I AGREE with V.M. of Penang (”Lee Chong Wei: Not yet a true sports champion” — NST, Aug 26) that too much of taxpayers’ money is spent on account of a silver medal at the Olympics.

Apart from the RM300,000 reward for the medal, the winner gets a pension of RM3,000 per month. Assuming this pension continues for 50 years, the total pension would amount to RM1.8 million.

So, the grand total paid out for the silver medal winner would be RM2.1 million. This amount does not include the millions spent on training, allowances, equipment and coaches for Chong Wei.

Most Malaysians would have to serve the government more than 30 years and contribute to the pension fund to get a pension (equivalent to half of their last-drawn salary) of about RM2,000.

Many professionals who would have spent hundreds of thousands of ringgit to get a degree would not be able to get a job that pays a starting salary of RM3,000 per month, let alone get a pension of RM3,000 per month.

Many Malaysians work 12 hours a day for RM800 per month. Most pensioners get paid less than RM1,000 monthly.

As a top badminton player, Choong Wei also receives championship money, awards and advertising money which amount to millions of ringgit.

People are asking that he be paid another RM200,000 as a wedding gift.

Now that his coach has also been (rightly) rewarded, they might even suggest that Chong Wei’s parents be rewarded.

We should be thankful that Malaysia won only one silver medal.

What will happen when, in future, some Malaysian does a Michael Phelps and wins eight gold medals?

E.G.S., Johor Baru

Source: NST – August 28, 2008