by SARJIT SINGH
Project Consultant
School of Hospitality, Tourism, & Culinary Arts
Taylor's University College
The international expectance of NGO’s is that no one, including the public authority can enforce strict procedures for one to be a forced member. I sit on many international bodies and on the local level have been involved with Youth, Sports, Leisure, Recreation, private clubs, religious organizations and hotel industry and am of the opinion that an NGO becomes stronger and attractive if they do not have forced membership.
An NGO should be attractive, serving, representing and giving. Then only will someone join the organisation. And, when that happens, the NGO will be strong and respected by the members.
For me the closest example to my chest is MAH – The Malaysian Association of Hotels.
The former Minister of Tourism Tan Sri Dato Paduka Sheikh Kadir Sheikh Fadhir tried to get forced membership of hotels for MAH, MBHA and MAHO. He succeed through the Cabinet but his paper was thrown out by the AG Chambers.
AG Chambers bluntly said “ No one should force membership into an NGO”. In fact this is enshrined in the -Robert’s Rule of Law that governs NGO’s. Apparently, and I hope I heard it right, that for MATTA, the AG overlooked this clause and allowed mandatory membership.
It was at this junction that under the leadership of then President of MAH Tuan Agus Salim, that MAH started to be attractive to the members and its membership mushroomed and state chapters formed. Then, during the term of Datuk Ilyas, MAH consolidated further to strengthen the chapters and provided a more effective platform of members in their respective states.
NGO should serve and not be used for personal glory and personal travels.
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