Angkasa: It's not us who drafted Co-op Act
Yip Ai TsinPublished: Jul 10, 2009 5:29 AM | Updated: Jul 10, 2009 7:12 AM
Angkasa, which is said to be responsible for drafting an Act of Parliament governing co-operatives which is said to be ultra vires the federal constitution, has been receiving a lot of flak from various quarters.
Angkasa, which is said to be responsible for drafting an Act of Parliament governing co-operatives said to be ultra vires the federal constitution, has been receiving a lot of flak from various quarters.
Angkasa, which is an acronym for the National Co-operative Organisation of Malaysia, spoke to Malaysiakini about mounting criticism that it helped draft the Co-operative Societies Act 2007.
Angkasa deputy president Prof Mohd Ali Baharum dismissed the allegations and made it clear that the current crop of Angkasa leaders had not been involved in the drafting of the Act.
"All this was done before our time. Prof Ungku Aziz, the previous head, was the one who was involved in the drafting stage," he said.
Ungku Aziz could not be reached for comment.
But he believed that the Act is for the betterment of the co-operative movement although it may not be "convenient" for members.
"The Commission has the right to set criteria for board members to ensure they are competent but so far, this has not been enforced. Moreover, harsher penalties imposed serve as a deterrent for wrong doings.
"If our members are not happy with the way their funds are handled, we will voice out to the Commission. The Commission is still in the process amending that aspect. We do consider the members view.
"We organised a road show in 2007 around the same time the Act was implemented and brought an officer from the Commission to explain these changes," he said.
However, he conceded that they "might not have been thorough enough" in getting feedback from all co-operatives.
When asked to comment on reports that the MACC is investigating accounting discrepancies in Angkasa, Mohd Ali dismissed them as fabrication.
"We have revealed all the accounts at the AGM. All are recorded."
Superior status of Angkasa
The Malay Mail reported on April 28 that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has started its probe into alleged irregularities in Angkasa's accounts.
One of the complaints the MACC is looking at is the Angkasa initiated Amanah Saham Angkasa Investments worth around RM500 million, which have been allegedly dwindled down to about RM100 million and an attempt to write off RM5 million at its annual general meeting in January.
To quell the various allegations hurled at it, he said, Angkasa will take legal action to silence its critics.
"We will react on that. Now we're still studying the matter," he said.
Mohd Ali explained that Angkasa is also a co-operative and subject to the Act under the Commission but claims it has a status higher than other co-operatives.
In May 1996, Mohd Ali said, former minister of Land and Co-operative Development, Osu Sukam, had declared Angkasa to be "the body representing the co-operative movement of Malaysia at the national and international level".
And this declaration is said to be the authority conferring upon Angkasa its superior status.
"Our main purpose is to help the co-operatives in terms of education. We help them to do business and educate them in matters relating to co-operatives," he said.
Angkasa was established on May 12, 1971 to unify the co-operative movement and to champion its aspirations and rights.
Since its inception, Ungku Aziz, helmed the movement, until his resignation as president, a day before Angkasa's elections on Jan 10.
Angkasa, which is an acronym for the National Co-operative Organisation of Malaysia, spoke to Malaysiakini about mounting criticism that it helped draft the Co-operative Societies Act 2007.
Angkasa deputy president Prof Mohd Ali Baharum dismissed the allegations and made it clear that the current crop of Angkasa leaders had not been involved in the drafting of the Act."All this was done before our time. Prof Ungku Aziz, the previous head, was the one who was involved in the drafting stage," he said.
Ungku Aziz could not be reached for comment.
But he believed that the Act is for the betterment of the co-operative movement although it may not be "convenient" for members.
"The Commission has the right to set criteria for board members to ensure they are competent but so far, this has not been enforced. Moreover, harsher penalties imposed serve as a deterrent for wrong doings.
"If our members are not happy with the way their funds are handled, we will voice out to the Commission. The Commission is still in the process amending that aspect. We do consider the members view."We organised a road show in 2007 around the same time the Act was implemented and brought an officer from the Commission to explain these changes," he said.
However, he conceded that they "might not have been thorough enough" in getting feedback from all co-operatives.
When asked to comment on reports that the MACC is investigating accounting discrepancies in Angkasa, Mohd Ali dismissed them as fabrication.
"We have revealed all the accounts at the AGM. All are recorded."
Superior status of Angkasa
The Malay Mail reported on April 28 that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has started its probe into alleged irregularities in Angkasa's accounts.
One of the complaints the MACC is looking at is the Angkasa initiated Amanah Saham Angkasa Investments worth around RM500 million, which have been allegedly dwindled down to about RM100 million and an attempt to write off RM5 million at its annual general meeting in January.To quell the various allegations hurled at it, he said, Angkasa will take legal action to silence its critics.
"We will react on that. Now we're still studying the matter," he said.
Mohd Ali explained that Angkasa is also a co-operative and subject to the Act under the Commission but claims it has a status higher than other co-operatives.
In May 1996, Mohd Ali said, former minister of Land and Co-operative Development, Osu Sukam, had declared Angkasa to be "the body representing the co-operative movement of Malaysia at the national and international level".
And this declaration is said to be the authority conferring upon Angkasa its superior status.
"Our main purpose is to help the co-operatives in terms of education. We help them to do business and educate them in matters relating to co-operatives," he said.
Angkasa was established on May 12, 1971 to unify the co-operative movement and to champion its aspirations and rights.
Since its inception, Ungku Aziz, helmed the movement, until his resignation as president, a day before Angkasa's elections on Jan 10.
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