KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 — The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) will submit an official protest to Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh regarding Sports Commissioner (PJS) Suhardi Alias’ reported threat to deregister OCM.

OCM president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria said it was improper of Suhardi to act that way because OCM’s status as the umbrella body for national sports associations was guaranteed under the Sports Development Act 1997.

"His statement, if it is true, shows malicious intent on the part of the sports commissioner,” he said in a statement today.

Without wanting to jump to conclusions, Mohamad Norza said Suhardi had gone overboard with the statement and should clear the air.

He has directed OCM secretary-general Datuk Nazifuddin Mohd Najib to take the appropriate action by lodging a protest if Suhardi had indeed made the threat.

A one-minute and 20-second audio clip has gone viral on WhatsApp, with a speaker whose voice resembled Suhardi’s 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 last November 14. — Bernama