How 99 Speed Mart leveraged timing and authenticity for Paralympic support

Convenience store chain 99 Speed Mart may have struck PR gold with its latest move, stepping in at the height of a public dispute between Paralympic champion Cheah Liek Hou and the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM).

The row over delayed cash rewards escalated after PCM threatened disciplinary action against Cheah for speaking out, prompting youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh to intervene publicly and criticise the council’s handling of the issue. With media attention intensifying, 99 Speed Mart swooped in to position itself as the direct benefactor of Malaysia’s Paralympians.

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The retailer awarded a total of RM107,000 directly to five athletes who medalled at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games - RM35,000 for each gold, RM15,000 for silver and RM7,000 for bronze. Recipients included Cheah Liek Hou and Bonnie Bunyau Gustin (gold), Abdul Latif Romly and Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli (silver) and Eddy Bernard (bronze).

Yeoh welcomed the brand’s intervention, saying such efforts “not only celebrate the athletes’ success but also prove their contributions are consistently valued.” She added that transparent approaches like this strengthen public confidence in how sports are managed in Malaysia.

By moving quickly and visibly, 99 Speed Mart turned a controversy over delayed recognition into a chance to celebrate athletes directly. A play that puts the brand in the national spotlight and raises questions about how corporations can capitalise on moments of public scrutiny.

Industry players chime in 

PR professionals see 99 Speed Mart’s timely support for Malaysia’s Paralympians as a standout example of crisis-responsive leadership. The retailer’s direct reward to five athletes following the public dispute between Cheah Liek Hou and the PCM placed the brand firmly in the national spotlight.

Leon Tang, COO of SLPR Worldwide, said the intervention “represents crisis-responsive leadership at its most effective - the company stepped into an institutional vacuum when the Paralympic Council fell short of supporting its athletes, demonstrating that modest contributions can generate outsized goodwill when timing and authenticity align perfectly.”

He added that 99 Speed Mart’s public action positioned the company as “principled actors willing to take calculated reputational risks, addressing an unmet need that reinforced their community-focused brand identity rather than stretching into unfamiliar territory.”

Tang outlined a lesson for other brands:

The sweet spot lies in addressing institutional gaps that align with your brand values, especially when established authorities have lost public trust.

"However, success requires three critical elements: such as speed (acting while public sentiment peaks), authenticity (staying true to brand identity), and courage (accepting the risk of taking sides).” He noted the real test will be whether 99 Speed Mart transform the reactive moment into sustainable long-term commitment.

Alina Morais, country manager for Malaysia at H/Advisors Klareco, observed that the move was very much aligned with what the brand stood for. "This is seeing how their founder is himself, disabled. So, it does feel like less of a PR stunt and more that this is probably something that is close to his heart.”

She cautioned, however, "if other brands had done this, it could have come across as a PR stunt unless they have already been aligned with sports as a brand such as what Milo or 100Plus have been doing." 

Morais emphasised that:

CSR is never just about giving donation as a PR stunt, but rather doing something meaningful that is truly aligned with your brand values.

Meanwhile, Syed Mohammed Idid, deputy chairman of the PRactitioners Society of Malaysia told A+M that this was a highly commendable move by 99 Speed Mart's founder and CEO. "This swift and transparent action reflects not only the company’s genuine empathy and corporate social responsibility but also resonates personally with Lee, who has overcome significant adversity himself," he said.

Syed added that the move also restored public trust for the para-athletes, and positioned the brand as a socially conscious leader in supporting rightful causes. "Other brands can learn from Lee Thiam Wah’s example by closely monitoring relevant social issues, acting decisively, and communicating such efforts authentically to build deep stakeholder engagement and long-term brand equity," he added.

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