Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the decision to engage a prominent sports lawyer to assist the doping case involving a national icon was not a special privilege accorded to the top shuttler.

Khairy said the cost of engaging the services of the lawyer would be borne by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) and not the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

The country's sports icon was tested positive in a doping test during an international tournament in Denmark in August.

The athlete was implicated in the doping scandal after traces of dexamethasone were reportedly found in his urine (A Sample) during the random test conducted at the World Championships.

"I have no news about the result yet ... If the result is out, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) will list the information on its system which can only be retrieved by BWF officials because there will be a password," Khairy told reporters after launching the Sepak Takraw League (STL) here today.

Khairy said legal assistant would be provided to all athletes involved in doping cases but it would be up to their respective associations to accept or reject.

The Youth and Sports Minister also confirmed that a number of candidates had applied for the post of National Sports Council (NSC) director-general which was advertised in the ministry's official website on Monday.

"We want to look for the best candidate for the post. There is no such thing as we are going to employ a foreigner. There is no reason to jump to conclusions because we have just started receiving the applications," said Khairy when commenting on reports, including the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) honorary secretary Datuk Sieh Kok Chi's comment on employing a foreign DG.

The post of the NSC DG fell vacant after the contract of Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong was not renewed, apparently after the failure of the national contingent at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in Scotland and the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.

Meanwhile, speaking of the STL, Khairy said the introduction of the STL by the Malaysian Sepaktakraw Association (PSM) would help unearth talented players from around the country.

"After the STL, a programme will be jointly organised by the ministry and PSM, just like football, aimed at developing the sport further," he said.

The league is expected to feature players who are 18 and above and who have not played for any professional clubs or teams.

The first round of the STL will be played at the Kuala Terengganu Stadium Negeri from Nov 13-16 followed by the second and third rounds (Nov 22-23) and (Nov 29-30 at the Sultan Abdul Halim Stadium in Alor Setar, Kedah.

The fourth and fifth rounds will be held at the Pasir Gudang Stadium in Johor Baharu, Johor on Dec 13-14 and Dec 20-21, followed by the sixth (Dec 27-28) and seventh (Jan 3-4) rounds the Majlis Bandaraya Melaka Bersejarah Stadium in Bukit Serindit, Melaka.

The Grand Final is scheduled to be held at the Titiwangsa Indoor Stadium in Kuala Lumpur from Jan 10-18.