Hannah Yeoh Clarifies "Govt Not Funding Paralympic Council" Remarks Amid Public Backlash

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Yeoh took to X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday, 20 October, to address the backlash following media reports that quoted her as saying the Paralympic Council should source its own funds for athlete development.

"If the Paralympic Council wants to carry out para-athlete development, they must find their own funds and not rely on government funding," she had said, adding that same applies to the Olympic Council too.

Many had interpreted her comments as an indication of the government abandoning the national para-athletes.

The minister has since clarified that her statement was in response to a question posed by a reporter, asking whether the government would meet the Paralympic Council's request for RM15 million in funds.

"I said, 'No. We do not give funds to Olympic or Paralympic Councils'," Yeoh explained in her post.

"Do not mistake not funding the (Sports) Council or Association as abandoning the athletes," Yeoh asserted, emphasising that the government remains committed to supporting para-athletes' development.

As an example, she cited the Harimau Malaya football team, noting that while the team received funding for its training, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) did not.

"Councils and associations cannot rely on government funds alone," Yeoh added, underlining the need for sports bodies to diversify their funding sources.