MMA to hold emergency council meeting on Saturday

The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) will hold its emergency council meeting this Saturday to explain the “deregistration” issue to all its council members, said its president Dr Mary Suma Cardosa.

She said the question of holding the MMA re-election should not arise as the letter from the Home Ministry mentioned that the decision of the Federal Territory Registrar of Societies (ROS) be postponed for six months.

It also mentioned that if MMA broke the rules again within the stipulated period, it would be deregistered automatically, she added when met after the launching of the pain-free hospital service by the health minister at Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital, yesterday.

“People are talking about this (deregistration) issue, and we have to explain it to our members. So, we are holding an emergency council meeting on Saturday and after that, they will explain the issue to their branches.” Dr Cardosa said with the Home Ministry’s decision, the MMA was now functioning normally and following the requirements of its constitution for the next six months.

“They never said to hold another election, and that MMA was illegal. People are just interpreting the issue,” she added.

In October, ROS issued a show-cause letter to the MMA, a 60-year-old association, following alleged irregularities in the running of the association and in the election of its office-bearers.

ROS struck off the MMA after it failed to satisfactorily reply to the show-cause letter. The MMA then submitted its appeal to Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein on Nov 22.

The ministry in its letter on Nov 25 decided that the decision by ROS be postponed for six months.

The letter also mentioned that if MMA failed to comply with the provisions of its constitution and Society Act 1966 within the period prescribed, the registration of MMA would automatically be cancelled.

Asked why the MMA issue came about in the first place, Dr Cardosa said: “It was because of some technical error, not during the election but in sending out the notice which was a little bit late.

“It was supposed to be seven weeks’ notice, but we did not make it. We put it in our newsletter which went out late, and also because of a couple of other things.”

– Bernama