Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) officials have again tried and failed to serve a notice of inspection to human rights group Suaram.
The three officials led by deputy registrar Azahari Ab Rahman arrived just minutes before the office’s closing time at 5.53pm and found no authorised persons available to accept the notices.
Speaking to reporters after the officers had left without speaking to the media, Suaram documentation and monitoring coordinator Wong Kar Fai (left) said he had offered to accept the notice but Azahari turned down the offer, saying that it must be accepted by Suaram’s directors.
He added that offers to arrange an appointment for the officers were similarly dismissed, with Azahari saying, “Never mind, never mind.”
Azahari and several other officers had also visited Suaram’s premises at Gasing Indah, Selangor to serve notice just yesterday, but was aborted because the notice was found to be flawed.
One officer, Wong claimed, had said that CCM would return at 10.30am today, but Azahari today denied that such promises were made.
“Our directors and chairperson, secretariat members, staff, lawyers were here in the office by 10am, ready to accept service.
“Now they come at such a late hour. All the authorised persons to receive the notice have gone home,” Wong said.
The officers spent almost an hour at Suaram’s office while its staff tried to contact lawyers and ask questions about the notices.
“We wanted to accept service, but they came at the wrong time and there is no authorised person.
“I offered to take it but he said ‘No’, so they left,” Wong added.
He also claimed that Azahari hinted that the notices were not needed to obtain the documents they sought, but said he did not know Azahari’s intention in saying that.
According to a tweet from the NGO’s official Twitter account, CCM is requesting for copies of;
1) Financial documents for the year 2008-2011,
2) Supporting documents related to revenue and other income including bank statements from 2008 to 2011,
3) Supporting documents relating to company expenses for financial year 2008 to 2011,
4) Detailed list of administrative expenditure for financial year 2008 to 2011,
5) Detailed information on company activities for financial year 2008 to 2011.
Officials brought four notices
The officials brought four notices, one each to Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd (Suaram’s corporate vehicle), its two directors Kua Kia Soong and Yeoh Seng Guan, and the company secretary, under Section 7B (2) and Section 7(11)(a) of the Companies Act 1965 requiring Suaram officers to present the documents to CCM’s office at KL Sentral by Monday next week.
The inspection came after several pro-BN NGOs came forward to question why Suaram, a human rights NGO is registered as a corporate entity with CCM.
They also questioned the almost RM1 million recorded as earnings by the company from 2008 to 2011, asking that it be accounted for.
At a press conference earlier today before Suaram’s senior officials had left, Kua had said that Suaram was registered as a company because it was difficult to register it as an NGO, and that the ‘profits’ were in fact donations and grants Suaram has received to fund its operation.
