CLAUSE 4 – MEMBERSHIP
The membership of the Association shall consist of the following categories:
(2) Life Membership
(3) Ordinary Membership
(4) Overseas Membership
(5) Associate Membership
(6) Student Membership
(7) Exempt Membership
(8) Privilege of Membership
(9) Procedure for Election of Members
(1) Honorary Membership
The Association may confer Honorary Membership on those persons who, whether or not registered in the Medical Register, have done exceptional work in the fields of Medicine and allied sciences or have rendered meritorious service in the cause of Medicine and associated sciences or to this Association.
(2) Life Membership
Life Membership of the Association shall be opened to Ordinary Members who are fully registered in the Register kept by the Registrar of Medical Practitioners, and who in place of annual subscription to the Association, shall have contributed to the Capital of the MMA Special Savings (Life Investment) Fund established by the Association, an amount determined by the Annual General Meeting from time to time. The annual income, generated by investment of the Accumulated Capital contributions of each member to the Fund shall be irrevocably assigned in perpetuity by the contributor to the Council of the Association to disburse as it deems fit.
(3) Ordinary Membership
Ordinary Membership shall be opened to every medical practitioner whether registered or provisionally registered or conditionally registered in the Register kept by the Registrar of Medical Practitioners and those terms shall have the meaning assigned to them by the Medical Registration Ordinance currently in force. Failure of provisionally or conditionally registered members to complete the housemanship and be fully registered within the 3-year period, will result in their membership being terminated.
(4) Overseas Membership
Overseas Membership shall be opened to a registered medical practitioner whose permanent residence is outside Malaysia.
(5) Associate Membership
Associate Membership shall be opened to para-Medical Personnel who being qualified in their respective profession legally practise in Malaysia.
(6) Student Membership
Student Membership shall be opened to:
(i) registered medical students who are citizens of Malaysia and who are undergraduates in any medical school recognised by the Malaysian Medical Council; and/or
(ii) registered foreign medical students who are undergraduates in any medical school in Malaysia recognised by the Malaysian Medical Council provided that no local University or University College student shall be admitted as a member without the prior written approval of the Vice-Chancellor concerned.
(7) Exempt Membership
Exempt Membership shall be open to medical practitioners who have been Ordinary Members in good standing of at least 20 years and have attained the age of 65 years.
(8) Privilege of Membership
(i) The privilege of membership is the participation in all activities arranged or organized by the Association including:
(a) the Council and its committees;
(b) the Branch and its Sub-committees; and/or
(c) Sections, Societies and its Sub-committees;
(ii) Honorary, Associate, Student and Overseas members will enjoy all the privileges of Ordinary/Life and Exempt membership except that of voting or of holding office in the Council and Branch Committees of the Association.
(iii) All members of the Council and officers of the Association including Branches, Sections, Societies, Committees and Representatives to Government and NonGovernmental Organisations shall be Malaysian citizens.
(9) Procedure for Election of Members
(i) All membership except Honorary Membership under Clause 4 (1) shall be deemed to be by election and acceptance by the Council of the Association, hereinafter called “The Council”. The Council shall not be required to give any reasons for its acceptance or non acceptance of any application for membership.
(ii) All applications for membership shall be in the prescribed form made to the Council.
(iii) Upon the application being accepted by the Council the member shall be deemed to have been elected to the appropriate category of membership for which the application has been made and any applicant so elected shall be entitled to all the privileges of membership and shall be bound by all the Rules of the Association as may be appropriate.
(iv) The Council may delegate the function of considering application for membership and accepting and electing members to any Committee of itself for convenience and speed.
(v) The power and privilege of proposing to the Annual General Meeting any person for Honorary Membership of the Association is vested in the Council. The Honorary Member proposed shall be elected by a majority of votes at the Annual General Meeting of the Association.
(1) Termination of membership shall take place in any one or more of the following ways:
(i) By clear intention expressed in writing to resign membership for whatever cause.
(ii) Automatically on the 31st December of the year when the annual membership subscription falls into arrears if the annual membership subscription of the member is still in arrears.
(iii) Automatically on the day the name of the member is removed from the Medical Register maintained by the Malaysian Medical Council.
(iv) By expulsion by the Association acting in accordance with the procedure prescribed by the Code of Ethics and Rules of the Ethics Committee prescribed by the Association and
binding on all members.
(2) Provided however:
(i) Termination or Resignation shall not affect any liability to pay the subscription due and payable as on the date of such termination.
(ii) The Council may in its absolute discretion restore membership terminated under Clause 5 (1) (ii) above upon being satisfied that there were good reasons for the subscription
having fallen into arrears, and a tender of all such arrears having been made.
(iii) In the event of the member being restored to the Register of the Association by the Council he/she shall automatically resume such membership subject to payment of all
subscriptions and debts due and payable to the Association.
(iv) (a) Two (2) years after a member has had his membership of the Association terminated under Clause 5 (1) (iii) and (iv) and Clause 5 (3) and Clause 29,
the member may apply to the Council for reinstatement and restoration of his/her membership privileges and make a case for this in writing.
(b) The Council after studying the member’s representations and interviewing the member may restore his/her membership or reject his/her application without assigning any reason.
(c) The member may appeal against the decision of the Council to a Special General Meeting or the Annual General Meeting to reinstate him/
her and the decision of the General Meeting shall be final.
(1) Entrance Fees
The rate of annual subscriptions payable shall be in accordance with Clause 6 (3).
(2) Subscriptions
(i) The Annual General Meeting on the recommendation of Council shall determine from time to time the rate of annual subscriptions payable by all categories of
members except Honorary Members subject to the prior approval of the Registrar of Societies.
(ii) The subscriptions shall become due and payable on 1st January of each year without any notice from the Association and shall become an undischarged debt
due to the Association on the 28th February of the same year.
(iii) If any member shall fail to pay subscription for any year and this failure shall continue to persist on the 28th February of that year,
that member shall cease to enjoy all the benefits and privileges available to or enjoyed by members in benefit immediately
(and shall not be eligible to attend or vote at any general meeting of the Association) and if such member shall:
(a) continue to fail to settle the subscription in arrears for that year when it fell due and the subscription in arrears remain outstanding on the 31st of December of that year,
he/she shall automatically cease to be a member of the Association SUBJECT TO Clause 5 (1) (ii); or
(b) settle the subscription in arrears for that year when it fell due before the 31st December of that year, all benefits and privileges available to or enjoyed by members in benefit
shall be immediately restored and for avoidance of doubt, in such an event, the period of the membership of such member shall not be taken to have been broken by virtue of the cessation of his/her membership prior to his/her settlement of the subscription in arrears within that same year when it fell due.
(iv) A member in benefit is a member who is not in arrears of subscriptions for more than two (2) months.
(3) Rate of Annual Subscriptions
The rate of annual subscriptions payable by each category of membership shall be:
(i) Ordinary Members RM250.00 per annum
(ii) Overseas Members RM500.00 per annum
(iii) Associate Members RM 250.00 per annum
(iv) Student Members RM50.00 per annum
(v) Joint Members Spouses of members will pay half of the membership fees in any category specified in Clause 6 (3) (except student members).
(4) Reduction of Subscriptions
The Council may reduce annual subscriptions for members as follows:
(i) RM150.00 for all registered Medical Practitioners in the first 10 years of practice.
(ii) New members in any category of membership specified in Clause 6 (3) (except student members) enrolled in the period 1st July to 31st December, the membership fee will be halved for that particular year.
5) Life Membership Contributions
(i) An Ordinary Member who is fully registered in the Register kept by the Registrar of Medical Practitioners, can become a Life Member upon paying RM2,500.00 to the capital of the
Special Life Investment Fund to be eligible for election by Council as a Life Member. Clause 4 (2) refers.
(ii) An Ordinary Member who is a spouse of a Life Member shall contribute half of RM2,500.00 to qualify for Life Membership.
(iii) On completion of their housemanship and being given full registration status by the Registrar of Medical Practitioners, Medical Officers within the first 2 years of service,
can become a life member upon paying RM 1500 to the capital of the Special Life Investment Fund to be eligible for election by Council as a Life Member. Clause 4 (2) refers.
(6) Members Not Gainfully Employed
The Council may waive annual subscriptions for members who are in good standing and are no more gainfully employed due to illness or disability.
(7) Exemption
A medical practitioner who has been an Ordinary member in good standing of at least twenty (20) years and has attained the age of sixty five (65) shall be eligible for exemption from further payment of annual subscription of the Association
(8) Arrears of Subscriptions
(i) If any member fail to pay subscription for any year and this failure shall continue to persist on the 28th of February of that year, that member shall cease to enjoy all the benefits and privileges available to or enjoyed by members in benefit immediately (and shall not be eligible to attend or vote at any meetings of the Association, its Branches, Societies and Committees) and if such member shall:
(a) continue to fail to settle the subscription in arrears for that year when it fell due and the subscription in arrears remain outstanding on the 31st of December of that year, he/she shall automatically cease to be a member of the Association SUBJECT ALWAYS TO Clause 5 (1) (ii); or
(b) settle the subscription in arrears for that year when it fell due before the 31st of December of that year, all benefits and privileges available to or enjoyed by members in benefit shall be immediately restored and for avoidance of doubt, in such an event, the period of the membership of such member shall not be taken to have been broken by virtue of the cessation of his/her membership prior to his/her membership prior to his/her settlement of the subscription in arrears within that same year when it fell due.
(ii) Ordinary Members in arrears of subscriptions for two (2) months on the 28th of February each year shall have their names automatically removed from the Electoral Roll and shall not be eligible to vote. If by 31st December of that year, if they have not paid their dues, then the member would have to re-apply to join the Association as a fresh member, and the Council needs to approve the membership.
(iii) Members shall be notified by email or letter, of the removal of their names from the membership register.
(iv) All members of the Council, Branch and other Committees and Societies, must be members in benefit, as defined in Clause 6 (2) (iv), at the time of appointment and throughout their respective tenures as office bearers.