Kuala lumpur: The National Sports Council (NSC) has denied the involvement of its director-general, Jefri Ngadirin, in any programme or activity run by a badminton academy that allegedly offered programme participation while demanding a large amount of payment. The NSC said that Jefri's name and photograph had been misused by irresponsible parties who linked him to the programme.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, neither the NSC nor Jefri has any connection, involvement, or relationship with the programme or activity. "The NSC has never appointed, authorised or recognised any individual or group to use the NSC name, identity or image for the purpose of collecting payments for any sports activity," the statement read.

The NSC views this misuse seriously, and a police report has been lodged to enable a thorough investigation. The council stated it would not hesitate to take strict action, including legal measures, against any party found to be involved in such fraudulent activities to protect its interests and reputation.

Meanwhile, the NSC also advised the public to verify the authenticity of information related to the agency through its official channels and to refrain from making payments to any party claiming to represent NSC without proper verification. It further urged victims of such scams to file a police report immediately and contact their respective financial institutions for further action.

The NSC affirmed its commitment to taking proactive measures to curb such activities and safeguard the interests of the public and its own reputation.