The Youth and Sports Ministry will invoke the Sports Development Act on any national sports association (NSA) that is unable to resolve internal disputes, said its deputy minister Razali Ibrahim.

He said this would be an effective way of settling issues that arise in problematic NSAs.

"We would like to see NSAs resolve any problems that arise in a professional manner but if they are not able to do so, my ministry will not hesitate to invoke the Act in order not to jeopardise sports development in the country," he told reporters after launching the Yellow Ride programme in conjunction with the Le Tour De Langkawi cycling event in Butterworth today.

Razali said this when asked to comment on the problems that have beset several NSAs lately including major NSAs like the Badminton Association of Malaysia, the Malaysian Karate Federation, Malaysian Amateur Athletics Union and the Malaysian Sepak Takraw Association.

The Act passed in 1997 among others limits leadership terms in NSAs so that problematic leaders can be booted out.

- Bernama