Article 1: Name

The  name  of  the  Society  shall  be  Persatuan  Alumni  Agensi Kerjasama  Antarabangsa Jepun Malaysia (The  Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Alumni Society of Malaysia) hereinafter referred to as the “Society”.

Article 2: Objectives

The objectives of the Society shall be: (i)   To   maintain  and  foster  social  and   fraternal association among its members;

(ii)  To  contribute  towards  fostering  good  relations between Malaysia and Japan

(iii) To  promote  exchange  of  information  between  or establish cultural, scientific and linguistic links with  similar societies or associations  in  other countries   having   similar   links   with   Japan International Cooperation Agency; and

(iv)  To  generally participate in  economic,  technical, social  and  cultural  activities  that  contribute towards good relations with Japan.

Article 3: Registered Place of Business

The  registered place of business shall be at JICA Malaysia Office, Suite 20.3, Level 29, Menara Citibank, 165 Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur. This  may  be changed as  determined  by  the  Executive Committee  of  the  Society from time to  time,  with  the  prior approval of the Registrar of Societies.

Article 3A: Patron

The  Society  may have a Patron who should be  a  person  of outstanding achievement of influence or standing from either the public or private sector. The Patron shall be  appointed by Executive Committee.

Article 3B: The Logo

(i)    The  Society  shall adopt a logo. The logo shall be  in  the shape of a stylised word MALAYSIA in navy blue supporting  a stylised  hand in the shape of a semi circle with  four  out stretched fingers in red and above it the words JICA alumni in navy blue. (ii)    This logo may be used in the official stationery, stamps and other  artifacts of the Society as may be decided from  time to time.

Article 4: Categories of Membership

4.1    Membership   of  the  Society  shall  be  of  three   (3) categories  i.e  Ordinary,  Associate  and  Honorary   as stipulated below: 4.1   (a)  Ordinary Members

(i)    Those  individuals  who have studied or  have been trained  in Japan under the Technical Cooperation scheme of Japan International Cooperation Agency; (b)    Associate Members

(i)    Those  individuals  who have studied or  have  been trained  in Japan under fellowships granted by  the Government of Malaysia.

(ii)    Those  individuals  who have studied or  have  been trained in Japanese Schools, colleges or universities as students, researchers or teachers;

(iii)    Those individuals who have been trained or studied in Japan under private technical cooperation programme, and

(iv)    Those individuals who have been trained or  studied at  training  centres  established  with   Japanese assistance in Malaysia.

(c)    Honorary Members

(i)    Officials  of the Government of Malaysia  who  have dealt  with, or are dealing with  bilateral,  multi- lateral  or  international  technical   cooperation activities.

(ii)   Officials of the Japanese Embassy and the  Japanese International Cooperation Agency in Malaysia.

(iii)  Japanese  experts and instructors who have been or are working under Japanese International Cooperation Agency in Malaysia.

and

(iv)  Malaysian  citizens  who  wish  to  patronize   the Society.

Article 5: Application for Membership

Every  application for membership shall be on a  prescribed  form and  submitted to the Honorary Secretary who shall, at the first convenient opportunity, submit it to the Executive Committee  for approval.  The Executive Committee may at its discretion  reject any  application  without assigning any  reason  therefore.  Every applicant whose application has been approved as aforesaid  shall upon  payment  of the prescribed entrance fee  and  first  annual membership fee, be admitted as a member of the Society and  shall be entitled to all privileges of membership as stipulated in  the Constitution.

Article 6: Rights and Privileges of Membership

(i)    Ordinary member have the full rights and privileges of membership including the right to vote and stand for election to the offices of the Society. (ii)    Associate  Members shall enjoy all  the  privileges and  rights of Ordinary Members except  that  they shall  not  have  the right to vote  or  stand  for election or hold office of the Society.

(iii) The rights and privileges of Honorary Members shall be the same as that of the Associates members.

Article 7: Entrance fee and subscription fee

7.1    An  entrance  fee  of  RM10.00  shall  be  payable  by  an applicant  on  being accepted as a member  regardless  of category.

7.2     The  annual subscription fee, which shall fall due on  or before 31st January of the year shall be as follows: Ordinary Member       -    RM20.00
Associates Member    -    RM10.00
Honorary Member      -    RM20.00

7.2A    Any  category of member may pay the  annual  subscription fee  as a one lump sum payment of two hundred  and  fifty dollars (RM250.00) for life.

7.3     Any  member  whose subscription is two  years  in  arrears shall  thereupon cease to be a member of the Society  and his/her   name  will  be  deleted  from  the   membership register.

Article 8: Executive Committee

8.1     The  Society  shall  be  administered  by  an   Executive Committee  which shall be elected once in every  two (2) years and shall comprise the following i.e:

(i)    A President;
(ii)   Two (2) Vice-Presidents;
(iii)  An Honorary Secretary;
(iv)  An Assistant Honorary Secretary;
(v)   Honorary Treasurer;  and
(vi)  Ten (10) other committee members whom six (6) are to be elected by General Meeting and four (4) to be appointed by the Committee Members.

8.2     All  members of the Executive Committee and  every  other officer  performing executive  functions of  the  Society shall be Malaysian citizens. 8.3     Only  Ordinary  Members shall be  eligible  for  election and/or  to  be  appointed  to  the  Executive  Committee. Nomination for election to the Executive Committee  shall be  proposed and seconded at the Annual  General Meeting and election will follow a simple majority vote  of  the Ordinary Members present. No proxies shall be allowed for the election of Executive Committee  Members.  Executive Committee Members shall be eligible for reelection.

8.4     The duties of the Executive Committee Members shall be as follows:

(a)    The  President  shall  act  as  Chairman  at  all General  Executive Committee Meetings.  He  shall also  represent the Society in all  its  dealings with outside persons and bodies. (b)    The  Vice  Presidents,  any one  of  them,  shall deputies   for  the  President  in  the   latter’s absence.

(c)    The Hon. Secretary assisted by the Assistant Hon. Secretary   shall   keep  all   records   (except financial)   of   the  Society   and   shall   be responsible  for all correspondence with  outside persons  and bodies and will keep minutes of  all General  and  Executive  Committee  Meetings.  He shall  also  maintain a membership  register  and shall  be responsible for sending out all  notice of General and Committee Meetings to all members.

(d)    The  Hon.  Treasurer  shall  keep  all  funds  and collect  and disburse all money on behalf of  the Society.  He shall keep account of all  financial transactions  and shall be responsible for  their correctness. He may hold a petty cash of $200.00. Cheques  for  withdrawal from the  Bank  shall  be signed by the Hon. Treasurer and the President or any one of the Vice President.

8.5     Any of the Executive Committee Members absenting  himself or herself from three (3) Committee Meetings consecutively  without satisfactory explanation shall  be deemed to have withdrawn from the Committee. Any vacancy in the Committee occurring between Annual General Meetings may  be  filled by an Ordinary Member  appointed  by  the Committee to serve until the next General Meeting.

Article 9: Committee Meetings

The  Executive  Committee shall; meet at least four (4)  times a year  after seven (7) day’s notice to all Committee Members. The President  may  call a Committee Meeting at any  time  by  giving seven (7) day’s notice. At least one-half (1/2) of the  Committee members  must be present for its proceedings to be valid  and  to constitute a quorum.

Article 10: Activities

The  Society  may  undertake such activities as  will  serve  its purpose, including: (a)   Lectures, discussions, study meetings, seminars and such like;

(b)   Film  shows  of cultural, technical or  of  general interest;

(c)   Japanese Language Classes;

(d)   Collection  and  circulation of  printed  materials about Japan and    Malaysia;

(e)   Entertainment and welfare activities;

(f)   Any  other activities that are regarded as  serving the purpose of the Society.

Article 11: General Meeting

11.1    The  management  of  the Society shall  be  vested  in  a General Meeting of ordinary members, presided over by the President.  At  least  one-half  of  the  total  ordinary members  twice  the number of committee members  must  be present at a General Meeting for its proceedings  to  be valid.  If  a  quorum is not present one  hour  after  the appointed time, the General Meeting should be postponed to a  date  not  exceeding  14 days to  be  decided  by  the Executive Committee. If a quorum is not present one  hour after the time appointed for the postponed General Meeting the members present shall have powers to proceed with the business  of  the day, but they shall have  no  power  to alter the rules of the Society. 11.2    The Annual General Meeting shall be held before the month of  April  every year. At other  times  an  Extraordinary General  Meeting  may  be requisitioned  by  20  or  more ordinary  members and may be called at any time by order of  the Executive Committee. The President shall  convene an   Extraordinary  General  Meeting   requisitioned   by ordinary members within 21 days of the receipt  of  such requisition.

11.3    At  least  two  weeks notice together  with  the  audited annual accounts of the previous year shall be given of an annual General Meeting and at least one week’s notice  of any other General Meeting and particulars of its  agenda shall be stated in the notice.

11.4    The business of the Annual General Meeting shall be:

(i)    To  receive the Executive Committee report  on  the activities of the Society during the previous year. (ii)    To  receive the Treasurer’s report and the  audited accounts of the Society for the previous year.

(iii)    The  election of office-bearers and  auditors  when necessary.

(iv)  Any other business as may be put before it.

11.5    Any  ordinary members who wishes to place an item on  the agenda  of  an Annual General Meeting may  do  so giving notices to the Hon. Secretary at least seven days  before the General Meeting is due to be held.

Article 12: Constitution, Quorum and Postponement

The  provision  of  Article 11 regarding  the  constitution,  the quorum  and the postponement of an Annual General  Meeting shall also  apply  to  an Extraordinary General Meeting  but  with  the provision  that  if no quorum is present one hour after the time appointed for a postponed Extraordinary General Meeting requisitioned by ordinary members the meeting shall be  canceled and  no Extraordinary General Meeting shall be requisitioned  for the  same purpose after a lapse of at least six months from  the date thereof.

Article 13: Dues

Dues shall be established by the Executive Committee as set forth in  the rules. Members shall be in good standing in any year in which their appropriate dues are paid. The fiscal  year  extend from January to 31st December.

Article 14: Finance

14.1    The finance of the Society shall depend on the dues  paid by members and funds voluntarily donated by individuals or institutions who support the purpose of the Society. 14.2    Any  expenditure other than payment from the petty  cash by the treasurer, shall obtain the prior approval of  the Executive Committee.

Article 15: Audit

Two members, who are not members of the Executive Committee shall be  elected as Hon. Auditors at each Annual General Meeting  and will  hold  office for one year. They will be required  to  audit each  year’s accounts and present a report upon it to  the  Annual General  Meeting. They may be required by the President to  audit the  Society’s  accounts for any period within  their  tenure  of office at any date and submit a report to the Executive Committee.

Article 16: Affiliation

The Society, upon approval of General Meeting, may affiliate with such other organizations as may be desirable in order mutually to further their aims and objectives.

Article 17: Interpretation

17.1    Between Annual General Meetings, the Executive  Committee shall interpret the Constitution of the Society and where necessary, determine any point on which the  Constitution is silent. Except where it is contrary to or inconsistent with the policy  previously laid down  by  the  General Meeting the decision of the Committee shall be binding on all members of the Society unless and until countermanded by a resolution of a General Meeting.

Article 18: Resignation

18.1    Any  member who wishes to resign from the  Society  shall give  two  (2)  weeks  notice  in  writing  to  the  Hon. Secretary and shall pay up all dues.

Article 19: Expulsion/Suspension

19.1    Any  member who fails to comply with the Constitution  of the Society or has acted in a manner that bring disrepute to the Society may be expelled or suspended for a  period of time as the Executive Committee deems fit. Before  the Committee expels or suspends a member, the member  should be  informed  of  the grounds  for  such  expulsion   or suspension  in  writing and be given  an  opportunity  to explain and absolve himself in person. 19.2    Such  suspension  or expulsion shall be  enforced  unless otherwise  reversed by a General Meeting upon  appeal  by the member.

Article 20: Amendments to the Constitution

Amendments to the duly adopted constitution may be made only by a two-thirds  approval  vote of the ordinary members. The text  of proposed  amendments  must be presented in writing  to  the  Hon. Secretary  one month before a meeting of the General  Meeting  in order that it may be sent to all ordinary members of the  Society at  least 10 days in advance of such a meeting. Ordinary  members unable  to attend a General Meeting may vote upon  such  proposed amendments  either  by correspondence or by duly  credited  proxy present at the meeting of the General Meeting. No alterations  or additions to these rules shall come into force without the  prior sanction  of  the  Registrar  of  Societies.  Any  alteration  or addition  to the rules shall be submitted to  the  Registrar  of Societies within 25 days of being passed by the General Meeting.

Article 21: Prohibition

This Society shall not partake in Political or Religious activities. Gaming on the premises and the introduction of undesirable characters into the premises of the Society are prohibited.

Article 22: Trustees

The Society shall have two trustees who shall be elected once in every two years at the Annual General Meeting. The conditions for the  election of the Trustees are the same as that  required  for the election of the Executive Committee as mentioned in  Articles 8.2 and 8.3 of this Constitution.

Article 23: Dissolution

Any proposed dissolution of the Society shall be sent in written notice to all ordinary members of the Society at least one month before a General Meeting especially convened for  this  purpose, and such dissolution shall be pronounced only by  a  two-third approval vote of the ordinary members in good standing. The same General Meeting shall determine the manner in which  any assets  remaining to the Society shall be disposed. Ordinary members  unable  to  attend  the  General  Meeting  may  vote  as indicated under Article 20. Notice of dissolution duly signed  by the  office-bearers of the Executive Committee shall be given within 14 days of the dissolution to the Registrar of Societies.