Rules

Scope and Functions of the Section

The objects of the Women Engineers Section of The Institution of Engineers Malaysia, hereinafter referred to as “The Section” shall be to further the interests of The Institution. The Section shall at all times be governed by the Constitution and the Bylaws of The Institution as are generally applicable to all members of The Institution. In addition, the following Rules and Regulations shall apply to be the membership of the Section.


Voting Rights

Only members of the Section inclusive of Graduate and Corporate Members shall be entitled to vote at Meetings of the Section.


Governing Body

The affairs of the Section shall be managed by a body to be called “WE Section Committee” which shall be responsible to the Council of The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia.


Members of Committee

The Committee shall consist of such members of the Section holding such qualifications and to be elected or nominated in such manner and to hold office for such periods and on such terms as to re-election or re-nomination and otherwise as may be prescribed hereunder. Members of the Committee shall not be paid or received any remuneration or fees for acting as such and no member of the Committee shall be appointed to any salaried office of the Section or any office of the Section paid by fees.


Composition of Committee

The Committee in any year shall consist of: -

A Chairman                                            )
Two (2) Vice Chairmen                           ) To be elected.
An Honorary Secretary                           ) The four top office bearers
An Honorary Treasurer                           ) must be Corporate Members
Six (6) Ordinary Committee Members    )
Two (2) Appointed Corporate Members
Immediate Past Chairman

The two (2) Corporate Members would be appointed by the Committee on the nomination of the Chairman for a term of one (1) session. An appointed member may be re-appointed, but shall not serve in this capacity for more than two (2) consecutive sessions. The Immediate Past Chairman if not available would be replaced by the most recent Past Chairman available (to be appointed by the Committee).


Membership of Committee

The Chairman, the Vice Chairman and other members of the Committee (exclusive of the Past Chairman) shall be elected from among members in the manner as hereinafter prescribed.


Commencement of Session of Committee

Each session of Committee shall commence at the Annual General Meeting of the Section.


Session of Committee

The Committee shall remain in office till the next Annual General Meeting of the Section.


Election of Chairman

The Chairman shall be elected by secret ballot by Members of the Committee at a suitable time preceding the Annual General Meeting as may be decided by the Committee. Subject to Rule (13) she shall hold office for two sessions. She shall, as far as practicable, be elected from amongst members who are serving, or have previously served, on Section Committees.


Election of Vice Chairman

The two Vice-Chairmen shall normally hold office for a period of 2 sessions and shall as far as practicable be elected from members who are serving, or have previously served on the Women Engineers Section Committees. At the end of each session one of the two Vice-Chairmen as determined by the Committee (only applicable for the first session), shall retire but shall be eligible for re-election for further period, subject to Rule 13.


Election of Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer

The Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer shall be elected annually. Subject to Rule (13), they shall be eligible for re-election for further period.


Election of Ordinary Committee Members

The Ordinary Members shall normally hold office for a period of 2 sessions. At the end of each session half of the Ordinary Members, (to be determined by the Committee – only applicable for the first session) shall retire but shall be eligible for re-election subject to Rule 13.


Re-Election of Chairman and Other Members of Committee

A Chairman may be re-elected to the office of Chairman, provided she shall not hold that office for more than 2 sessions consecutively. On ceasing to be Chairman, she shall be eligible for re-election after a lapse of not less than one (1) session. Other members of the Committee may not serve continuously on the Committee in a single capacity, viz:- Vice-Chairman or Honorary Secretary/Treasurer or General Member, for more than 4 sessions.


Method of Election of Committee

The election of the Vice-Chairmen and other members of the Committee shall be by secret ballot vote of the members of the Section. The Committee shall be responsible for the proper conduct of the election.


Election of Section Representative

The Chairman/Vice Chairman of the Section will represent Section to attend meetings of the Council whenever she shall be invited to do so.


Nomination of Corporate Members for Election

Not less than six (6) weeks before the date of the Annual General Meeting, nominations for such vacancies as may arise in the Committee for the ensuing session shall be invited from members. Any three (3) members may nominate any other member for inclusion in the voting paper by sending, by a date to be fixed by the Committee, such nomination in writing to the Honorary Secretary, together with the written consent of the person so nominated, but no member shall nominate or second more than a total of two (2) members in any election. In the event of not more than two (2) nominations being received for any particular office, the Committee may nominate one (1) or more additional names for that particular office for the purpose of ballot.


Voting Procedure

Voting paper shall, not less than 28 clear days before the date of the Annual General Meeting, be sent by post to all members. The voting paper shall be returned to the Honorary Secretary in a sealed envelope so as to reach him by a specified date not less than seven (7) days before the Annual General Meeting.


Scrutineers

At a Committee Meeting of the Section preceding the Annual General Meeting the Committee shall choose three (3) or more members as Scrutineers for the purpose of the ballot. The Scrutineers shall open the envelopes received by the Honorary Secretary by the fate indicated and shall count the votes and report the result to the Chairman and to the Annual General Meeting. The Scrutineers shall reject any voting paper on which a member has voted for a number more than that prescribed on the voting paper.


Balloting Lists

The Balloting Lists after examination by the Scrutineers shall be placed in a packet which shall be sealed and delivered to the Honorary Secretary, who shall retain the lists until three months after the General Meeting and shall then cause them to be destroyed.


Chairman's Casting Vote

In the event of the Scrutineers being unable to report the election of members of the Committee, owing to an equality of votes, the Chairman of the Annual General Meeting shall decide which of the persons who have received equal votes shall be deemed to be elected.


Vacancies on Committee

In the event of a vacancy occurring in the office of Chairman or Chairman-elect the Committee shall appoint a Vice-Chairman for the office. In the event of a vacancy occurring in the office of Immediate Past Chairman, the Committee shall invite the most recent Past Chairman available to serve on the Committee. In the event of a vacancy occurring in the office of any of the Vice-Chairmen, Honorary Secretary or Honorary Treasurer or any of the Ordinary Members, the Committee shall appoint a member to fill the vacancy for that office or failing this, appoint the member who obtained the next highest number of votes from the last election list for that office which has become vacant. A Committee member who without leave of the Committee is absent either from four (4) consecutive Committee Meetings or from more than six (6) meetings of the Committee in any one (1) sessional year shall be deemed to have vacated her office, subject to the Committee so resolving.


Chairman of Committee

The Chairman shall take the Chair at all meetings of the Section and of the Committee at which she is present, and shall regulate these proceedings.


Absence of Chairman

In the absence of the Chairman one of the Vice-Chairman appointed by the Chairman shall preside at General and Committee meetings and shall regulate the proceedings. In the absence of the Chairman and the Vice-Chairmen the meeting may elect any member of the Committee to take the Chair.


Authority Vested in Committee

The direction and management of the concerns of the Section shall be vested in the Committee, subject to the provisions of the Rules, and all resolutions of Special General Meetings of members which have been duly summoned and held in accordance with the Rules and Regulations, when such Resolutions have been duly entered in the minutes and signed by the Chairman of the meetings. A copy of the minutes of all meetings shall be forwarded to the Honorary Secretary of The Institution by the Honorary Secretary within twenty-one (21) days after the meeting.


Decision of Committee Final

The decision of the Committee on all matters dealt with by them in accordance with provisions of these Rules, and such Resolutions as aforesaid shall be final and binding on all members of the Section.


Quorum for Committee

The Committee shall meet as often as the business of the Section may require and not less than seven days’ notice shall be given for each Committee meeting. Four (4) members of the Committee shall form a quorum. In the event of a quorum not being present within sixty (60) minutes of the hour fixed for the commencement of the meeting, the meeting shall stand adjourned to the same place and the same day and hour in the following week, when members present, whatever their number shall constitute a quorum.


Delegation of Powers to Sub Committees

The Committee may so far as it deems expedient delegate any of its powers to Sub Committees appointed to deal with special matters or businesses.


Majority Vote

Except as provided in these Rules and Regulations, all questions shall be decided in the Committee by a majority vote of those present and having a right to vote. In the event of an equality of vote, the Chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.


Annual Report

The Committee shall draw up a yearly report on the state of the Section, which shall be presented at the Annual General Meeting of the Section. A copy of the report shall be forwarded to the Secretary of The Institution together with the agenda papers for the Annual General Meeting.


Duties of Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer

It shall be the duty of the Honorary Secretary under the direction of the Committee, to conduct the correspondence of the Section, to attend the Committee meetings of the Section, to take minutes of the proceedings of such meetings, to read the minutes of the preceding meeting and such communications as may be ordered to be read. She shall be in charge of all persons employed by the Section. She shall forward to the Honorary Secretary of The Institution on request, any document or copy thereof, which may be required for the information of the Council. She shall maintain a record of membership of the Section. It shall also be the duty of the Honorary Treasurer under the direction of the Committee, to take charge of all the financial matters of the Section, and the preparation of the statement of accounts, if any, the expenditure of the funds, as approved by the Committee, and to present all accounts to the Committee for inspection and approval. She shall forward to the Honorary Treasurer of The Institution on request, any document or copy thereof, which may be required for the information of the Council.


Accounts

The Committee shall cause true accounts to be kept of all sums of money received and expended by the Section and of matters in respect of which such receipt and expenditure takes place and of all the properties, credits and liabilities of the Section.


Care of Funds

All monies belonging to the Section received by the Honorary Treasurer shall be deposited in the account of the Section to be opened at the Bank approved by the Committee and the payments of all accounts that are certified as correct by the Committee shall be made therefrom by cheques signed by the Honorary Treasurer or the Chairman and countersigned by either the Honorary Secretary or Honorary Treasurer of The Institution. The Committee may authorise the Honorary Treasurer to make payments on accounts of recurrence expenditure not exceeding such sum as may be prescribed, without the prior approval of the Committee.


Financial Year

The Committee shall cause true accounts to be kept of all sums of money received and expended by the Section and of matters in respect of which such receipt and expenditure takes place and of all the properties, credits and liabilities of the Section. The Financial year of the Section shall close on the thirtieth day of June in each year.


Financial Procedure

The Committee shall adopt regulations governing procedure in connection with all financial matters of which the sub-committee is held responsible under these Rules and Regulations including interalia the compilation of a record of membership, the deposit at bank of all monies received, the payment of accounts and the preparation of all statutory returns and annual audited statements.


Appointment of Section Auditors

Two Section Auditors for the ensuring year shall be appointed from Corporate Members by a resolution at each Annual General Meeting.


Verification of Accounts

The Section Auditors shall have access at all reasonable times to the Accounts of the pecuniary transactions of the Section and they shall verify and sign the annual statement of the accounts before it is submitted to the Annual General Meeting.


Meetings

The meetings of the Section shall be classified as follows:

(a) The Annual General Meeting of members
(b) Special General Meetings of members only, for the purpose of making, altering, and establishing Rules and Regulations or for any other special business for which such meetings may be convened.
(c) Committee Meetings
(d) Sub-Committee Meetings


Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of the Section shall be held during the third quarter of the year on a date to be fixed by the Committee, to receive the report of the Scrutineers, and to consider any other business which the Committee may put forward to this meeting. Not less than six (6) weeks’ notice shall be given to members of the Annual General Meeting. At least ten percent (10%) of the total Women Engineers Section Membership or twenty (20) members whichever is the lesser shall be present at every Annual General Meeting for its proceedings to be valid. “In the event of a quorum not being present within sixty (60) minutes of the hour fixed for the commencement of the meeting, the meeting shall stand adjourned to the same place, and the same day and hour in the following week, when members present, whatever the member shall constitute a quorum”.


Voting at Annual General Meeting

At all Annual General Meetings subject to the provisions of Rule (52), questions shall be decided according to the majority of votes properly cast thereat, and in the case of equality of votes, the Chairman or other person presiding shall have a second or casting vote.


Procedure of Meetings

Subject to the provisions of the Rules and Regulations, the Meetings of the Section shall be conducted as prescribed by the Committee from time to time.


Scope of Committee Meetings

It shall be in the power of the Committee to arrange for Committee Meetings of the Section for the discussion of engineering subjects, and the reading of technical papers under such rules as the Committee may prescribe from time to time, provided that no other business of any kind shall be transacted at such meetings. The Committee Meetings shall be held at such time as may be appointed by the Committee. No question shall be discussed, or motion be made, at any Committee Meeting, relating to the direction and management of the Section such direction and management being vested in the Committee, subject to the provisions of the Rules, and of the Resolutions of Special General Meetings.


Special General Meeting

The Committee may at any time call a Special General Meeting of members for a specific purpose relating to the direction and management of the concerns of the Section, and the Committee are at all times bound to do so on a requisition in writing of one-third (1/3) of the total membership or twenty (20) members whichever is the lesser. Such requisition shall state the matters to be brought before and the Resolutions (if any) to be moved at such Special General Meeting.


Procedure for Special General Meeting

In either case (subject to these Rules) a notice shall be sent to all members and to the Secretary of The Institution at least twenty one days before the date appointed by the Committee for such Special General Meeting, and the notice shall specify the general nature of the matters to be brought before and the Resolutions (if any) to be moved at such meeting, and no other than that business shall be transacted at that meeting. All members shall have a right to attend and vote, and ten percent (10%) of the total Membership or twenty (20) members personally present shall constitute a quorum, and each such member personally present shall have one (1) vote. In the event of a quorum not being present within sixty (60) minutes of the hour fixed for the commencement of the meeting, the meeting shall stand adjourned to the same place and the same day and hour in the following week, when members present, whatever their number, shall constitute a quorum. The accidental omission to send notice of a meeting to or the non-receipt of a notice by any member shall not invalidate the proceedings at the meeting.


Voting Papers for Special General Meeting

In the event of the Committee deeming it desirable that the votes of members of the Section not actually present at any Special General Meeting should be taken into account by means of voting papers, notice of the Special General Meeting in question containing particulars of the Resolutions to be submitted to the meeting, shall be posted by the Honorary Secretary of the Section, at least twenty-one days before the date of the Special General Meeting, in an envelope marked as being from the Section and addressed to each member at the address of the Member for the time being appearing on the books of the Section, and to the Honorary Secretary of The Institution.


Notice for Return of Voting Paper

The Honorary Secretary shall also send in such envelope an intimation of the last date by which the voting paper must be returned to her and an envelope addressed to the Honorary Secretary for the return of the said voting paper.


Return of Voting Paper

The member on receipt of her voting paper, if she is unable to be present to vote at the Special General Meeting, shall record her vote and return the voting paper through the post to the Honorary Secretary by the date indicated on the paper.


Voting at Special General Meeting

Each voting paper so received by the Honorary Secretary shall, three days before the date of the Special General Meeting, be handed by her to the Chairman of the Meeting, and the vote given thereby shall be duly counted at the meeting by or under the direction of the Chairman during the counting of the votes cast by the members entitled to vote as such meeting: provided that if a member who has duly recorded her vote upon a voting paper as aforesaid shall be present at the meeting such recorded vote may be counted or if the Chairman of the meeting shall so direct, the members shall be entitled to withdraw such recorded vote and to vote at such Special General Meeting, but in no case shall be entitled to vote twice. The decision of the Chairman upon any question as to the right to vote or the manner of voting or the recording or counting of votes shall be final.


Resolution at Special General Meeting

No resolutions other than the resolutions as circulated for the purpose of a postal vote and no amendment or variation of any such resolution shall be proposed or voted upon at the meeting.


Amendments to the Rules of the Section

Any proposal involving the enactment of any new Rules and Regulations or the alternation of the Rules shall not be carried except by a two-third (2/3) majority vote expressed at a Special General Meeting called for the purpose or by ballot. No amendment to these Rules and Regulations shall take effect without the prior approval of the Council of The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia.


Income of Section

The Section shall not impose a levy of any kind on its members without the prior approval of the Council of The Institution of Engineers Malaysia. It shall maintain itself entirely upon such subsidy as The Institution may provide from time to time.


Suspension

If the Committee is found to have failed to function in accordance with the Constitutions of The Institution, or these Rules and Regulations, or to have conducted its business in such manner as shall be considered by the Council to be detrimental to the interests of The Institution, the Council shall call a Special Meeting of the Council to consider the suspension or dissolution of the Committee, which shall be decided by a two-third ( 2/3 )majority votes expressed by those present and eligible to vote at the Special General Meeting of the Council, provided the Committee upon notice of a “show-cause” letter issued at least a month. Upon a decision of suspension, the Chairman of the Section shall be served with a notice of suspension under the hand of the President of The Institution and the Committee shall thrive upon cease to carry on any activities under the name of The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia. On the Committee being served with a notice of dissolution by the Council of The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia, the Committee shall take such steps as are necessary to wind up its affairs within three months or within such extended period as shall be approved by the Council of The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia. The Committee shall discharge all its debts and liabilities and shall hand over the remaining funds, if any, to a Caretaker-Committee to be appointed by the Council of The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia until a new Committee is formed through fresh election, within a period of three (3) months.


Dissolution

On the Section being served with a notice of dissolution by the Council of The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia, the Committee of the Section shall take such steps as are necessary to wind up its affairs within three (3) months or within such extended period as shall be approved by the Council of The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia. The Section shall discharge all its debts and liabilities and shall return the remaining funds, if any, to The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia.

 

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