Letter to Editor
SHE won seven gold and three silver medals in the Asean Para Games, bringing glory and recognition to our wonderful nation.
She was also crowned Penang’s Female Paralympian of the Year in 2016 and was the talk of the town.
Today, our former champion para swimmer Koh Lee Peng sits in a wheelchair in Bukit Bintang hoping to sell handmade pouches for tissue paper to help her make ends meet.
She still dons the distinctive Harimau Malaya shirt and can be seen between the Pavilion KL and Starhill Gallery shopping centres.
She now lives in a charity organisation for the disabled and gets no assistance at all from the Government.
Sadly, this is not the first case of a former national athlete now living in dismal conditions.
We have read many reports in the past of our former heroes who had brought glory to the country who are now nothing but forlorn figures of the past.
So, who do we blame for this? This pathetic situation cannot be attributed to a single person but to the entire system involved – right from the ministry concerned to the numerous sports agencies involved to the corruption, poor management and irresponsible attitudes of certain decision makers.
Because of this now-wheelchair-bound athlete, our Jalur Gemilang flew high and proud at international sporting events and today, she is a shadow of her past.
While ministers and others in power live lavish lifestyles and squander money on senseless things, those who brought glory to the nation are left to beg on the streets.
What are the Youth and Sports Ministry and all those concerned doing?
How could a seven-time gold medallist end up in such a poor state?
This is really pathetic and certainly discourages any future potential athlete from wanting to don national colours.
Out of the numerous athletes who brought glory to the nation, we can only identify a handful who are now living comfortable lives.
Most former athletes are left to suffer the same fate as many of our ex-servicemen.
Both these people have something in common – they brought glory to the nation and sacrificed everything but ended up with nothing. – Jan 17, 2022
Andrew Sebastian
Parti Bangsa Malaysia Pulau Pinang
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Pic credit: Free Malaysia Today
