The AGMs-Interesting Occurrences

I have been attending AGMs since May this year. Some were good AGMs;some were not that good. It reflects the company and the caliber of its Board.

The last few AGMs really had its great moments.

Let me relate one laughable one. The company, to save cost, decide to hold the AGM at their office instead. So, they put the registration of shareholders in front of their front office. That was not too bad. However, they put the registration of the proxies right in front of the lifts. Imagine, the number of people who wants to use the lifts. They could not come out or go in because of the crowd near the lift apron. Couldn't they find a more appropriate place?

After the registration, a shareholder or proxy then collects his morning breakfast pack. It was an assortment of Malaysian cakes plus a bottle of mineral water. They refused to give out the food voucher;saying that it will be distributed only at the end of the meeting.The reason was they wanted the AGM to be fully attended. As the meeting room was so small, it filled to the brim in no time. But no, they were stubborn. No food coupon until the end of the AGM.

Meanwhile, there was this issue of car parking. The company decided to foot only RM3 for each shareholder. This is definitely not enough because it would have cost a shareholder to spend something beyond RM9 for the entire AGM duration. They stick to their guns!

So to circumvent the loss of car parking expenses,shareholders lined up three times each to get the equivalent of RM9. The company should have just endorsed all the tickets and pay the car park management the real amount. The whole exercise of being restrictive at RM3 came to naught! Silly corporate ineptitude!

Finally, the meeting was over. No one knew where to get the food voucher. There was pandemonium! So,finally the great brainy management decided to dispense them at the table where the directors sat at the AGM. They asked for lines to be formed. No one bothered. Every one crowded around the table and tried to get the vouchers. There was pushing, screaming,elbowing and what not. Those dispensing the food vouchers lost their patience many a time but they have to swallow their ego and pride because of their unthinking selves. If only they had given the vouchers at the time of registration.

I had a great day at this AGM. It tells me of things that those managing AGM ought not to do.

I heard they had a similar problem of this nature last year.

I think the next AGM will be about similar. When will they ever learn?