Let group hold re-election, MMA urged

Star: SEREMBAN: The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) council should step aside and allow a caretaker committee to conduct fresh elections for the grouping of some 10,000 doctors, former president Datuk Dr Abdul Hamid Abdul Kadir said.
“It is time for the present council to step aside and make way for a caretaker committee to conduct a re-election to solve the unconstitutional election held at the last AGM,” he claimed.
Dr Abdul Hamid said it was “strange” that the MMA had decided not to hold fresh elections and instead called for nominations for the 2012-2013 period.
“It is clear to the majority of members that the directive from the Registrar of Societies was to correct the mistakes of the election of office bearers at the last AGM in 2011, which contravened the constitution of the association and provisions in the Societies Act,” he said.
In a report on Thursday, The Star quoted Registrar of Societies Datuk Abdul Rahman Othman as saying that MMA must declare its last election null and void and elect a new set of office bearers as one of the conditions to ensure it would not be struck off for violating association rules and the Societies Act.
However, MMA president Dr Mary Cardosa explained subsequently that the association was never told to hold fresh elections, adding that MMA would hold its AGM and election of new office bearers “as usual” in May.
Dr Cardosa said a notice had been sent to all members on a special meeting to be held on Feb 12 when they would be given a clearer picture of its status following its deregistration and the six-month grace period given to the association to rectify matters.
The ROS deregistered MMA on Nov 16 after it failed to give a proper explanation on several charges of irregularities in last year’s election.
However, the deregistration was deferred by six months after the MMA appealed.
Another former president, Datuk Dr Lee Yan San, said the MMA should conduct a postal ballot to allow all members to vote for a new team.
“MMA is a very important and well-established association representing doctors and it has had good rapport with the Health Ministry which often seeks our views.
“We have sacrificed a lot of our time and energy to build up MMA to its present prestigious position. It would be a shame to see it deregistered for this reason,” he said.
Former president Datuk Dr P. Krishnan said: “I don’t understand the rationale of the MMA council calling for a special meeting merely to explain the chronology of events. This is a waste of time and money,” he said.