NSS,Tuesday December 28, 2010
There have been reports that the Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (Matta) may be deregistered over its internal strife.
Deregistration may end the wrangling among the warring factions but it would be a sad day, especially for those who have been involved with the association, which has been around since 1975. It would also be a set back for the local tourism industry.
Matta became a big and rich association when the Tourism Ministry mandated that all licensed travel, tour and car rental companies must become Matta members in order to have their licences renewed by the ministry.
Entrance fees and annual subscriptions from its 2,800 members plus the profits from the highly successful Matta fairs swelled the association’s coffers.
As such, the biennial election of office bearers is always hotly contested. As it is normal for only a small percentage of members to turn up and vote in annual general meeting, anyone securing sufficient proxy votes has always turned out to be the winner.
Contestants in many past Matta elections were fully aware of this loophole and in last year’s election, proxy votes were exploited to the maximum and some turned out to be dubious.
It would be wise for Matta or any other non-governmental organization to do away with proxy votes, as those with the resources can easily manipulate the votes.
There is a huge potential to be tapped in Matta. The ingenuity, creativity and resourcefulness of a few thousand members should be harnessed for the good of everyone.
YS Chan
Kuala Lumpur
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