PETALING JAYA, June 30 ― Three other Selangor-based groups including one Chinese religious outfit are among others informed by Registrar of Societies that they will be visited along with the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM).
In the June 23 email notice sighted by Malay Mail Online today, the three organisations are the Malaysian Menopause Society, the Rotary Club of Subang and the Pertubuhan Penganut Dewa Xian Lian Gong.
RoS said in the same notice that its visit to their offices would take place between 9am to noon today, also noting that the inspection of BSM’s office would be between 1pm to 3pm.
“In relation to that, the secretary or a representative from the society is required to be present and prepared with the documents as below for checks,” the brief notice said, listing them as membership roll, meeting minutes, account books and other relevant documents.
The RoS email notice stated that the inspection is under Section 63 of the Societies Acts 1966.
Under Section 63 of the Act, the registrar, assistant registrar or a registration officer has the power to enter, search and inspect a society’s premises, books, accounts, minutes of meetings and other related documents.
The particular section states, however, that such powers are invoked if these officers “has reason to believe that any society is carrying on activities in contravention of any provision of this Act or any regulations made thereunder or any of its rules” and after notice has been given.
This morning, the Selangor RoS abruptly postponed the inspection on BSM to an undisclosed date but did not give any reason for doing so.
When contacted, a RoS official confirmed to Malay Mail Online that the inspection to BSM has been postponed, adding that a new date was yet to be chosen.
“It’s nothing. This are the activities (we normally conduct),” the officer said when indicating that such visits were regularly conducted by RoS.
He later declined to comment when asked if BSM was suspected of breaching any laws.
BSM also confirmed today that it has requested the Selangor RoS to provide it with reasons for the visit, pointing out that Section 63 does not provide for a routine check and that this would be the “first time” such an inspection is made since BSM was formed in 1984.
BSM maintained that it has not breached any rules or regulations that would have led to such an inspection.
Yesterday, a BSM member who declined to be named told Malay Mail Online that the society had already dutifully submitted its minutes, membership list and accounts as required.
Last January, the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) carried out a surprise raid of BSM’s Selangor office and seized over 300 copies of the bible in Malay and Iban, using a 1988 Selangor state law that prohibits non-Muslims from using “Allah” to refer to God.
The bibles were returned to the Christian community last November, albeit stamped in red with a warning that they were not to be published or used anywhere in Selangor.
