History repeats

 

Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu Host was de-registered because my pleas to settle amicably were not heeded.

Now something similar is brewing where a Club President, does not listen to the club members.

A club filed the names of the officers for July 2024 to June 2025 in the ROS register.

There was an argument that an AGM was required to elect the officers.

Truth is a bitter pill to swallow

 

On 28.9.23 I attended the funeral of Datuk Gopalan Murugasu who was the man who placed me in my first job as accountant of Gaya Timber Group of Companies. When I first met him in his office, he told me that the Indians in Sabah are respected by the locals and that I should help maintain that status.

On 30.9.2023 I attended the grand dinner function on the occasion of the marriage of Datuk Kadir’s son.

On both occasions, I realised that many Indians that I know shunned me.

At the dinner, I met one of my childhood friends who told me that he was pleasantly surprised when he read some comments on a Sabah Indian chat group about my name being known internationally. (See note below.)

Ethics and integrity of the Lions Clubs

This post is for those who are reading my posts here for the first time.

I want to share my experiences with Lions Clubs and Lions Club International (LCI).

In 2017 I was expelled from the Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu Host (LCKKHost) for asking questions on misappropriation of funds by a few senior members. A scheme had been set up by operating bank accounts unknown to most members.

I complained to some Past District Governors who instructed me to get in touch with the District Governor. They wanted to have no part in investigating this matter.

I complained to the District Governor who pushed it to Lions Club International.

I complained about the matter to Lions Club International and was told that each club is autonomous and LCI will not get involved.

I complained to the Registrar of Societies (ROS) and after investigation, the club was deregistered.

Loneliness – Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu Host

 

 

I stand alone but the LCKKHost is lonely.

 

‘… loneliness comes from holding certain views which others find inadmissible.’ (Carl Jung)

 

A blast from the Past (Part 3) - why the club was reinstated

 

On 28.6.2018, the Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu Host wrote to the Minister of Home Affairs to appeal against the deregistration of the club.

On 2.11.2018 Originating summons with John Ho and Francis Liew as plaintiffs were filed against the Registrar of Societies. The summons was supported by affidavits of John Ho and Francis Liew who affirmed in their capacity as Past President and a former secretary of Lions club of Kota Kinabalu Host respectively.

Open letter to Lions Club International

 

3.1.2021

Dear sirs,

I refer to the several emails I have sent to you since December 2016.

In January 2017 David Kingsbury of Legal Division of Lions International said in his email to me that ‘all Lions clubs are autonomous, meaning each club is responsible for day to day operations, including compliance with local laws.’

 

Look but do not see, hear but do not listen

This post is from 2 years ago.

This morning I saw a post by a friend which says: “Many look but do not see. Many hear but do not listen”.

Many people look at what I write about the Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu Host, but they do not see the meaning behind what is being written. They simply can’t comprehend what is written. They do not make an effort to understand the background of the story. They do not bother to think as to why I spend so much time writing about the crime committed by educated fools.

Email to Lion dignitaries

Yew Hee Chieng, Gan Kean Siong, Tiong Yong Tiing, Lee Pelly, Eu Hea Chieng, Tan Tsu Kun, Erich Tiong Chang Cheng, Adrian Liew, Lydia Lu Siew Fong

Dear Lion Friends,

I am Luqman Michel who was expelled from the Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu Host in 2017 January.

I filed a complaint to ROS in December 2016 as soon as I found out that a notice to expel me was to be sent out.

The club was de-registered on 28.6.2018.

Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu Host - Collateral damage

It appears that members of Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu are adamant and appears they have decided to take their chances in court.

My main concern at this point is the fact there will be collateral damages as I cannot and should not leave anything behind. I have learned from my recent hearing on my complaint to the Disciplinary Board. This will be a no-holds-barred complaint.

Kim Goldsworthy's letter transcribed

I transcribe below the letter from Kim Goldsworthy for easy reading.

Dear Mr.Luqman Michel,

In reply to your PDF Documents.

I am flabbergasted that my NAME and my PHOTOGRAPH has been used where I have never *confirmed* any such writings.

·         I have never dealt with “The Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu Host”

·         I have never read the bylaws of “Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu Host.”

·         I do not know who “Lion Francis Liew” is (i.e. the signer of the document).

I have clipped the text from your “notification”.

Kim Goldsworthy, an authority and a panelist on Roberts Rules Questions and Answers Forum have confirmed on 19.11.2016 at 4.28pm all those public postings is sufficient to conclude Luqman Michel’s unworthiness of membership and no further due process is required.

Please inform your organization that I never read a single line of any of your (Luqman Michel) Facebook page postings. – I object to the phrase “… all those public postings are sufficient …” I never read any public postings. I never “confirmed” that “those postings” were “sufficient”.

·         I CAN confirm that writings CAN be sufficient evidence in a disciplinary process but I am in no position to confirm anyone's specific postings were, or were not, "sufficient"- Someone would have to read the text. - And then someone would have to judge the text. I never read a single word of such a postig.

·     

In a disciplinary process, a parliamentarian is not a judge of a thing. – The organization is to be the judge of such a thing.

I find it dishonourable that:

(a)    My good name has been used without my permission.

(b)   In a cause I did not know about;

(c)    And my (never even quoted) reply to a generic question was misunderstood, and then twisted to a invalid interpretation.

Sincerely,

A stitch in time saves nine.

小洞不补大洞吃苦

xiǎo dòng bù bǔ dà dòng chī kǔ

A small hole not plugged will make you suffer a big hole (idiom); a stitch in time saves nine.

DIGNITY IS NOT NEGOTIABLE

I had just finished an article to post here today (22.10.2019) when I received this message in my Whatsapp.

I then decided that I should post this before my prepared article.

An additional chapter to my book

After my complaint to Registry of Societies (ROS) I let matters rest for about a year. Then I followed up on my complaint.

For those who have not followed my story on the misappropriation of funds meant for the needy by the Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu Host please read my blog posts at www.myclubexperiences.blogspot.my.

After about a year when I went to ROS I was informed that a new Template will be introduced to all organisations registered with ROS.

Recently I had obtained minutes of meetings of my former club where I noticed that 2 internal auditors were appointed. This was surprising as for many years only one auditor was appointed.

On 29.9.2019 I attended a meeting as one of the committee members of one of the Chambers of Commerce where I was told that we too have been instructed by ROS to appoint 2 internal auditors.

Only then did it dawn on me that the ‘new template’ that the officer of ROS had talked about has been implemented.

YES! I have made it happen yet again. I believe it was my complaint of the misappropriation of funds by my former Lions Club that has now resulted in two internal auditors having to be appointed in all clubs and societies under the ROS.

I hope the ROS will be wise enough to ensure that signatories to cheques are not allowed to be internal auditors as was the case in my former club. That would be like asking the wolf to guard the sheep.

Locus Standi (legal standing)

What prompted me to write my post on Public Interest Litigation last week?

I went to Registry of Societies (ROS) in December 2016 which is two years after the verdict on Locus Standi in 2014. (You may read about the 2014 ruling on Locus Standi here.)

One of the first questions asked by the officer at ROS is if I am a member of Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu Host to which I answered yes. I was asked to prove that I am a member. I asked as to whether I can make a complaint if I was not a member and the short answer was, No!

Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu Host – update

The court case by John Ho against the ROS supposedly authorised by 62 members of the Club as at 22.7.2018 was withdrawn by his solicitors on 21.6.2019.

John Ho's comments in IPP Barry Palmers FB page - Part 1

After an absence of more than a year of comments by John Ho via his common law wife Marcia Hong he suddenly appeared on 21.5.2019 and posted a few lines in a Face Book post in International Past President Barry Palmer’s page. 

I did not want to respond but then again if I don't many of the readers of IPP Barry's FB page will think that I am at fault. 

Lions Club International Foundation and its 4 Star Rating

Here is some information I extracted from the internet on LCIF followed by my comments.

"Fiscal responsibility and transparency are important to LCIF. LCIF continues to ensure that all donated funds are used efficiently to help even more people."

Lions Clubs – Lessons to be learned (Part 2)

                                            lit. an arrogant army is bound to lose (idiom)
                                                      fig. pride goes before a fall

Let us give Barry Palmer a few days to discuss matters with LCI and other IPP's. Meanwhile let us look at what lessons we can all learn from the LCKK Host screw up by LCI and PDG's.

Many of the former members of the Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu Host have paid a high price for the arrogance of a few of the Past Presidents of Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu Host..

Some of the Past Presidents led by John Ho became over-confident and ignored what they did not know. They became arrogant.

IPP Barry Palmer - Face Book Discussion (Part 2)

                                                       (Photo Past IP with current IP)
                                                 First IP from Australia and first woman IP

Let us start from the very beginning… a very good place to start.

I reported about misappropriation of funds by the Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu Host (the name the club was known to all members). I wrote to LCIF if they had given grants to LCKK Host and the answer was in the negative.

Lions Club - Lessons to be learned (Part 1)

I understand that the Lions Club of Kota Kinabalu Host will be reinstated by ROS following intervention by the Home Ministry. Believe me when I say I am glad the club will be reinstated.