The general rules for the Agricultural and Food Engineering Technical Division of the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia are listed below.  These are in accordance with the conditions specified under Article VIII and Section VIIIA and VIIIB of the Constitution and the Bylaws of the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (IEM).

1.

OBJECTIVES

1.1

The  objective  of  the  Agricultural and Food Engineering Technical Division  is  to  promote  and  advance  the  science   and profession  of  agricultural, bio-systems and food engineering and to  foster the  involvement of its members in national as well as international activities related to agricultural, bio-systems and food engineering.

1.2

Other objectives are :

·          To facilitate agricultural engineers, bio-systems engineers and food engineers in their pursuit of registration as professional engineers

·          To encourage Research and Development in relevant areas appropriate to the needs of the nation;

·          To enhance the role and contribution of Agricultural, Bio-systems and Food Engineers towards increasing national food and agricultural production within the context of proper environmental preservation.

2.

MEMBERSHIP

2.1

Members of the IEM in any grade may become members of the Agricultural and Food Engineering Technical Division.   Membership is elected by registration with the Division and no extra membership fees shall be payable.

3.

COMMITTEE

3.1

The affairs of the Agricultural and Food Engineering Technical Division shall be managed by a Committee consisting  of the following:

(a)

Chairman

- Corporate Member

(b)

Deputy Chairman

- Corporate Member

(c)

Secretary cum Treasurer

- Corporate Member

(d)

Advisor

- Corporate Member

              and

(e)

A minimum of three (3) or a maximum of six (6) Committee Members of which at least three (3) must be Corporate Members.

360^th Council meeting held on 21/1/2008 -Item 8.13                        

(f)

In addition, the Committee may co-opt up to five (5) additional members of the Institution to serve on the Division on condition that these co-opted members are IEM members registered with the Division. These co-opt members shall have no voting rights at committee meetings

3.2

The Office of the Chairman shall automatically be filled by the Deputy Chairman.  No member shall hold the position of Chairman for a continuous period longer than three (3) years.  If the Chairman is not able  to  serve or had not been re-elected or his term of office  ends after  the  3  years  session,  the post  of  the Chairman  shall  be  automatically  filled by the Deputy Chairman elected as per 3.3.

The  re-election  of  the  Chairman shall be held  at  the  last  committee meeting  of the Division held prior to the Annual General  Meeting  of the Division.

3.3

The Deputy Chairman shall be elected from the serving Committee   Members of the Division.  The nomination and election of the Deputy Chairman shall be made by the Committee Members at the last meeting of the Division held prior to the Annual General Meeting of the Division.

3.4

The  post of Secretary/Treasurer and General Members would be  elected  from  the  registered  members at the Annual General  Meeting  of  the  Division.

4.

DUTIES OF THE COMMITTEE

4.1

The Chairman shall have general supervision over the affairs of the Division. The Chairman shall chair the official meetings of the Division and also nominate a chairman for the discussion sessions of the Division. In general he shall ensure that all activities of the Division lie within the stated objective of the Division as   approved by the Council of the IEM.

4.2

The Deputy Chairman shall assist the Chairman in general supervision over the affairs of the Division.   He is to be elected from the serving Committee Members of the Division.  The Deputy Chairman shall assume the duty of the Chairman in the latter’s absence.  He shall automatically succeed the position of the Chairman in the event of the latter’s office falling vacant, and when the term of office of the Chairman ends.

4.3

The Secretary cum Treasurer shall maintain a register of all members of the Division. He shall organize and ensure the smooth running of the activities of the Division and shall be responsible for any funds including those allocated to the Division by the Council of the IEM for the general expenditure of the Division.  He shall be responsible for and shall administer all funds of the Division.

4.4

The Immediate Past Chairman shall be invited to serve as the Advisor to the Division. He shall assist and guide the Committee. In the event that the Immediate Past Chairman is not available, any Past Chairman could be invited to fill the vacant post.

4.5

The Editor of the Division could be appointed from the General Committee members. The function of the Editor shall be to prepare for the documentation and publication of useful materials that may arise out of the technical sessions or activities of the Division. He shall be responsible for selecting the type of material for possible publication.

5.

SECRETARY'S REPORT, FINANCIAL STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT AND IEM ANNUAL REPORT

5.1

The Committee shall submit to the Council of The Institution of Engineers,  Malaysia   (IEM)  a  Secretary's  Report  which  shall  be accompanied  by  the Financial  Statement  of Accounts approved  by  the  Annual General Meeting of the Division.

5.2

The  Secretary’s  Report containing the activities of  the  Division  which would  be printed in the IEM Annual Report shall be submitted to the Honorary Secretary  of the IEM not later than 31st December  of  each year.

5.3

The Division shall present to the Council of the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia its proposed budget for the activities of the forthcoming year on or before 30th September of the calendar year.

5.4

The budget allocated from the Council of the Institution is for the activities organised from 1st January until 31st December of each calendar year.

5.5

The financial year of the Division shall be from the dates of the Annual General Meetings of the Division for each year. The Division will only need to present to its Annual General Meeting, the Financial Statement showing the receipt and payment for the calendar year i.e. 1st January until 31st December of the preceding year and a brief account of the receipt and payment for the current session. The closing date for the current year will be the preceding month prior to the date of the AGM.

6.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

6.1

The Annual General Meeting of registered members shall be held once a year. The agenda of the AGM shall be as follows:

1.

Opening Address by the Chairman of Division

2.

Confirmation of the previous Minutes of the AGM

3.

Matters  Arising

4.

To receive and adopt the Secretary's Report and Financial Statement

5.

Election of New Officer Bearers

6.

Any Other Business

7.

Address by Incoming Chairman

6.2

The Committee Members of the Division including the Chairman and Deputy Chairman shall be elected at the 1st Annual General Meeting of the Division.

6.3

Nomination and Election of Members to serve the various posts in the Division (except the posts of the Chairman and Deputy Chairman mentioned under items 3.2 and 3.3) shall be held at the Annual General Meeting of the Division, and in the form of “show of hands, paper voting and e-voting”.

6.4

Observers attending the Annual General Meeting would be reminded to abstain from voting.

6.5

A quorum of not less than fifteen (15) registered corporate members shall   be required. All registered corporate members shall have the right to vote. With the exception of the 1st Annual General Meeting, in the  event  that  the  quorum is not reached  after  one  hour  of  the scheduled  time  of the Annual General Meeting, the  meeting  shall  be adjourned to seven (7) days later at the same time and place, and  whatever  number of the registered corporate members present then shall constitute the quorum.

7.

ACTIVITIES

7.1

The Committee may also form subcommittees and organising committees to organise the various activities of the Division.

7.2

The Division shall organise the following activities as frequently  as possible  with the  view to promote interest and upgrade  professional knowledge  and  practice of agricultural, bio-systems and food engineering as  well  as promoting the development of and gaining recognition of the profession in our society:

a.

Seminars

b.

Forums

c.

Social Functions

d.

Visits

e.

Other Activities

7.3

The Division could also hold technical discussion sessions, dialogues with local authorities, manufacturers, consulting engineers and other professional bodies.  These technical discussion sessions shall be on topics related to agricultural, bio-systems and food engineering matters which are of interest or concern to the registered members.  The proceedings of these sessions wherever possible are to be recorded to enable the knowledge of agricultural, bio-systems and food engineering to be disseminated.

7.4

The documentation and publications of the discussion sessions are considered    an   essential   part   of   the   activities   of   the Agricultural and Food Engineering Technical Division.

7.5

The Division may also organise courses in Agricultural, Bio-system and Food Engineering for its members.

8.

PUBLICATIONS

8.1

The medium for publications of the technical discussion sessions shall be the Bulletin of the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia or where appropriate the Journal of the IEM.

9.

SUSPENSION AND DISSOLUTION

9.1

The Division should meet at least once in every three (3) months with not less than six (6) meetings in a year.

9.2

If the Division is found deficient in membership, or to have failed to function  in  accordance  with  the Constitution  and  Bylaws  of  the Institution,  or  to  have conducted its business in such a manner  as shall be considered by the Council to be detrimental to the  interests of  the Institution,  the Council of the Institution  shall  have  the  power to suspend or disband any Division on sixty days' notice or, for cause,  remove from office at any time any member of the Committee  of such Division.

9.3

Upon such decision, the Division shall be served with a notice of suspension or dissolution as appropriate. On notice of suspension being received, such Division shall cease all activities in the name of The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia until the suspension is resolved by the Council.  On receipt of a notice of dissolution, this Division shall take such steps provided for in its Rules to wind up its affairs within three months of the date of such notice or within such extended period as shall be approved by the Council. The Division shall discharge all its debts and liabilities and shall return the remaining funds, if any, to the Institution.