Chamber welcomes decision to allow holding of AGM

KOTA KINABALU: Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKCCCI) president Datuk Michael Lui yesterday welcomed Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s announcement that all bodies registered under the Registrar of Societies (ROS), Companies Commission of Malaysia, Cooperatives Commission Malaysia and Sports Commission would be allowed to hold their annual general meeting (AGM) from July 1.

He also thanked Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Shafie Apdal for allowing the government and private sectors to hold meetings, seminars, workshops, courses, trainings, conferences, talks and events with total capacity not exceeding 150 people.

He said this was good news for association leaders, especially the Chinese community.

Lui said KKCCCI previously had made certain decisions in the relevant messaging application chat groups when meetings were not allowed.

“Not that the government has allowed meetings to be held, we can ratify the decisions made,” he said.

More importantly, Lui said the chamber had to call for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) as soon as possible to discuss the motion to accept the State Government’s offer through the Lands and Surveys Department to compensate the chamber with 107,636 square feet (sq ft) of state land adjacent to SJK(C) Chung Hwa Likas in exchange for the 7,200 sq ft of land next to SJK(C) Chung Hwa Kota Kinabalu.

“The government has also allowed companies registered under the Companies Commission of Malaysia to organize meetings, including AGM.

“Hence, the government’s decision to allow associations to hold meetings, including AGM, was a positive move,” he said.

On another note, Lui hoped that the government would provide clearer directives on non-Muslim marriage solemnization ceremonies for community associations like KKCCCI today.

He said the five assistant marriage registrars of KKCCCI had been waiting for the authorities’ directive to solemnize 68 couples who had been waiting to tie the knot since March 18.

He said the chamber would abide by the government’s standard operating procedures (SOP) in its meetings and marriage registration ceremony.