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LPP denies neglecting to warn Nafas board before suspension

ALOR STAR: The Malaysian Farmers' Organisation Authority (LPP) has denied claims that it failed to warn the National Farmers Organisation (Nafas) board of directors prior to their suspension on Nov 1.

LPP chairman Datuk Mahfuz Omar said its director-general Amir Matamin had issued multiple warnings that were ignored, leading to the suspension of Nafas' constitution.

"This issue has persisted for a long time. There have been numerous reminders, and I understand there were threats from their side," he said.

"As the registrar, the director-general had to take action. It's not true that he didn't issue warnings; he has done so before. I can't recall how many times, but the last reprimand was issued when they acted unilaterally without consulting the registrar."

Mahfuz responded to claims from Nafas board members who described Amir's suspension of the constitution as a result of internal conflicts, calling it a weak justification.

They argued that negotiations should have occurred before such a decision was made.

He urged the affected board members to be patient, emphasising that they had only been suspended and not dismissed.

"They are expected to return to Nafas once the administration is 'harmonised' and 'rectified,'" he said.

"They are just suspended; there's no need for concern. The key is to maintain communication with the registrar. Nafas will continue to operate as usual, and I hope the suspended board members will remain patient."

Mahfuz said that a similar suspension occurred on June 1, 2018, during Datuk Salahuddin Ayub's tenure as Agriculture and Agro-Based Industries Minister, so this decision was neither hasty nor unprecedented.

The suspension order was issued by Amir under Section 20(1) of the Farmers' Organisations Act 1973 (Act 109), citing disharmony within Nafas, where the board acted independently and issued media statements without consulting the registrar.

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