Retired Soldier Lodges Police Report Over Pensions For Olympic Winning Divers
"The dive does not commensurate with the pensions they're receiving."
By John Lim — 15 Aug 2016, 12:05 AM
After making the nation proud by winning the silver medal in the women’s synchronised 10m platform at the Rio Games, diving duo Pandelela Rinong and Cheong Jun Hoong have been rewarded generously for their efforts
Under the National Sports Council incentive scheme for Olympics, Pandelela and Jun Hoong will share the RM300,000 cash incentive and a monthly RM3,000 pension following their silver medal win.
But the rewards didn't sit well with Rozzeli Pin, a retired army veteran who has lodged a police report over the reward of pensions given to the divers
According to Malaysiakini, Rozzeli insisted that the contributions of security personnel far exceed that of the athletes who "only dived from a plank".
"I am a retired army personnel. Many fought for this country, armed personnel and police officers including those who lose their legs (while serving in United Nations peacekeeping missions) in Lebanon...why don't they get life pensions?"
He also compared synchronised diving to parachuting, hinting that the latter was more deserving of a life-long pension reward
"Even those who jump from the sky with parachutes don't get lifetime pensions, yet those who dive from a plank are said to have glorified Malaysia and receive pensions.
"The dive does not commesurate with the pensions they're receiving," he told Malaysiakini
The disgruntled retired armed personnel lodged his report at the Gurun police station in Kedah
In his report, he urged the government to reconsider the decision to award life-long pensions to the divers and stated that a one-time reward would suffice.
Pandalela and Jun Hoong won the silver medal on Tuesday, 9 August in the women’s synchronised 10m platform after collecting 344.34 points. China won the gold and Canada, the bronze.
It was Malaysia's first medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.