"Care for One". Annie Ho, Which one?

 

The following is my email to Annie Ho, ROS and PCB on 21.3.2025.

"Care for One". Which one?

DG Annie Ho,

I am writing to you with grave concern and mounting frustration. In September 2024, I explicitly raised the issue that no election was conducted for the 2024/2025 office bearers of the Lions Club Kota Kinabalu Centennial. Your dismissive response—that I am not a member and should take it up with LCI—was wholly inadequate. I followed your directive and contacted LCI, only to receive no resolution. This is unacceptable.

 

PP Chin Chee Thau, a member at the time, lodged the same complaint, and you have utterly failed to act. He, too, escalated the matter to LCI, ROS and the Public Complaint Bureau while still a member, yet no response has been forthcoming. As District Governor, it is your unequivocal duty to investigate such breaches. The District Governor’s Manual mandates that you ensure compliance with LCI policies. You have the authority—and the obligation—to demand meeting minutes, election records, and member statements to verify these violations. PP Chin requested these very documents, and your excuse that they cannot be obtained from the club is indefensible. He also asked for a list of members present at the supposed election meeting and a copy of the AGM minutes—requests you have blatantly ignored.

Appointing officers instead of holding elections is not a minor oversight; it is a flagrant violation of the democratic principles enshrined in the Standard Form Lions Club Constitution and By-Laws (Article VI, Section 2). This requires annual elections by April 15, with nominations and votes by members in good standing, and terms commencing July 1. Your inaction has allowed this breach to fester, risking the consolidation of power and the disenfranchisement of members. Since May 2024, senior members have repeatedly demanded an election to rectify this, yet the appointed officers and Board of Directors have stonewalled them. I now possess documentary evidence of these demands and statements from members confirming no election occurred.

What steps have you taken to investigate? Have you even bothered to interview a single senior member to ascertain the facts? Your silence and inertia are deafening. In December 2024, I escalated this to the local press, a reputational blow that could have been avoided had you addressed my September complaint with the seriousness it warranted. Your negligence forced my hand.

I have been informed that updating the ROS register with the names of these improperly appointed office bearers for 2024/2025 may constitute a criminal offense. Be assured, I will not hesitate to report this to the police as a matter of public interest. Furthermore, I will urge PP Chin to file a report for wrongful dismissal on fabricated grounds—a consequence of this unchecked misconduct.

The responsibility lies squarely with you. Act now, or face the consequences of your dereliction.

Luqman Michel