Members of Transparency International (TI) Malaysia Chapter decided to put the internal strife which has embarrassed the organisation in recent weeks behind them by electing a new team to lead them today.

And Suhakam commissioner Dr V Ramon Navaratnam (left) was elected as the new president in a straight fight against incumbent Lee Chon San at the chapter's annual general meeting.

University Malaya Associate Professor Mohamad Ali Hasan and corporate figure Dr Chin Yoong Kheong were elected deputy president and secretary-general respectively unopposed.

Amid protests last month, Lee was appointed president and exco member Anwar Fazal as deputy president after its president Param Cumaraswamy resigned due to the internal bickering.

Today, Lee and Anwar were nominated to contest the deputy presidency but both declined the nomination.

Stewart Forbes and Josie Fernandez were the only two former exco members elected in the new line-up. Forbes was elected uncontested as treasurer.

Image tarnished

The meeting started at 10.45 am and ended about three hours later. Forty out of 94 members were present.

Ramon told a press conference after the meeting that the resolution to relinquish the old committee was passed and carried out as members felt that the reputation of TI has been tarnished.

"We thought we follow the best practices and go through this process of having elections where we will get a full mandate of a full house rather than having some vacancies filled internally by the executive committee," he said.

"The house felt generally that the reputation of TI has been tarnished by the open exchange of emails which was unfortunate. They felt it would be a good thing to represent a better image of accountability and transparency in the context of our ideals and goals," he added.

Ramon said the members felt that they needed to be consulted and wanted to participate in the election of their representatives anew in the light of the recent development.

"Anyway, it's a full participatory democratic institutional practice that we are pursuing," he said.

He, however, commended the previous committee for their contributions to the organisation.

"The new executive committee agreed to work with the government and membership to serve the cause of transparency and integrity in Malaysia," Ramon added.

Continue to serve

Met after the meeting, Lee said he will continue to work with the new committee if needed to improve the organisation.

"People want me to go then I go. I am still a member.... I will not give up the cause," he said, without elaborating.

Param resigned last month citing personal differences with secretary-general Prof Mehrun Siraj.

At the same time, Lee tendered his resignation due to differences with Param but was persuaded to withdraw it later on grounds that the latter had relinquished his post.

It is believed that Mehrun had written a scathing email to Param which triggered his resignation.