RELA - NEW MEMBER OF MATTA

Relawan Malaysia (RELA) has joined MATTA as a full member with additional powers of  making sure suspended members not allowed to enter the meeting hall at Bayview Hotel at Batu Feringgi on Monday. As a result thirteen travel agencies were barred from attending the Malaysian Travel and Tour Agents (Matta) Penang chaper's 18th annual general meeting following their recent suspension by the organisation. The suspensions range from 10 to 15 years.

 

Some argument took place when several operators lost their cool after being told by RELA that they could not attend the meeting. A spokesman for the group, Simon Goh, said those suspended did not realise they were barred from the meeting until they arrived at the venue.

 

"We have every right to attend the meeting as the association only suspended us from participating in its activities but not our membership with the organisation," he said.

 

Goh said the matter arose when several members discovered some discrepancies in the association's accounts and reported the matter to the national body, seeking its intervention to investigate as well as freeze the branch's accounts in February.

 

"The national body wrote to the Penang branch enquiring about the alleged discrepancies and this prompted the branch to issue a show cause letter to those who had complained to the national body," he said, adding that those who had failed to reply were suspended.

 

Goh said the suspension was against the association's constitution and this had been acknowledged by the national body. "We wanted to attend the AGM and explain the issue to the local branch representatives besides trying to find an amicable solution to the matter," he said.

 

Local branch chairman Johari Shafie said the AGM went on smoothly but refused to comment on the alleged discrepancies in the accounts of the chapter and the suspension of the group.