ST.

JOHN’S INSTITUTION
KUALA LUMPUR

THE UNION CONSTITUTION

 EXECUTIVE HIERARCHY

Chairman:
Vice-Chairman:
Secretary-General:
Treasurer-General:
Deputy Secretary:
Deputy Treasurer:
Teacher-Administrator:

UNION HISTORY

CONCEPTION
● The Debate Union was established on 30th August 2023.
● Founded by Jarren Ong Yit Jeat and Ilyas Husein bin Kazar, debaters from the SJI Debate
Team 2021-2022 and 2022-2023.
● The Constitution was amended again on 20th September 2024 to restructure the Debate
Union.

PREVIOUS CHAIRMANS

2023:: Jarren Ong Yit Jeat

2024:
2025:
 ARTICLES OF THE CONSTITUTION

01. INFORMATION, SYMBOL AND OBJECTS OF THE UNION

02. MEMBERSHIP
03. ADMINISTRATION
04. THE EXECUTIVE
05. ELECTION OF THE CHAIRMAN
06. TYPES OF MEETINGS
07. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE 1 - INFORMATION, SYMBOL AND OBJECTS OF THE

UNION
1. The name of the organisation shall be the “Debate Union of St. John’s” and shall henceforth
be called the “Debate Union” or the “Union”.
2. The symbol, or otherwise logo, of the Debate Union shall be the official Debate Union Logo
set and made official by the first Chairman Jarren Ong Yit Jeat on 30th August 2023.

Mission Statement and preamble:

The Union Constitution is a secular document, instilled with the principles of democracy, freedom and
free speech. The Debate Union of St. John’s is a place where all the students of St. John’s Institution
are welcome to engage in free speech, debate, and merriment. We aim to produce competitive
debaters of high calibre while ensuring that membership in the Union is a pleasurable experience for
all. We also aim to be a positive, non-politically affiliated force within St. John’s Institution, fostering
partnerships with both the school as a whole and the wider community.

Furthermore, we strive to provide access to competition entry, both in Malaysia and further afield, for
students to participate in competitive debating against other academic institutions. This is for member
development and to cement important contacts in world debating. We also aim to convene our own
competitions.

ARTICLE 2 - MEMBERSHIP
1. All active students and teachers of the school shall be eligible for a membership.
1.1. Membership
 1.1.1. Members shall have the right to stand for election of the Executive, to
nominate or second a candidate for election of the Executive and to vote in
elections of the committee.
1.1.2. Members shall have the right to inspect all committee records provided notice
of such intentions have been given to the respective Executive members.
1.1.3. Members shall be responsible for the organisation and selection of Debate
Union Sessions.
1.1.4. Members must be a student currently studying in St. John’s Institution to be
eligible for membership.
1.1.4.1. Members who are transferring or have transferred from St. John’s
Institution, or have stopped secondary education indefinitely shall
cease to be members effective immediately.
1.1.4.2. Members who have graduated from the school shall be entitled to the
same rights and privileges as other members of the Union except
voting and holding office in the Executive.
1.1.5. Members shall have the right to inspect all Committee records provided
notice of such intentions have been given to the committee members.
1.2. Teacher-Administrators
1.2.1. Any teacher in the school is eligible for the rank of Teacher-Administrator
within the Union.
1.2.2. Teacher-Administrators shall act as the representatives of the Debate Union
in meetings with the School Authorities or their representatives.
1.2.3. Teacher-Administrators shall be entitled to the same rights and privileges as
any other member of the Union except voting and taking office in the
Executive.
1.2.3.1. Teacher-Administrators shall not nominate nor second any candidate
to stand in the election of the Executive.
2. Termination of membership
2.1. Any member resigning shall tender their resignation in writing to the
Secretary-General and shall not be deemed to have resigned until their resignation has
been accepted.
2.2. The Union may sanction members for misconduct based on evidence collected,
considering the seriousness, prior warnings, and any extenuating circumstances;
sanctions include, among other things, informal or written warnings, or expulsion
from the Union.
3. Any student who wishes to attain membership of the Union may apply with the Executive
3.1. The Executive shall reserve the right to accept or reject any applying members of the
Union.
3.2. An application form must be given to all applying members of the Union.

ARTICLE 3 - ADMINISTRATION
1. The administration of the Debate Union shall be vested in the hands of the Executive.
1.1. The Executive comprises the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary-General,
Treasurer-General and their deputies.
1.1.1. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall be elected via Article 5, while all
Executive members shall be appointed by the Chairman as per Article 4.
ARTICLE 4 - THE EXECUTIVE
1. Function of the Executive
1.1. The purpose of the Executive is to advance the mission statement of the Union and
manage the Union’s affairs in all matters as well as any matter not covered by the
Union’s Constitution.
1.1.1. The Executive may manage its affairs and conduct itself informally as it sees
fit.
1.1.2. Any Executive member may call an Executive meeting by writing a letter to
the Secretary-General or his deputy.
1.2. Any proposal ratified by a simple majority of the Executive becomes the provision of
the Union.
1.3. The Executive comprises the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary-General,
Treasurer-General, Deputy Secretary, Deputy Treasurer.
1.3.1. No individual may hold multiple Executive positions at a time, and only one
individual may hold an Executive position at a time.
1.3.2. The Chairman shall be elected per Article 5 for terms not exceeding one year.
1.3.3. All positions of the Executive apart from the Chairman and Vice-Chairman
shall be appointed by the Chairman for terms not exceeding one year.
1.3.3.1. The Chairman shall reserve the right to appoint any member of the
Debate Union as a member of the Executive.
1.3.3.1.1. Expulsion, suspension or sacking of an Executive member
can only be done with a Motion of No Confidence.
1.4. At all times the Executive must:
1.4.1. Apply due care and skill as it is reasonable in the execution of their duties
1.4.2. Accept no payment or benefit for doing, or not doing, something through
their duties. However, the Union may adopt policies providing for reasonable
reimbursement of members, including Executive members, for expenses
incurred in conjunction with carrying out responsibilities according to the
Mission Statement, such as travel expenses
1.4.3. Through their duties, advance the mission statement.
1.4.4. Avoid conflicts of interests, or declare immediately to the Union if they have
one.
1.5. If a member of the Executive resigns, the Chairman shall reserve the right to:
1.5.1. Appoint a temporary member for no longer than two weeks and;
1.5.2. Appoint a permanent member within two weeks with the consent of the rest
of the Executive.
1.6. All Executive members are by this constitution, primus inter pares among themselves
and all ordinary members of the Union.
1.6.1. Any ordinary member shall reserve the right to dismiss any member of the
Executive through a Motion of No Confidence.
1.6.2. Executive members may only be dismissed by a Motion of No Confidence
that shall relate to the fulfilment of their role only, which includes, among
other things, maladministration, not attending Executive Meetings, and
abusing conflicts of interest.
1.6.2.1. The Motion of No Confidence must have a proposer and a seconder,
who may be any two Union members.
 1.6.2.2. After the proposal, the Executive shall call a General Meeting, in
which members shall have equal opportunity to speak for and against
the motion.
1.6.2.3. No more than seven days after the GM, in an Executive Meeting, the
motion shall be decided by a two-thirds majority in a secret ballot,
where at least half of the Executive—rounded up—is present.
1.6.2.4. If there is a tie, the motion will not be carried.
1.6.2.5. A successful Motion of No Confidence against the Chairman triggers
a by-election per Article 5.
2. Duties of the Executive positions
2.1. The duties of the Chairman are to:
2.1.1. Oversee the Union to advance the Mission Statement.
2.1.2. Ensure that the Union’s rules and Constitution are followed
2.1.3. Chair the Union, the Executive, and any GMs
2.2. The duties of the Vice-Chairman are to:
2.2.1. Assist the Chairman on his duties and responsibilities.
2.2.2. Succeed the Chairman on the event where the office of Chairman is left
vacant until a by-election is triggered via Article 5.
2.3. The duties of the Secretary-General are to:
2.3.1. Manage all general administration
2.3.2. Minute all Executive Meetings, and circulate them to the Executive
2.3.3. Minute all GMs, and circulate these to members.
2.3.4. Circulate all results and provisions enacted by the Executive to the Union.
2.4. The duties of the Deputy Secretary are to:
2.4.1. Assist the Secretary-General on his duties and responsibilities.
2.4.2. Succeed the Secretary-General on the event where the office of Chairman is
left vacant until a by-election is triggered via Article 5.
2.5. The duties of the Treasurer-General are to:
2.5.1. Administer the Union’s finances as required by its activities;
2.5.2. Ensure the probity of the Union’s finances.
2.5.3. Provide regular financial reports to the Union.
2.5.4. Produce the annual financial report to be presented at the Annual General
Meeting.
2.6. The duties of the Deputy Treasurer are to:
2.6.1. Assist the Treasurer-General on his duties and responsibilities.
2.6.2. Succeed the Treasurer-General on the event where the office of Chairman is
left vacant until a by-election is triggered via Article 5..

ARTICLE 5 - ELECTION OF THE CHAIRMAN

1. Chairman Elections
1.1. Elections must be held at a General Meeting after the term of office of the Chairman
has expired
1.1.1. A by-election must be held at a General Meeting if the Chairman of the
Debate Union has resigned or the office of the position has been left vacant.
1.2. The electoral process may be subject to provisions determined from time to time by
the Executive, consistent with the Constitution, such that:
 1.2.1. Candidates may not attempt campaigns activity which others could not also
reasonably do, should the Executive permit campaigning
1.2.2. Candidates may not deface or interfere with other candidates' publicity,
should the Executive permit publicity
1.2.3. The Union must explicitly prohibit individuals from compromising or
seeking to compromise election integrity which includes, among other things,
impeding the free exercise of votes, entryism, threatening conduct or
harassment, bribery, and use of Union resources to advance the election of a
specific candidate—sanctions for electoral malpractice may include, among
other things, expulsion.
1.2.4. Secret ballots must be used in the election process.
1.2.5. The incumbent Chairman must resign by the end of the academic year.
1.2.6. There must be at least two candidates standing for the election of the
chairman.
1.2.7. The Debate Union shall reserve the right to use any system of voting as long
as the Chairman and the Vice-Chairman are elected simultaneously.
1.3. All members shall reserve the right to nominate themselves or any candidate, or
second any candidate in the election as per Article 2.
1.4. All members of the Executive must resign at the end of the academic year.

ARTICLE 6 - TYPES OF MEETINGS

1. All meetings shall be convened by the Chairman or the Secretary-General.
1.1. Executive Meetings shall be convened by the Chairman or the Secretary-General.
2. The Chairman shall be present at every meeting.
2.1. The Vice-Chairman shall succeed the Chairman as acting Chairman in the event of
the latter position falling vacant as per Article 5.
3. Teacher-Administrators may request a meeting provided a written notice together with the
purpose of such meeting given to the Secretary-General or the Chairman.
4. The Secretary-General must provide a written report to the Chairman for every meeting.
5. Type of meetings
5.1. General Meeting
5.1.1. Every member must attend a General Meeting unless specified.
5.1.2. General Meetings shall be convened under any of these conditions
5.1.2.1. An announcement to all members must be made.
5.1.2.2. To discuss plans involving every member..
5.1.2.3. To give any member the opportunity to express an idea.
5.1.2.4. To provide an update on the progress of a project.
5.1.3. Convened at any time of the year.
5.1.4. The Teacher-Administrator may or may not be present at a GM.
5.2. Executive Meeting
5.2.1. Every Executive member must attend an Executive Meeting unless specified.
5.2.2. Executive Meetings shall be convened under any of these conditions
5.2.2.1. An announcement to all Executive members must be made.
5.2.2.2. To discuss plans involving every Executive member.
5.2.2.3. To give any Executive member the opportunity to express an idea.
5.2.2.4. Regarding the Election of the Executive.
5.2.2.5. To do an Application Inspection.
 5.2.2.6. Whenever the Chairman determines it is necessary to meet with all of
the Executive members.
5.2.3. Convened at any time of the year.
5.3. Debate Notice Meeting
5.3.1. Every Debater must attend a Debate Notice Meeting unless specified.
5.3.2. Notice Meetings shall be convened under any of these conditions
5.3.2.1. To meet with all the Debaters or applying Debater.
5.3.2.2. To give Debaters access to the application form.
5.3.2.3. Explain how to fill out the Application Form.
5.3.2.4. Explain the rules of a Union Session
5.3.2.5. Explain the rules of a debate.
5.3.2.6. To notify the debaters of the timeline or schedule of the Union
Sessions.
5.3.3. Convened at any time of the year.

ARTICLE 7 - AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

1. Interpretation of the Articles of the Constitution

1.1. In the event of a controversy arising over the interpretation of the Articles of the
Constitution at a meeting, ruling shall be made by a majority vote.
1.2. Any protest against this ruling shall be lodged by any Union member immediately
after that meeting. The Executive shall not act on that ruling until the protest is heard.
1.3. If the protest has been dismissed, the lodging Union member may lodge a notice of
intention to appeal the decisions of the Executive.
1.4. If the appeal has been dismissed, the Union member can no longer lodge another
appeal or protest against the said ruling.
2. Amendments to the Constitution
2.1. Any amendments to the Constitution shall be made at a General Meeting.
2.2. The proposed amendments to the Constitution shall be made in writing to the
Secretary-General.
2.3. The proposed amendments shall be announced as soon as possible before the General
Meeting after the amendment request.
2.4. Amendments to the Constitution shall be carried only if at least two-thirds of the
Members present at the meeting shall have noted in favour of them.
2.4.1. If less than two-thirds of the members present at the meeting shall have noted
in favour of the amendment, the amendment will be carried.
2.5. Any protest against this ruling shall be lodged by any Union member immediately
after that meeting. The Executive shall not act on that ruling until the protest is heard.
2.6. If the protest has been dismissed, the lodging Union member may lodge a notice of
intention to appeal the decisions of the Executive.
2.7. If the appeal has been dismissed, the Union Member can no longer lodge another
appeal or protest against the said ruling.
OTHER NOTES