SEPANG: Malaysia Paralympic Council (MPC) president Datuk Seri Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin has assured there will be no issues regarding the accreditation of the national contingent for the Paris Paralympic Games.
Megat said the accreditation quota, which covers 30 athletes and 32 officials, is sufficient for the prestigious sporting event.
He also noted that he had been granted five personal accreditation cards, which he can allocate at his discretion during the Games.
"I have five accreditation quotas, provided in my capacity as MPC president — one as a member of the Asian Paralympic Committee and three from the global sports body.
"I have the flexibility to bring anyone I choose, whether they are family members or not," he told reporters after the national contingent's send-off ceremony for the Paris Paralympic Games at KLIA today.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh and National Sports Council director-general Abdul Rashid Yaakub were also present at the event.
Recently, a controversy arose when professional men's singles player Lee Zii Jia was initially denied the presence of his physiotherapist and training partner, while women's singles player Goh Jin Wei's coach, Nova Armada, was also unable to accompany her to the Paris Olympic Games.
However, it was later revealed that Zii Jia's physiotherapist and training partners were granted accreditation, while Jin Wei's coach chose to focus on preparing para-shuttlers for the Paralympics in Kuala Lumpur.
The controversy gained public attention when it was disclosed that Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria could bring his family to the event, leading to criticism over the situation involving Zii Jia and Jin Wei.
The OCM clarified that Norza had a special quota as its president to bring guests to the event without affecting the allocation for athletes and officials, as permitted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Meanwhile, Megat hopes Malaysia's debutants could return with medals from Paris. He pointed to swimming as a potential medal source, given the promising performances and times recorded by the national swimmers recently.
A total of 30 athletes across eight sports will represent Malaysia at the Paris Paralympic Games, scheduled from Aug 28 to Sept 8.