KUALA LUMPUR – Chef de mission (CDM) Datuk R. Subramaniam should have stood firm in making decisions during the Paris Paralympics and not allowed external parties to dictate decisions for the Malaysian contingent, says Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) president, Datuk Seri Megat D. Shahriman Zaharudin.
Megat’s remarks came after he accused the National Sports Council (NSC) of interference and bullying, which he claims contributed to Malaysia’s failure to achieve its four-gold medal target in Paris.
Speaking to Scoop, Megat argued that Subramaniam, who volunteered for the CDM role, should have taken on a stronger leadership stance rather than simply following the NSC’s directives.
“Subramaniam was supposed to lead and take responsibility for making decisions for the contingent during the Games. As the CDM, he had full authority, but the way he handled things in Paris made it seem like he had no control at all.
“The reason for so much interference from the NSC was that Subramaniam allowed it, and as a result, our accreditation cards were easily taken by the NSC.
“I recall asking Subramaniam why the accreditation cards were being taken by the NSC, and he didn’t have a definitive answer, especially when those cards were under his authority.
“For me, it’s simple: if Subramaniam cannot make decisions, I suggest he shouldn’t take on the position in the future. As a leader, if you cannot stand your ground, don’t volunteer yourself.
“If Subramaniam wanted to be a leader, he should have demonstrated it. We have a total of 25 associations in PCM, and they were watching what he did, so he should have led by example,” said Megat during a Scoop podcast session called Sport Check.
Malaysia concluded their Paralympic campaign with two gold medals, won by para-shuttler Cheah Liek Hou and para-powerlifter Bonnie Bunyau Gustin, both of whom successfully defended their titles from the delayed Tokyo 2020 Games.
The national contingent also secured two silver medals, earned by former gold medalists Datuk Abdul Latif Romly (long jump) and Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli (shot put), along with a bronze by debutant Eddy Bernard in the men’s 100m T44 race. — September 19, 2024