Sabah AGM okay as we’re a national body, says dental association

 

Malaysian Dental Association president Dr Mas Suryalis Ahmad said the proposed AGM in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, will coincide with the Borneo Dental Congress, to be held from May 1 to 4. (File pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

The Malaysian Dental Association (MDA), which was criticised by a group of dentists for planning its annual general meeting (AGM) on May 4 in Sabah, has reminded them that it is a national-level society whose members are not based in the Klang Valley alone.

MDA president Dr Mas Suryalis Ahmad said the association empathised with the predicament of peninsula-based members who might have to fork out more money to travel to Kota Kinabalu for the AGM.

Dr Mas Suryalis Ahmad.

However, she noted that this is also the predicament faced by members from Sabah and Sarawak when AGMs are held in the peninsula.

“Ultimately, MDA has to do its best to be fair and ensure equity for everyone.

“The cost for MDA members residing in Peninsular Malaysia to travel to Sabah was considered by the council before making a decision on the date and location of the upcoming AGM,” she told FMT.

Suryalis said that in previous years, the association had hosted the AGM in different zones to ensure fairness and equity to all members.

“For example, the 69th AGM in 2012 was held in Kuching, Sarawak. Further, the choice of the location for the upcoming AGM coincides with the Borneo Dental Congress, which will be held from May 1 to 4 (in Kota Kinabalu),” she said.

She said there are 528 members from the two east Malaysian states: 249 from Sabah and 279 from Sarawak.

“As such, there is a sizable number of members who will benefit from the AGM being hosted there,” she said.

Earlier, FMT reported that a group of 50 dentists in the peninsula had questioned MDA’s move to hold the AGM in Sabah, saying it would be costly for many of them to attend.

Their spokesman, Dr P Mahendran, said that while members from the peninsula have to spend about RM3,000 each to attend the AGM, MDA would bear all expenses incurred by the 20 council members to go to Sabah.

He asked if this was a ploy by the council to prevent members from attending in full force to question some of the outstanding issues with the Registrar of Societies which have become contentious.

In response to this, Suryalis said it had been a long-standing MDA policy to fund its council members’ travel and accommodation expenses for meetings.

“All council members serve MDA on a voluntary basis without any compensation, and reimbursement of travel and accommodation expenses for official MDA meetings is something which MDA believes is fair.

“In any event, the funding provided for these council members is only limited to direct flights and a one-night stay. This certainly does not reach the sum of RM100,000 as alleged,” she said.

She also denied Mahendran’s claim that the decision to hold the AGM in Sabah was a ploy to discourage members from attending to raise certain contentious issues.

“We will not stop any members from raising any issues relating to the management of MDA. The council is ready to provide explanations during the AGM,” she said.

“We will uphold the principles of accountability and transparency at all times.” - FMT