki: Para-athlete Controversy A Governance Issue

SEPANG, Sept 19 (Bernama) -- The controversy surrounding national para-badminton champion Cheah Liek Hou stems from weak governance and a lack of transparency.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said shortcomings in delivering information and implementing policies can lead to misunderstandings and disappointment, especially among beneficiaries.

"In the past few days, we have heard the grievances of a Paralympic athlete, saying that his reward has not been disbursed.

"That is his allegation, but certain parties have responded to it. What I see here is a governance issue: whether it was not understood, not communicated, or if there was simply no proper governance framework to follow," he said.

He told this to reporters after delivering his closing speech at the 4th National Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Research Conference 2025 here today.

The media reported that the para-athlete had accused the Malaysian Paralympic Council (MPM) of being deceitful on social media for failing to pay him the promised RM60,000 cash incentive after winning a gold medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games.

The national para badminton champion's grouse drew attention from Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, who disagreed with the MPM’s decision to issue a show-cause letter against him.

Through a Facebook post, Hannah said Liek Hou did not violate any disciplinary code and that his actions merely reflected his demand for what had been promised to him a year after winning the gold medal in Paris, France.

Azam also linked the governance issue to the growth of the e-sports industry, which he said could encounter similar challenges as traditional sports if transparency and governance were not prioritised.

“Managing e-sports is similar to managing traditional sports, where issues of governance transparency often arise,” he added.

He said research on e-sports indicated that it is set to become a significant industry in the future, in line with technological advancements.

"We are heading towards digitalisation, we are heading towards AI (artificial intelligence). So, like it or not, we will face such challenges. In fact, we ourselves are already using AI and ChatGPT in our work," he also said.

Azam added that as such all parties must be prepared to face new challenges in the digital landscape to ensure governance and transparency issues do not recur in the rapidly growing e-sports industry.

-- BERNAMA