DPMM can discuss 'dubious' transactions in exco meeting, court rules

The Kuala Lumpur High Court has ruled that the Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia (DPMM) can bring up other matters in its exco meeting scheduled for later today.

Judicial Commissioner Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh said that despite courts usually being reluctant to rule in cases involving societies, the meeting is the best avenue for the chambers to resolve an internal dispute. 

The dispute revolves around allegedly dubious transactions made by DPMM president Rizal Faris Mohideen Abdul Kadir.

DPMM secretary-general Don Nazwim Don Najib had initially called for an exco meeting on Nov 8, in which only its annual general meeting and the treasurer's report would be discussed.

The meeting was cancelled at the last minute, when a rival faction of 18 exco members, led by deputy president Syed Hussein Alhabshee, wanted to raise the transactions carried out by Rizal Faris and hold an extraordinary general meeting instead.

The faction subsequently filed an originating summons to force Rizal Faris, Don Nazwim and DPMM to hold an EGM.

It is alleged that RM5 million supposedly allocated to DPMM by the Prime Minister's Office during the tenure of Najib Abdul Razak was deposited into the account of the Yayasan DPMM Pulau Pinang Bhd – said to be controlled by Rizal Faris – without prior approval from the exco.

The rival faction's grouses also stem from the sale of two Damansara properties at Plaza Damansara for a sum of RM11.6 million, RM5.6 million of which was transferred to DPMM.

They claimed that RM5.4 million of the sum was used for the 14th general election without the exco's approval.

Additionally, the exco members also alleged that another RM1 million, given by a company named Redberry, was also used for election campaigning without their permission.

They claim that these transactions were raised to Rizal after the general election, but that he had failed to provide a decent explanation.

Following today's decision, Matthew Thomas Philip, representing Syed Hussein and the 17 exco members, said they will have to see what happens at the exco meeting at 5pm today.

The DPMM usually holds their AGM before June 30 every year. 

Rizal Faris, Don Nazwim and DPMM were represented by lawyer V Sithambaram. - Mkini