This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on September 6, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here yesterday endorsed a notice here by the Registrar of Societies (RoS) to validate the dismissal of Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia (DPMM) president Rizal Faris Mohideen Abdul Kader.

With this decision by Justice Datuk Seri Mariana Yahya, Datuk Seri Syed Hussein Alhabshee is recognised as the chamber’s president.

Judge Mariana endorsed the notice issued by the RoS on Wednesday which stated that the extraordinary general meeting (EGM) held on Nov 22 last year was valid and in accordance with the decision made by the chamber’s executive council (MED) meeting a day earlier.

The notice stated that all decisions made at the EGM, including the dismissal of Rizal Faris, were valid, while all decisions made during the annual general meeting (AGM) on the same day, including the dismissal of 18 MED members, were invalid.

The RoS notice also stated that the AGM held on June 15 was in accordance with the chamber’s constitution and all decisions made at the meeting, including the election of Syed Hussein as the new president, were valid.

The RoS had also decided that an allocation of RM5 million from the finance ministry that was directly channelled into the account of Yayasan DPMM Penang without the MED’s approval contravened the chamber’s constitution.

Syed Hussein’s lawyer Balan Nair Thamodaran said the issue of which faction is the rightful officer bearers of DPMM has been put to rest.

“After one year of taking this matter to the court, the court has today (yesterday) consistently endorsed the RoS decision that the 18 members whom Rizal Faris said had been removed are valid members of the MED,” he told reporters outside the court.

Balan said Syed Hussein’s team will write to Rizal Faris, asking him to allow the rightful committee members to administrate the chamber.

In July, the RoS issued a show-cause letter to Rizal Faris requesting him to explain why the chamber should not be deregistered given his various breach in conduct. Syed Hussein then filed a judicial review against the RoS on June 28.

The AGM held on June 15 resulted in Syed Hussein’s election along with new office bearers. This was however disputed by Rizal Faris’ faction in July.

However, the RoS letter yesterday recognised Syed Hussein and his committee members are the true office bearers.