Chiew Choon Man Provides Support: Former Paralympic Athlete’s Entrepreneurial Journey

(Miri, 1st) “Labudin is not an ordinary person; he once brought honor to Sarawak and Malaysia in the field of para-athletics and now deserves recognition and support from society.”
Miri Member of Parliament Chiew Choon Man made these remarks while assisting former para-athlete Labudin and his wife in their entrepreneurial venture.
He said Labudin, a native of Miri, is a patient with cerebral palsy, but he has never given up his efforts. From 1996 to 2006, he represented Sarawak in the discus event, winning multiple gold medals and breaking the Malaysian Paralympic records. After retiring, he turned to farming, earning only about RM300 per month and living a modest life.
In 2016, he met Razina, also a person with disabilities who suffers from polio, at a restaurant. The two became husband and wife and aspired to start a business together. After four years of saving, their savings were exhausted due to the impact of the 2020 pandemic, and they could only rely on assistance from the welfare department to get by.

Chiew Choon Man revealed that earlier, when he was handing over a donation of RM25,000 to the Miri Branch of the Sarawak Disabled Persons Association, he met Labudin and listened to his story for an hour. Deeply moved, he immediately decided to donate equipment worth over RM3,000 to assist the couple in starting their small stall business.
Now, Labudin and his wife have set up a stall near the Permyjaya Mosque in Miri, selling fried fish cakes and nasi lemak, earning about RM200 on their first day of business.
“He told me that back when he was farming, he only made RM300 a month, but now he can earn the same amount in just one day selling food. Although their business is small, the important thing is that it is sustainable and stable. I am proud of them.”
Chiew emphasized that National Independence Day is not only a day to celebrate national achievements, but should also be a day for society to remember fighters like Labudin and to give them the respect and support they deserve: “This is returning the dignity due to him as a ‘Son of Sarawak’.”