KUALA LUMPUR – The Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) president, Datuk Seri Megat D. Shahriman Zaharudin, advised Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh to take a fair stance on the issue involving national para swimmer Zy Lee Kher without being selective.
Megat’s response followed the sports minister’s statement to Scoop that Zy’s case is currently under review by the Sports Dispute Committee, chaired by Datuk Low Beng Choo.
Zy, 17, was omitted by the PCM from this year’s Paris Paralympics, despite earning a spot on merit.
The minister also stated that she has asked both PCM and the Malaysian Para Swimming Association (Prepma) to explain their stance on why Zy, who has won more than six international medals, including two bronze medals at last year’s Hangzhou Asian Para Games, was not selected for Paris.
“I have spoken to Zy online and requested the PCM to meet Zy and explain their stand to him.
“This matter is now being reviewed by the Sports Dispute Committee,” she said in a brief text message.
Speaking to Scoop, Megat said there is no need for his association to explain their decision to Zy as their criteria have been clear from the beginning.
PCM and Prepma’s criteria focus on the athlete’s record time, potential to win medals, the number of events the national contingent would participate in, and extraordinary achievements.
“I think the minister has to respect both PCM and Prepma, as we are clear about our decisions and how we select athletes according to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) guidelines. The minister should not entertain these matters as they are out of her jurisdiction.
“I do not understand why there is a need to involve the Sports Dispute Committee in Zy’s case; it makes us look as if we are at fault. We are not at fault.
“The minister should not be selective or act emotionally just because she has a close connection with Zy’s father, Walter Lee. There have been many sports issues in the country, such as those in football, rugby, and badminton, and I have never seen the dispute committee getting involved. Why bring them into Zy’s case?
“I’m sorry, but I will not waste my time or the association’s time explaining this issue to Zy and his father. We will submit our criteria to the sports commissioner’s office if they ask,” said Megat when contacted.
For the record, the IPC only allows two swimming participants from each national Paralympic Council.
Malaysia has two slots allocated by World Para Swimming (WPS) for the para-swimming event in Paris, and Prepma has given these slots to Nur Syaiful Zulkafli and Imaan Aiman Redzuan.
Zy was sent for a bipartite slot, but his application was unsuccessful.
According to both PCM and Prepma, Imaan has a 96.3% probability of winning a medal based on personal best (PB) times, while Syaiful has a 95.5% probability for the men’s SB4 100m breaststroke event.
In contrast, Zy’s probabilities were significantly lower, placing him third in the selection ranking.
PCM is expected to send the final list of athletes competing in Paris by August 2.
This year’s Paralympics are scheduled to take place from August 28 to September 8. – August 1, 2024
