There’ll be much to discuss at MGA meeting
Elections and finances likely to dominate agm
THE anticipation in the lead-up to the Malaysian Golf Association’s (MGA) annual general meeting in a fortnight’s time is gathering pace.
One observer said this week that he believed there would be “a lot to discuss” when the national association meets with its affiliates in Johor on December 17.
The AGM is to be held at Palm Resort Golf and Country, according to the association’s website. Traditionally, the annual meeting is held concurrently with the Malaysian Amateur Open and at the same venue. This year’s national amateur championship is to be played at Palm Resort.
This year’s AGM is expected to feature two key issues, among other items of business.
The first is the election of office bearers, and the second is about the association’s financial standing.
The deadline for nominations was yesterday, and at the time of going to press, it was unclear as to who might be standing for office this year.
However, there was a suggestion earlier in the week that the president’s post, held by Admiral (R) Tan Sri Setia Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor, might be contested.
It was also unclear whether Anwar himself would stand for re-election.
The three vice-presidents’ posts are also understood to come up for re-election. The incumbents, according to the association’s website, are Teoh Piek Kee, Tan Sri Datuk Seri Dr Aseh Haji Che Mat and Tunku Puteri Negeri Sembilan Tunku Datuk Seri Jawahir.
The posts of secretary, held by Datuk Zulkifli Datuk Ismail, and treasurer, held by Bryan Perera, are also due for re-election.
According to the association’s communiqués, available through its website, the names of the delegates sent by affiliates to the annual meeting must be submitted in writing to the secretary by 12pm on Dec 10.
The delegates must be either members of the affiliate club or full-time employees of the affiliate.
“No other person may represent an affiliate, and no proxies are allowed,” reads one of the communiqués.
The submission forms are to be “signed by either the president, captain, managing director, chief executive officer or general manager of the club. Any other person must be authorised by a resolution from the board of directors or committee of the club”.
Failure to comply with any or all of these criteria will lead to the proposed delegate being denied entry or the right to vote.
Also crucial to the voting process will be the number of votes allocated to each club.
According to the terms of the association’s communiqué, each affiliated association is allowed one vote.
With regards to the clubs, there is a sliding scale that dictates that clubs with fewer than 1,000 resident members will be entitled to one vote.
Thereafter, clubs with more than 1,000 and up to 1,500 resident members will be entitled to two votes, clubs with more than 1,500 and up to 2,000 resident members will be entitled to three votes, clubs with more than 2,000 but not more than 2,500 resident members will get four votes and clubs with more than 2,500 resident members will be entitled to five votes.
For this purpose, a form has been made available via the website.
Also, according to the MGA, Article 15 (e) allows each committee member present in person to cast one vote.
Here, it is unclear if these include Datuk Merina Gan, Datuk Paduka Feizal Nor, Datuk Ab Jalil Abdullah, Datuk Ishak Mohd Esa, David Thong, Dr Chew Seng Poh, Deborah Wong and Charlie Chelliah, who according to the MGA’S website are “appointed committee members”.
What is also expected to raise some debate at the annual meeting is the association’s financial standing.
The Malaysian Open was not staged this year, even after the borders reopened.
There has been some talk that the association could not get funding through sponsorship to host the national open.
The Malaysian Open was held not more than two weeks before the first pandemic lockdown in March 2020. Before that, it had not been since 2016, with a lack of funding given as the reason.
If not for finances, there appears to be no reason or very few other reasons why it could not be staged this year.
And this comes on the heels of neighbouring countries like Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam hosting numerous events in 2022, including tournaments big and small, amateur and professional.
Efforts to get a comment on this from the MGA proved unsuccessful, as did inquiries about what the association was doing for the development of junior golf in the country, an area of the game that many believe is the future of golf.
The role of the MGA’S partners at the 2020 Malaysian Open is also likely to generate interest at the annual meeting, including one company brought in specifically to drive the event forward.
“To have no Malaysian Open is sad,” said the observer, who chose to remain anonymous. “I think if the MGA cannot host it then they should at least tell us, members of the affiliate golf clubs, what the reason, or reasons are.”
Receipt of the inquiry submitted to the MGA was acknowledged by an official of the organisation, but no response was received.