99 Speed Mart Contributes RM107k To Help Pay Para Athletes What They’re Owed
Para athletes were not paid their promised total cash reward for winning at the 2024 Paris Paralympics after more than a year.
Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates.
Convenience store chain 99 Speed Mart has come forward to contribute RM107,000 to five para-athletes who won medals at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Calling 99 Speed Mart a ”white knight,” Youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh thanked them for stepping up despite not being involved in the original reward programme.
With 99 Speed Mart’s contribution, these Paralympians received their full due prizes:
- Cheah Liek Hou who won gold for badminton received RM35,000
- Bonnie Bunyau Gustin who won gold for powerlifting received RM35,000
- Latif Romly who won silver for long jump received RM15,000
- Ziyad Zolkefli who won silver for shot put received RM15,000
- Eddy Bernard who won bronze for sprint received RM7,000
READ MORE: Atlet Badminton Cheah Liek Hou Sumbang Emas Pertama Buat Malaysia Di Paralimpik 2024
READ MORE: Ziyad Zolkefli Wins Malaysia’s First Silver At 2024 Paris Paralympics
99 Speed Mart willingly contributed following a dispute surrounding the rewards for the medal winners.
Yeoh considered the matter settled and encouraged all athletes to focus on achieving more success for the country in the future.
Liek Hou thanked Yeoh for her support. He recently competed at the China Para Badminton International 2025 in Beijing.
In an update on 21 September, Liek Hou shared he won gold in doubles and bronze in single. He said it wasn’t the result he wanted but he will continue to rise.
What led to this issue?
The issue came to light after Liek Hou lamented on social media last week. He said gold medallists were still owed their RM60,000 cash reward promised by the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) more than a year after the games.
However, PCM pushed back on the claim with its president Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin questioning where the RM60,000 figure came from.
He said three companies had initially pledged support for the medal winners, and the council had received RM88,000 from a sponsor to be distributed to the athletes.
The council was also considering suspending and taking legal action against Liek Hou, claiming his online post had damaged PCM’s image and could discourage future sponsorships.
READ MORE: Malaysia’s Paralympic Gold Medallist Faces Ban Over RM60,000 Prize Money Row
PCM backed down after Yeoh told them off. She said PCM doesn’t have the authority to punish Liek Hou for speaking out about unpaid incentives.
She said Liek Hou did not violate any disciplinary rules for demanding the RM60,000 cash reward promised to him a year ago.
Initially, Liek Hou and the other gold medallists only received RM25,000 each while silver medallists received RM15,000, and bronze medallists got RM8,000.
To prevent similar issues from cropping up, Yeoh said a standard contract template under the Road to Gold (RTG) programme has been submitted to PCM for future use.
Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, X, Instagram, or Threads.
