ROS: MMA has to call fresh elections to avoid being deregistered

Star: SEREMBAN: The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) must declare its May 2011 elections null and void and elect new office bearers to avoid being deregistered, Registrar of Societies (ROS) Datuk Abdul Rahman Othman said.
He said the MMA office bearers were told about these requirements during meetings held after the association was deregistered in November.
“They must hold fresh elections as the council had contravened its own laws as well as provisions in the Societies Act,” he told The Star.
On Sunday, MMA president Dr Mary Cardosa was quoted as saying that the current council and executive committee would continue to function until its next AGM and elections, due in May this year, while a six-month grace period was given to the association to correct things.
Abdul Rahman said the MMA was informed of the Home Ministry directive on Nov 30, which clearly spelt out the violations committed by the MMA council in the run-up to its election.
The ROS de-registered the MMA on Nov 16 after it failed to give a proper explanation to several charges of irregularities during that election.
However, the de-registration was deferred by six months after the MMA appealed.
Meanwhile, Dr Cardosa said the MMA was never told to hold fresh elections.
“There were minor irregularities when we conducted our last elections, but we were never told that we have to declare the result null and void.
We were only told not to repeat the mistakes,” she added.