00:00They carried the nation's flag with pride, but the reward they were promised never reached their hands.
00:08For at least 10 of Malaysia's greatest athletes, the 5,000 ringgit prize money tied to the nation's
00:14highest sporting honor simply vanished. They were the sportsman and sportswoman of the year between
00:201966 and 1982. Grace Walker V. Subramaniam was told the money would come after retirement to
00:28preserve his amateur status. But when he retired, the money never came. Now at 76, he survives on a
00:37telecom pension of just 430 ringgit. His words cut deep. We carried the Malaysian flag when the
00:47country needed us. Today, the silence is deafening. Sprinter Junaida Aman, twice sportswoman of the year,
00:55speaks with quiet grace. To her, respect is not about trophies. It is about keeping promises.
01:03Badminton great Sylvia Ng, also twice sportswoman of the year, strikes at the system itself.
01:11Her frustration was clear. If prize money risked amateur status, why offer it at all? And with
01:18nothing ever reaching the athletes, one question remains. Where did the money go? It is a question
01:24Malaysia's sporting fraternity can no longer brush aside. Because this is no longer about 5,000 ringgit.
01:33It is about respect, dignity, and integrity. Race walker Ku Chong Beng puts it plainly.
01:41Promises should be honoured. Integrity must always be upheld. Today, billions are spent on infrastructure
01:50and foreign coaches. Yet the simple duty of honouring past champions remains ignored. If Malaysia forgets
01:58the very athletes who built its pride, what foundation does our sporting future truly stand on?
02:05Frankie Ducous and Natasha Bust, FMT
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