Open Letter to Mother Hash

 I received this rather disturbing open-letter from the Organizing Committee of Borobudur Interhas 2012.

Please take time to read & comment.

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To All Participants and Friends of Borobudur InterHash 2012.

Please share this correspondence widely with all in Hashdom.

INTERHASH START-UP FUNDS AND BOROBUDUR INTERHASH 2012 

The Management Committee of the Borobudur InterHash 2012 is committed to providing an affordable and fun InterHash for all who attend.  We have prepared some of the best InterHashing in the world for you to enjoy with some of friendliest Hashers on earth.  We are committed to achieving this outcome regardless of any situation concerning the transfer of InterHash start-up funds from Kuching InterHash 2010. 

Since the first InterHash at Hong Kong during 1978, respective management committees have established and developed a start-up fund to support the next InterHash and provide for financial emergencies.  Customarily, each InterHash Committee has remitted start-up funding to the following InterHash soon after the completion of the preceding InterHash.

In keeping with this custom and as soon as possible after InterHash 2008, the Perth InterHash Committee properly transferred US$25,000.00 to the Management Committee of InterHash 2010 in Kuching for the purposes of start-up funding.

Kuching Interhash 2010 accounts available to Borobudur InterHash 2012 reveal that an amount of Malaysian Ringgit 100,000.00 was reserved for transfer to Borobudur but the amount remains in a Kuching Interhash 2010 bank account.

No start-up funds have been remitted from Kuching to Borobudur InterHash 2012. 

The Borobudur InterHash 2012 Management Committee has written seeking the co-operation of the following parties to rectify this situation:

 (i)            selected members of the Kuching InterHash 2010 Committee;

(ii)           the Chairman of the Hornbill Hash;

(iii)       the Chairman of the Malaysian Hash Council;

(iv)       the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Heritage, Sarawak; and

(v)        the solicitors who acted for and on behalf of the Hornbill Hash House (ROS Regn no. 0478-08-SWK) in the matter of the closure of the “InterHash Project 2010 Discharge of Treasurer”.

Despite these requests and now less than two weeks prior to the beginning of InterHash 2012, the Management Committee of Kuching InterHash 2010 has failed to remit any InterHash start-up funds in accordance with the fiduciary responsibilities of its Members.  Because of this unacceptable situation but principally because such start-up funding remains the property of the InterHash Community and not the property of InterHash 2010 Kuching, Borobudur InterHash 2012 decided to share this correspondence with the InterHash community. 

The Management Committee of Borobudur InterHash 2012 believes the actions of the Kuching InterHash Committee of Management reflect poorly on ALL members of the Malaysian Hash Community, not just the Kuching InterHash Committee; the Hornbill Hash and the Malaysian Hash Council.  After all, the Malaysian Hash Council found it necessary to intervene in the management of Kuching InterHash 2010 when it considered there were significant divisions within the Committee of Management.  We urge all Malaysian Hashers to instruct their respective Hash Office Bearers to demand that the Kuching InterHash 2010 Committee immediately remits the InterHash start-up funding to the nominated bank account of Borobudur InterHash 2012.

The Borobudur InterHash 2012 Management Committee also expects the Kuching InterHash 2010 Management Committee to provide a detailed, audited and public explanation of the particular bank balance in Kuching which “stands at almost RM 600,000” and any plans to disburse that extraordinary amount of money which is the outcome of InterHash Kuching 2010.  (The Borobudur InterHash 2012 Management Committee will publish any explanation provided in the best interests of InterHash.)

The Borobudur InterHash 2012 Management Committee also considers that the failure of Kuching InterHash 2010 Committee to remit the start-up funds threatens future Malaysian Federal Government support for and funding of the Yayasan (Foundation) Hash Heritage which aims “to rebuild The Hash House for use as a recreational centre for the interest of the people and hashers both locally and worldwide and maintaining and preserving The Hash House”. http://www.thehashhouse.org/management/intro_FAQ.html  The next Annual General Meeting (AGM) of this Yayasan is scheduled for 30 May 2012 and attendees of that AGM are urged to remain mindful of this threat resulting from the actions of Malaysian Hash members to its future.

While the start-up funds remain in the bank accounts of Kuching InterHash 2010, the Borobudur InterHash 2012 Management Committee considers it is highly unlikely that the hosting rights of any future Hash events of regional and/or international significance will be granted to Malaysian Hash Clubs.  This will lead to the potential for Malaysian Hashing to become isolated in an international context which is a sad outcome for the only nation able to claim the title of Home of the Hash House Harriers. 

Finally, the Borobudur InterHash 2012 Management Committee wishes to remind you of its aim to provide what it believes will be the best possible InterHash in the unique natural and built environments of Borobudur.  The Borobudur InterHash 2012 Management Committee believes that all in attendance will enjoy an affordable and fun InterHash despite the failure of the InterHash Kuching 2010 Committee to transfer the InterHash start-up funds from its bank account to Borobudur InterHash 2012.  We urge you all to enjoy Borobudur InterHash 2012 and your stay in Indonesia.

Yours sincerely

 

MB Susantin Sinarno                                                                     Liem Chie An

Treasurer                                                                                                Chairman