Indonesia, Malaysia Strengthen Support for Global Paralympic Athletes

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The meeting between Founder of Maria Monique Lastwish Foundation Natalia Tjahja, Malaysian National Sports Council's (MSN) Para Division Director Shukrie Harun, and MSN senior officials on Sunday, August 23, 2026, unfolded as a reunion that reaffirmed a long-standing historical bond.

It revisited an inspiring collaboration that had been built years earlier in support of the disability community--far from being a mere encounter between strangers. That close relationship traces back to the production of an international-standard nonprofit documentary titled Movie Boccia in 2019.

At the time, Natalia Tjahja took on the dual role of producer and director, highlighting the extraordinary lives and struggles of athletes with motor disabilities, particularly those with cerebral palsy, across different countries.

For the project, she chose Malaysia’s senior Boccia athlete Lean Chin Kit (BC1 category), along with fellow athletes Lee Chee Hong and Mohammed Syafiq, as the film’s central figures.

One of the most iconic scenes shot in Malaysia captured Lean Chin Kit’s independent journey: a three-day trip to Penang undertaken alone in a wheelchair, carrying only a backpack, without any companion. Natalia deliberately showcased this story to inspire children with disabilities worldwide.

This bold initiative had long enjoyed the blessing and full support of MSN Malaysia. Back in 2019, the humanitarian project was directly facilitated through collaboration with Dato’ Ahmad Shapawi Ismail, who was then serving as Director General of MSN.

MSN and Natalia even agreed to hold free screenings across Peninsular Malaysia, offering moral support to the national contingent ahead of their participation in the ASEAN Para Games. (Diffa Sephiawardhani)