Chinese official media and web users poured scorn on local government officials Wednesday after they gave multi-millionaire tennis star Li Na an 800,000 yuan (RM440,260) reward for winning the Australian Open.
Li was handed a giant red cheque by Wang Guosheng, governor of her home province of Hubei, as soon as she landed back from Melbourne on Monday.
The 31-year-old had already received prize money of A$2.65 million (RM7.67 million) for winning the Australian Open -- her second Grand Slam title.
Chinese Internet users, angry at the additional reward given by local officials, accused them of wasting taxpayers' money that could have been used to address the needs of the poor.
"The government and the party should stop spending money as they wish," said a poster on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo.
"The cash is taxpayers' and should be spent on people in need, not abused in a (political) charade," they added.
The official Xinhua news agency also weighed in, carrying a commentary on Wednesday that called the event "embarrassing" and "money-worshipping".
"A bonus from the government is by no means Li Na's most wanted reward after she won the Grand Slam title... perhaps only China's sports authorities value the power of money so much," said Xinhua.
It cited Xiao Huanyu, a sports professor in Shanghai, as saying: "The government deems sports achievement a kind of political achievement. Therefore it needed to hand out the bonus to 'show its face' even though Li Na's triumph had little to do with the government."
Li opted out of China's rigid state sports system in 2008 to go it alone, hiring her own coaches and controlling more of her winnings in a career-defining move, and regularly says she represents only herself.
The Hubei provincial government previously gave her a 600,000 yuan (RM329,583.60) bonus after her historic first Grand Slam triumph, the 2011 French Open, which she later donated to a local nursing house.
The Beijing News also defended Li -- who has a sometimes troubled relationship with Chinese media -- publishing a commentary Wednesday branding local officials as opportunists.
"This group of people has remained the same all along -- they will not endure failure with you but they are more than happy to share your victory," said the article, written under the alias of Xiao Shiyilang -- a Robin Hood-like character from a kung fu novel who steals from the rich to give to the poor.
AFP
Wed Jan 29 2014
China's Li Na makes a backhand return to Ana Konjuh of Croatia during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne on January 13, 2014. --AP Photo
Lubnan kemuka aduan terhadap Israel di PBB susulan pencerobohan darat
Aduan terbabit mengecam pencerobohan terhadap kedaulatan Lubnan dan kemasukan pasukan Israel ke dalam sempadan Lubnan sejak malam 1 Okt.
KRI: Bagaimana pandemik COVID-19 mengubah perbelanjaan dompet rakyat Malaysia?
Analisis ini meneroka perubahan ketara dalam pola perbelanjaan isi rumah selepas pandemik. Walaupun pertumbuhan pendapatan adalah perlahan, isi rumah telah menyaksikan peningkatan yang ketara dalam perbelanjaan berbanding tahun-tahun sebelumnya. Bersama Felo Kehormat, Institut Masa Depan MalaysiaDatuk Dr Madeline Berma membincangkan lebih mendalam tentang landskap kewangan yang semakin berubah dan ketidaksamaan yang wujud di antara pelbagai kumpulan pendapatan.
Banjir Kedah: Tujuh PPS diaktifkan di Baling, tempatkan 199 mangsa
Seramai 199 mangsa daripada 66 keluarga dipindahkan ke pusat pemindahan sementara di Baling sejak malam tadi.
Asas ekonomi kukuh, petunjuk pertumbuhan mampan
Pakar Ekonomi, MIDF Research, Abdul Mui’zz Morhalim mengupas berkenaan situasi ekonomi negara ketika ini, termasuk pengukuhan ringgit serta faktor yang bakal mempengaruhi pertumbuhan pada masa akan datang.
Data & Statistik KRI: Perubahan perbelanjaan isi rumah di Malaysia (2019 - 2022)
Pola perbelanjaan isi rumah berubah ketara selepas pandemik, berdasarkan kajian Khazanah Research Institute. Dapatan ini memberikan gambaran mengenai ketidaksamaan kewangan antara kumpulan pendapatan.
AWANI Ringkas: Fatwa GISBH di Selangor
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Ringgit dbuka tinggi berbanding dolar AS
Pada 8 pagi, unit tempatan berada pada 4.2160/2240 berbanding dolar AS daripada paras penutup 4.2185/2250 pada Khamis.
Konflik Asia Barat: Harga minyak lonjak lebih 5 peratus dalam tempoh sehari
Niaga hadapan minyak mentah Brent menokok 5.03 peratus pada AS$77.62 setong.
[TERKINI] Harga minyak melonjak lebih 5 peratus akibat konflik di Asia Barat
Harga minyak mentah global melonjak selepas konflik di Asia Barat semakin meruncing. Pada Khamis, minyak mentah Brent naik 5.03%, menokok kepada $77.62 setong, manakala U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) turut meningkat 5.15% kepada $73.71 setong. Kenaikan ini membawa jumlah peningkatan harga minyak minggu ini melebihi 8%, yang tertinggi sejak Januari lalu.
[TERKINI] Perkembangan terkini evakuasi rakyat Malaysia dari Lubnan
Kementerian Luar Negeri mengesahkan bahawa seramai empat (4) orang rakyat Malaysia telah
selamat tiba di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) dari Lubnan pada pagi ini,
4 Oktober 2024. Seorang lagi rakyat Malaysia dijadualkan tiba pada petang hari yang sama.
selamat tiba di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) dari Lubnan pada pagi ini,
4 Oktober 2024. Seorang lagi rakyat Malaysia dijadualkan tiba pada petang hari yang sama.