PETALING JAYA: The youth and sports ministry will meet the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) soon over the reported threat by sports commissioner Suhardi Alias to deregister the council.
According to the sports commissioner’s office, Suhardi expressed regret over the statements he had made, saying they were due to a “misunderstanding” between the commissioner and the council.
“A meeting will be organised between the youth and sports ministry and OCM soon to explain the real context of the matter.
“The ministry is confident that this meeting will clear the air and resolve the misunderstanding,” the sports commissioner’s office said in a statement.
Last week, OCM president Norza Zakaria said the council would submit an official protest to youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh regarding Suhardi’s reported threat to deregister it.
Norza said it was improper of Suhardi to act that way because its status as the umbrella body for national sports associations was guaranteed under the Sports Development Act 1997.
An 80-second audio clip had gone viral on social media, featuring someone whose voice resembled that of Suhardi, threatening to deregister OCM.
The recording is believed to have been made at a meeting between Suhardi and two groups representing e-sports leaders following the registration and international membership of an umbrella body of the sports on Nov 14.