URBAN:TE | penang

I refer to the article release by. Personally i find that this is very un-ethical of BN to have drag and use our athlet to get involve into our current political mess. Leave the poor guy alone. Look at his face at the photo, so unwillingly sat there. He doesn't represent BN or PR, he is just an athlet representing Malaysian.

You guys got nothing else better than to use LCW (maybe datuk soon) too woo voters?

SPORT not POLITIC get it!?

Campaign gets Olympics boost - Malaysiainsider

Chong Wei sits attentively as Arif Shah speaks at a BN function in Seberang Jaya.

By Adib Zalkapli

SEBERANG JAYA, Aug 21 — With less than a week before polling day, both sides in the Permatang Pauh by-election are getting Olympian Lee Chong Wei into the campaign trail.

Late yesterday afternoon, Chong Wei visited the badminton court where he used to play in Berapit, near Bukit Mertajam.

He entered the venue escorted by BN candidate Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah, Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob and his coach Misbun Sidek. About 200 people mostly Chinese waited anxiously to greet the Beijing Olympics silver medallist with lion dance and kompang.

Ismail Sabri, in his speech, said that Chong Wei's success shows that the Chinese are not discriminated. “Our sports programme is for all Malaysians,” he declared and promised to ensure Chong Wei returns with a gold medal in four years.

Arif Shah congratulated Chong Wei and the people of Berapit for having the second best badminton player in the world. He then proceeded to speak in the local Chinese dialect.

Later in the evening, also in front of hundreds of Chinese, Chong Wei received the RM300,000 cash reward and RM3,000 monthly pension from Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.

But Pakatan Rakyat is also trying to drag Chong Wei into the campaign. Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has recommended to the Governor, Tun Abdul Rahman Abas, to confer a Datukship to Chong Wei and he would receive the Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri on Aug 30.

A similar award was conferred to squash player Nicol David on July 12 in conjunction with the Governor's birthday.

Chong Wei, when approached after receiving the cash reward at a basketball court in Seberang Jaya, said that he was not in Penang to campaign.


“I am here just to collect the cheque. They have already announced that I would receive the reward. I don’t want to comment anything on politics. I don’t know much about it,” said Chong Wei, who is not a registered voter.

“The reward will encourage me to work harder. I am so touched by the support shown by the people and the government,” he added.

He is also thankful to his home state for the Datukship. “But it is a heavy responsibility to be a Datuk, I hope to do better in the future,” he added.

sign off - crash