THE Twitter post by user Fayadh Wahab about the plight of former national para-swimmer Koh Lee Peng – who was seen selling tissue packets in Bukit Bintang – brings to fore, yet again, as to the kind of treatment she and fellow sports stars are accorded by the Sports Ministry.
Koh had won seven gold and three silver medals for Malaysia at the Asean Para Games from 2001 until 2005, and named Penang’s Female Paralympian of the Year in 2016.
Following public outcry and the All-Women’s Action Society’s retweet, the National Athletes Welfare Foundation (Yakeb) responded that Koh had received several offers of financial aid over the years. Yakeb claimed that Koh chose to turn these down as she wants to be financially independent.
In a conversation with Rawang state assemblyman Chua Wei Kiat, Koh shared that she was only awarded RM1,000 per win and received a monthly living allowance of RM450 after retirement.
Considering the fact that para-athletes by nature need to put in more effort than normal athletes (due to physical constraints), the paltry financial awards reflect the lack of appreciation for these athletes who have have brought glory to the country.
Koh’s outlook and resilience are something Malaysians can take inspiration from and emulate. At the same time, the contrast between her current pitiful life and previous existence as Paralympian is heart-wrenching.
This is not the first time this state of affairs involving our national athletes, in terms of their situation after retirement, has been brought to our attention. Two-time Paralympic Games medallist P. Mariappan also indicated that he encountered financial distress because he was not provided any significant or sustained assistance upon his retirement, after serving the country for a long time (he was a seven-time Paralympian).
In October 2016, the government expressed its commitment to issuing a lifetime monthly pension to past medallists of the Paralympic Games. However, in a short documentary by Vice News, Mariappan pointed out that the only financial aid he received was RM2,000 per month, which is inadequate to cover his family’s daily expenses and school fees for his three children, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic period in 2020.
In early January, the National Sports Council (NSC) announced that the Podium Programme that was introduced in 2015 to groom world class athletes has been axed. Along with that was also the termination of 144 national athletes from the conventional training programmes due to a 70% reduction in the Budget 2022 for the Sports Ministry.
One of the affected athletes, (former world number five) national squash player Low Wee Wern (pix) lamented that it was not fair to be removed from the Podium Programme without prior notice or an official statement. The abrupt and sudden decision caused much anxiety among the affected national athletes as to their future.
The NSC, Yakeb and other sports-related government agencies should have had a meeting with the Finance and Sports Ministries to improve and protect the welfare of national athletes and their families or dependents.
To effectively address the situation, EMIR Research proposes the following recommendations:
i. Set up comprehensive lifetime pension scheme
Currently, only Olympic and Paralympic medallists are entitled to a lifetime pension from the government. This should be expanded to non-medallists as well, covering non-Olympic and Paralympic international and regional sporting events. Entitlement under the scheme should be automatic (i.e. the responsibility lies with the Sports Ministry).
The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) has revealed that both it and the NSC are currently working with the private sector to develop annuity programmes that will ensure the investment returns are sustainable and sufficient to pay for the pension.
It is worth mentioning that the “annuity-based” pension scheme is expected to be expanded to include non-Olympian and non-Paralympians, as long as they have represented the country in international sporting events.
This scheme would also gradually allow national athletes to accumulate their lifetime pensions based on the grade of international sporting events they participate in and ranking in a particular tournament. National athletes who compete at higher levels at international sporting events should receive higher pensions.
ii. Medical insurance
It is common for national athletes to be injured during training and competition. In 2020, the Malaysian Olympians Association (MOA) said that Yakeb did not have adequate funds to cover high medical expenses. Thus, MOA urged the government to provide free medical insurance coverage for national athletes. To complement MOA’s proposal, the government should go further and provide free health insurance on a lifetime basis. The reason being athletes may have lifetime injuries due to their occupation. Therefore, some of them would need to incur heavy costs for long-term medical treatment.
Without lifetime medical insurance, they would suffer a double whammy of financial hardship and debilitating conditions. Thus, the government has an obligation to safeguard their physical and mental health even when they are retired or dismissed. To avoid abuse of claims applications, the government can require that only those who have served in the national team for five years and above are entitled to this benefit. The move will attract and retain talented national athletes to serve the country as their healthcare are safeguarded.
iii. Relaunch Rakan Sukan programme
In 1994, the Rakan Sukan programme was introduced to encourage private sector investment in sports to prepare athletes for the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games.
Following the recent cuts in Budget 2022 for sports, various parties (e.g. OCM) have called for a revival of this sponsorship programme to address the plight of national athletes. NSC agrees that the Rakan Sukan programme can create a win-win situation for private companies and national sports associations as they are mutually beneficial in the long run.
To attract private sector investment in the programme, OCM is encouraging the government to provide tax incentives to participants. Similar to tax-deductible donations, the private sponsors can enjoy the reduction in chargeable income if they are committed to sponsoring national athletes for one year or more.
To encourage more private sector sponsorship, the government should also provide tax incentives for individuals willing to sponsor tournament fees, (including registration expenses), transportation and accommodation.
Under this programme, NSC will have the flexibility to use its allocated budget to improve training facilities and attract sought-after coaches while helping unsponsored but promising athletes to flourish, and groom them to be on par with their sponsored compatriots.
iv. Provide gainful employment upon retirement
In an EMIR Research article, “Social enterprises in Malaysia – an emerging employment provider” (June 17, 2020), it was stated that the government should provide an environment of “employment opportunities for people with special needs through government-linked social enterprises and in collaboration with other social enterprises, just like in the UK, with the establishment of Remploy as a government-linked company that specialises in providing employment and skills support for disabled people and those with health conditions”.
For the other national athletes with no special needs requirements, the Sports Ministry should still match them with the right job (according to their qualifications) in collaboration with the Human Resources Ministry (MOHR) and Human Resources Development Corporation (formerly Human Resources Development Fund or HRDF), e.g. a placement centre. Other stakeholders can include the Department of Skills Development and Socso – on reskilling and upskilling initiatives for retired national athletes to enhance their qualifications or employability.
In addition, the Sports Ministry should work with the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative Ministry to help nurture and guide our national athletes who wish to become financially independent by venturing into business – through programmes like Protege.
Some of the national athletes, i.e. those who are popular or well-known due to their success in winning medals, already have “brand names” in their own right, and this can be tapped and leveraged upon to capture the market or create a niche.
Overall, it is important that the post-sporting career phase be looked at, with implications (i.e. multiplier effect) on employment, income, tax revenue, etc.
In conclusion, we should take the future of our national athletes seriously to avoid them leaving the national team or even prematurely retiring.
Jason Loh Seong Wei and Tan Tze Yong are part of the research team of EMIR Research, an independent think tank focused on strategic policy recommendations based on rigorous research. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
