Cheah Liek Hou - 2026 | Merdeka Award

Cheah Liek Hou

Recipient of Anugerah Harapan Merdeka 2026

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Turning Imperfection into Strength

When Cheah Liek Hou first picked up a badminton racquet at the age of nine, parabadminton was still years away from making its debut at the Paralympic Games.

There was no obvious path to the world’s biggest sporting stage, nor any certainty that his childhood passion could becomes a career.

He played anyway.

Born with Erb’s palsy, which affects the strength and movement of his right arm, Cheah grew up learning to adapt. His mother recognised his interest in badminton early, ferrying him from school to training, finding him good coaches and ensuring he had the equipment and support he needed. As his talent developed, Cheah progressed into more structured training, including at the Bukit Jalil Sports School, where the childhood pastime began to take on a more serious purpose.

Looking back, Cheah credits much of his journey to his parents, whose sacrifices gave him the freedom to pursue a path with no guaranteed outcome. Long before there were medals, podiums or international recognition, they invested their time, energy and belief in a boy who simply loved badminton.

Cheah Liek Hou as a newborn.

Waiting for His Moment

Cheah was already competing internationally when para-badminton was still developing as a global sport.

His first men’s singles world title came in 2005. Yet, however much he achieved, one ambition remained out of reach, the Paralympic Games. Para-badminton was only introduced at the Paralympics in 2020. By then, Cheah had spent more than 15 years competing, waiting and wondering whether the opportunity would ever come.

Along the way came difficult stretches when results faltered and doubts crept in. He began to question whether it was time to put down the racquet and pursue a more conventional career. Remaining a full-time athlete meant accepting financial uncertainty, especially when income depended heavily on performance.

When para-badminton finally made its Paralympic debut, Cheah was ready. After more than a decade of waiting for a stage that might never come, Cheah won gold in the men’s singles SU5 event, becoming a Paralympic champion for Malaysia. Four years later, at Paris 2024, he successfully defended the title, becoming a two-time Paralympic champion.

To this day, those victories remain his proudest achievements because they represent far more than two tournaments. They are the outcome of years spent enduring, adapting and remaining at the top of his sport.

Cheah’s winning moments at the Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020. Gold Medal at the Tokyo Paralympic Games.

Sustaining Excellence Across Generations

Cheah’s record extends well beyond the Paralympics. Across singles and doubles, he has accumulated 16 world championship titles, including nine men’s singles crowns between 2005 and 2026.

His ninth singles title, secured at the 2026 BWF Para Badminton World Championships in Bahrain, marked another milestone in an international career characterised by unusual longevity. He has also accumulated more than 70 international titles and spent much of his professional career among the world’s highest-ranked SU5 players, entering Paris 2024 as World No. 1.

In 2025, the Badminton World Federation recognised him as Men’s Para Badminton Player of the Year, while he and Mohd Fareez Anuar were also recognised as Para Badminton Pair of the Year.

Yet sustaining success has demanded constant adjustment. At 38, Cheah is increasingly conscious that recovery matters as much as training. His routine revolves around practice, physical conditioning, rest and preparation for the next competition.

When results decline, he does not simply accept them. He asks what went wrong, looks for the reason and works on returning stronger. This habit of self-examination has become central to the resilience that has kept him competitive across different generations of opponents.

Cheah’s second Gold Medal came from the Paris Paralympic Games in 2024.

Cheah's at the Eiffel Tower, Paris.

Beyond Medals

Success has given Cheah more than medals and titles, it has also given him a platform which he chooses to use for others.

Following his Paralympic successes, Cheah channelled portions of his incentives towards charitable causes, including MAKNA, orphanages, communities affected by the Selangor floods, retired para-athletes and people with disabilities experiencing financial hardship. He has also participated in health and community initiatives through corporate partnerships.

His willingness to speak about the welfare of para-athletes has been equally important. Following Paris 2024, Cheah publicly raised concerns when a promised sporting incentive remained unpaid, arguing that athletes who deliver results should be treated fairly and honourably. The issue drew wider attention to governance, transparency and equitable recognition within Malaysian para-sport.

For Cheah, supporting paraathletes means more than celebrating them when they win. It also means recognising the challenges they may face throughout – and after – their sporting careers.

Preparing goods for a CSR programme. Sending goods for Hulu Langat flood victims.

Preparing goods for a CSR programme.

CSR programme at Rumah Victory Children Home.

Becoming the Role Model He Once Needed

When Cheah began competing, there were few para-badminton role models and no Paralympic pathway for him to follow.

In many ways, he says, he had to inspire himself.

Today, the circumstances are different partly because athletes such as Cheah
have made para-sport more visible.

His story reached an even wider Malaysian audience through the 2024 biographical film Gold, which explored his journey from living with Erb’s palsy to becoming a world champion. Following his second Paralympic victory in Paris, the film returned to cinemas, allowing more Malaysians to understand the years of uncertainty behind the medals.

Cheah hopes young para-athletes will take from his experience the simple lesson that being different should never become a reason to withdraw from the world. He encourages them to step beyond their comfort zones, engage confidently with others and recognise that physical limitations do not determine the scale of their ambitions.

He also believes families have a role in introducing young people to active lifestyles. His own journey began because his parents made space for sport – and because his mother was willing to nurture an interest that eventually became a calling.

Gala Premier of ‘Gold’, based on Cheah’s real life story.

Perfect Imperfection

Cheah describes his personal philosophy in two words, “perfect imperfection.”

It is his reminder that nobody begins life without limitations. What matters is what one chooses to build from them.

His journey – from a nine-year-old discovering badminton, through years when the Paralympic dream did not yet exist, to two Paralympic gold medals and nine singles world titles – has helped strengthen Malaysia’s standing in international para-badminton. More importantly, it has made sporting possibility more visible to a generation of Malaysians with disabilities.

As he continues pursuing new competitive goals while supporting the wider parasport community, this 2026 Anugerah Harapan Merdeka recipient recognises both achievement and promise in the example of an athlete who kept going long enough to see his sport change and then helped change what others believed was impossible.

Receiving the Bintang Kesatria Mangku Negara award from His Majesty, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim at Istana Negara.

“Perfect imperfection. Nobody is perfect, but you can turn your imperfections into something that makes you proud”

Disclaimer:
The information in this award recipient's profile is accurate to the best of our knowledge as of the time the award was presented. Any subsequent changes, updates, or developments in the individual's life or achievements may not be reflected in this profile.

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