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KAJANG: The Youth and Sports Ministry has vowed to stand firmly behind Cheah Liek Hou if the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) goes ahead with plans to suspend the two-time Paralympic gold medallist, says Hannah Yeoh.
The Youth and Sports Minister said enforcing such a suspension would not be straightforward as Liek Hou remains eligible to compete in tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
However, PCM could still bar him from multi-sport events such as the Asean Para Games in Thailand next January or the Asian Para Games in Nagoya, Japan, in October.
“If they compete in open tournaments such as the World Championships, the registration is done through the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM).
“But for multi-sport events, the registration is handled by PCM. That is why talk of a ban or show cause notice has angered Malaysians, as they want athletes to be treated with respect.
“Therefore, we need to listen to their concerns and make improvements so that issues involving rewards will not resurface a year after the Games,” said Hannah after attending the 20th Convocation Ceremony of the Youth and Sports Skills Training Institute (ILKBS) in Kajang on Saturday (Sept 20).
However, Hannah is confident that PCM will not pursue the move and will meet their president Datuk Seri Megat D. Shariman Zaharudin on Saturday (Sept 20) to discuss the matter further.
“I believe PCM will not ban Liek Hou, but if they proceed, ministry will not support the decision and we will ensure our athlete is not penalised.
“This is not a disciplinary case where he skipped training, committed a crime or did anything wrong. That is not the case at all, so banning Liek Hou would be unjustified," he added.
PCM had earlier expressed their intention to take stern action against Liek Hou after he criticised the body for failing to deliver the RM60,000 cash incentive promised to gold medallists at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
