Monday, January 25, 2021

Lion Club District 308A2’s disregard to Societies Act

 


The Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu Host was de-registered under section 13 which therefore makes it an unlawful society.

I understand, from members of the LCKKHost, that money was paid to LCI by John Ho for the year 2018/2019. I have written to LCI on this matter and waiting to hear from the legal department of LCI.

Meanwhile, since this is a local issue, I shall write to ROS after the Chinese New Year, and find out if its provisions are for show. (After CNY as there are a few more loose ends to tie up)

 

Is there not one lion member who knows that district dues paid by an unlawful club should not be received by the district treasurer?

Our own expert on Ethics Dr. Arabi Wazani ought to know this.

I don’t believe that our Professor DR. Muthusamy Palanisamy, who is a life time member, is unaware of the provisions of the Societies Act.

I repeat what I have heard from lion members; ROS fines are nothing to worry about. However, from what I read in the Societies Act this offense is punishable by imprisonment.

Let us find out if ROS is a paper tiger as suggested by many lion members.

Meanwhile for your information here are extracts from the Societies Act.

Note: The Act talks about payment but what about the district treasurer who received the district dues? How about the DG who allowed this to be received?

 

PART III MISCELLANEOUS  PROVISIONS  APPLICABLE  TO SOCIETIES  GENERALLY

Unlawful  societies

41.(1)For the purposes of this Act any of the following society shall  be  an  unlawful  society,  that  is  to  say:

(d)a society or a branch thereof which has had its registration cancelled under  section  2A,  13,  14  or  16

(LCKKHost was deregistered under section 13)

(2)Where  a  society  is  unlawful  under  subsection  (1),  or  its registration is cancelled under this Act, every branch of the society shall  immediately  thereupon  be  unlawful  and  the  approval  of  the Registrar for its establishment shall be deemed to be revoked, and where  a  branch  of  a  society  is  unlawful  under  subsection  (1)  or the approval of the Registrar for its establishment is deemed to be revoked as aforesaid under this subsection, every branch subordinate to  that  branch  shall  immediately  thereupon  be  unlawful  and  the approval of the Registrar for its establishment shall be deemed to be  revoked.

Penalties  on  member  of  unlawful  society 43.

Any person who is or acts as a member of an unlawful society or  attends  a  meeting  of  an  unlawful  society  or  who  pays  money or gives any aid to or for the purposes of an unlawful society shall be  guilty  of  an  offence  and  shall  be  liable,  on  conviction,  to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to a fine not exceeding  five  thousand  ringgit  or  to  both.

Penalty for procuring subscription or aid for an unlawful society

46. Any  person  who  procures  or  attempts  to  procure  from  any other person any subscription or aid for the purposes of an unlawful society shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to a fine not  exceeding  ***ten  thousand  ringgit  or  to  both.

Acting  on  behalf  of  or  representing  an  unlawful  society

48.(1)Any  person  who  in  any  manner  acts  on  behalf  of,  or represents, or assists, whether in a professional capacity or otherwise howsoever, any unlawful society, or any person who was an office-bearer  thereof  as  if  he  continues  to  be  an  office bearer  thereof,  or any  body  which  was  the  governing  body  of  the  society  or  of  any branch  thereof  as  if  it  continues  to  be  such  governing  body,  in relation  to  any  matter,  shall  be  guilty  of  an  offence  and  shall  be liable,  on  conviction,  to  imprisonment  for  a  term  not  exceeding five  years  or  to  a  fine  not  exceeding  fifteen  thousand  ringgit  or both.

 

Liability  of  office-bearer  in  respect  of  offences  by  society

51.(1)Where any offence punishable with a fine or imprisonment has been committed, whether or not any person has been convicted in respect thereof, and such offence has been committed or purports to have been committed by any society or in the name or on behalf of any society, every office-bearer of such society and every person managing  or  assisting  in  the  management  of  such  society  at  the time  of  the  commission  of  such  offence  shall  be  deemed  to  be guilty of such offence and shall be liable to the punishment prescribed by  law  therefor,  unless  he  establishes  to  the  satisfaction  of  the Court that the offence was committed without his knowledge and that he had exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of  the  offence.

(2)Any  office-bearer  and  person  managing  or  assisting  in  the management of such society shall be liable to be prosecuted under this  section,  notwithstanding  that  he  may  not  have  taken  part  in the  commission  of  the  offence.

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