Five council members formally resign from 4As Malaysia

Five re-elected council members from the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Malaysia (4As Malaysia), have formally stepped down from their positions, citing structural governance concerns and a call for greater transparency.

The leaders are Irene Wong (pictured bottom left), Joyce Gan (pictured bottom right), Nizwani Shahar (pictured top right) and Yee Hui Tsin (pictured top left), all of whom represent leading agencies within the Malaysian advertising industry: Grey Malaysia, Fishermen Integrated, Havas, and TBWA\KL respectively. Despite their resignations from the council, the agencies they represent remain active members of the 4As, the group said in a statement. 

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In a joint statement, the group claimed that their departure from the council was not driven by election outcomes, but rather by ongoing issues that they claim have gone unresolved internally. “We did not resign from the 4As. We resigned from the council after exhausting internal avenues for reform,” the statement read. “This was not an act of protest based on loss, but a decision of principle.”

Among the concerns raised were alleged procedural discrepancies during the recent council election, the group claimed. They also claimed that two external presidential candidates were informed ahead of time that they would be required to deliver speeches during the 4As’ biennial general meeting.

Sitting council members, however, claimed they were not formally briefed on this requirement. The group claimed that the issue was not about the speech itself, but about equal access to information and fair preparation.

The resigning members also took issue with the process surrounding the appointment of the association’s CEO. "The acting president and senior advisor unilaterally decided not to renew the contract of the former CEO, Khairudin Rahim, without prior council consultation. Subsequently, a new CEO was appointed without council discussion or vote, an act they state breaches Clause 17(b) of the 4As constitution," the statement read.

The group also claimed the position of "senior advisor" in the body does not exist within the 4As constitution, raising concerns about unchecked roles and influence in council matters. 

In light of these concerns, the group said in the statement that they submitted a series of reform proposals to the newly elected council. These include greater transparency around proxy voting and candidate briefings, a review of the senior advisor’s role, term limits for presidential positions, and mandatory diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training for council leadership.

“It is our hope that our decision brings attention to needed reforms and encourages more members to speak up and participate," the statement read. “This is not about gender. This is about fairness, integrity, and protecting the future of the 4As. We call on all members to help shape a more inclusive, transparent and future-focused 4As."

The group of leaders emphasized their ongoing support for 4As events, awards, and industry development initiatives.

The CEO of 4As Malaysia, Andrew Lee, has responded to the claims above with a media statement.

The announcement of the five resignations come on the heels of a leadership reshuffle at the 4As. Following the election, 4As announced that five major agencies would no longer be represented on the council. Their exit was followed by the re-induction of agencies such as Dentsu Malaysia, Ellipsis Asia, Monster Interactive, Oxygen Advertising and Shinajii, all of whom had served on the previous council term.

Additional agencies have since been appointed or invited to fill council vacancies. These include DIA Brand Consultants, Vivaki Malaysia, Hakuhodo Malaysia, Mantra Communications and Star Reacher Advertising.

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