Once a national hero, now selling tissue packets to survive. How Paralympian Koh Lee Peng fell through the cracks
SHAH ALAM -- Despite bringing glory and delivering gold medals for the country, Paralympian Koh Lee Peng is now selling tissue packets in Bukit Bintang to make ends meet.
Her unfortunate circumstances were documented by a concerned citizen, Fayadh Wahab on his Twitter @fxwxb who stumbled upon Koh at the city centre.
Wheelchair-bound and dressed in her Harimau Malaya polo shirt along with a laminated placard that states "Bekas Atlet Renang OKU Dicemuh" (former Paralympic swimmer ridiculed), an article written by Malay daily Berita Harian in 2019, depicting Koh's life after her professional career, Fayadh said he was saddened by Koh's fate despite her contributions to the country.
"She introduced herself 'Hi I'm Koh Lee Peng, former Malaysia's para-athlete. I'm from Penang'.
"Man, I almost broke in tears- I couldn't make up what was in my head at that time. It's just, sadness,'' said Fayadh who consented to Sinar Daily to publish his Twitter thread.
In the same Twitter thread, Fayadh said he and his friend was stunned at how blunt Koh was with her circumstances.
When Fayadh's friend tried to subtlety search her online, Koh notice and simply said "You can search me on YouTube. Now, this is my work, I am not ashamed.''
Koh had previously represented Malaysia in the ASEAN Para Games from 2001 to 2005 and during that time had brought home seven gold and three silver medals.
She was also previously named Penang's Best Paralympic Sportswoman in 2015 and Female Paralympian of the Year for 2016 by the Penang state sports council.
In an interview with Bernama in 2019, Koh recalled that she had to make ends meet by selling drinks and tissue packets in front of a bank in Bukit Mertajam, Penang.
Koh stressed that she wants to be independent rather than hoping for the help of others.
However, despite her already difficult circumstances, in the interview, Koh recalled that she was ridiculed and accused of being a foreigner and wanting to ask alms from the locals.
"I told them I'm not here to ask alms, I'm here to sell my products. I have to survive, I have to survive,'' she said during the interview, adding that whatever aid she received was made into capital for her small business.
Koh said she used to show people her identity card to make a point but had stopped doing so after her card was stolen.
In the latter part of his Twitter thread, Fayadh said Koh's situation speaks to a large issue at hand which are underemployment, and mismatched unemployment.
He briefly elaborated giving her employment only fix one of the issues and urged those in power to provide Koh and others in her situation a credible way out.
