Public concern grows after former para-swimmer seen in distress [WATCH]

 

Former para-swimming champion Koh Lee Peng has drawn public concern after she was seen crying in a wheelchair in Bukit Bintang. - Screengrab via social media

KUALA LUMPUR: Former para-swimming champion Koh Lee Peng has drawn public concern after she was seen crying in a wheelchair in Bukit Bintang.

A video of Koh, posted on Facebook by user Oscar Lye, shows her seated on a kerb outside a mall in the Kuala Lumpur shopping district, where she is believed to earn a living selling tissues.

The caption said Koh, who is wheelchair-bound due to cerebral palsy, was facing financial difficulties and was trying to earn a living despite her condition.

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Koh won seven gold medals and three silver medals representing Malaysia at the Asean Para Games between 2001 and 2005, alongside several other accolades during her sporting career.

The video drew hundreds of comments online, with many expressing sympathy for the former national athlete.

Several commenters also tagged public figures, including former Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, calling for intervention.

"She contributed to the country. What did the country give her?" wrote one user, Song JX.

"Our retired para-athlete deserved better treatment," wrote another user, Cy Lai.

Another commenter, Vivien Chua Soo Chien, questioned what may have led to her distress, noting she had previously appeared strong and composed.

Commenter Teo Chet Sheng said he had been giving Koh small sums of money whenever he visited Kuala Lumpur, and called on the public to do the same.

"Since the state doesn't want to help, we the people help, one by one. Not charity, but gratitude for her contribution to the country," he wrote.

Another commenter, who identified herself as a person with a disability, addressed Koh directly in an emotional message.

"We are not useless, and we are not waiting for others to sympathise with us. We just need to work harder than others to live a good life.

"What we truly need is understanding, respect and fair treatment," she wrote.

In 2023, the National Athletes Welfare Foundation denied allegations that it had neglected Koh's welfare.

Its then-chairman Datuk Noorul Ariffin Abdul Majeed said the foundation had offered various forms of assistance in 2018, although some were reportedly rejected by the former athlete. - NST