ACT 125
COMPANIES ACT 1965 (REVISED - 1973)
PART VII - ARRANGEMENT AND RECONSTRUCTIONS

 
Section 176. Power to compromise with creditors and members.
 

(1) Where a compromise or arrangement is proposed between a company and its creditors or any class of them or between the company and its members or any class of them the Court may, on the application in a summary way of the company or of any creditor or member of the company, or in the case of a company being wound up of the liquidator, order a meeting of the creditors or class of creditors or of the members of the company or class of members to be summoned in such manner as the Court directs.

(2) A meeting held pursuant to an order of the Court made under subsection (1) may be adjourned from time to time if the resolution for adjournment is approved by a majority in number representing three-fourths in value of the creditors or class of creditors or members or class of members present and voting either in person or by proxy at the meeting.

(3) If a majority in number representing three-fourths in value of the creditors or class of creditors or members or class of members present and voting either in person or by proxy at the meeting or the adjourned meeting agrees to any compromise or arrangement the compromise or arrangement shall, if approved by order of the Court, be binding on all the creditors or class of creditors or on the members or class of members, as the case may be, and also on the company or, in the case of a company in the course of being wound up, on the liquidator and contributories of the company.

(4) The Court may grant its approval to a compromise or arrangement subject to such alterations or conditions as it thinks just.

(5) An order under subsection (3) shall have no effect until an office copy of the order is lodged with the Registrar, and upon being so lodged, the order shall take effect on and from the date of lodgment or such earlier date as the Court may determine and as may be specified in the order.

(6) Subject to subsection (7), a copy of every order made under subsection (3) shall be annexed to every copy of the memorandum of the company issued after the order has been made, or, in the case of a company not having a memorandum, to every copy so issued of the instrument constituting or defining the constitution of the company.

(7) The Court may, by order, exempt a company from compliance with the requirements of subsection (6) or determine the period during which the company shall so comply.

(8) Where any such compromise or arrangement (whether or not for the purposes of or in connection with a scheme for the reconstruction of any company or companies or the amalgamation of any two or more companies) has been proposed, the directors of the company shall—

    (a) if a meeting of the members of the company by resolution so directs, instruct such accountants or advocates or both as are named in the resolution to report on the proposals and forward their report to the directors as soon as may be; and

    (b) make the report available at the registered office of the company for inspection by the shareholders and creditors of the company at least seven days before the date of any meeting ordered by the Court to be summoned as provided in subsection (1).

(9) Every company which makes default in complying with subsection (6) or (8) and every officer of the company who is in default shall be guilty of an offence against this Act.

Penalty: Two thousand ringgit.

Power of Court to restrain proceedings

(10) Where no order has been made or resolution passed for the winding up of a company and any such compromise or arrangement has been proposed between the company and its creditors or any class of those creditors, the Court may. in addition to any of its powers, on the application in a summary way of the company or of any member or creditor of the company restrain further proceedings in any action or proceeding against the company except by leave of the Court and subject to such terms as the Court imposes.

(10A) The Court may grant a restraining order under subsection (10) to a company for a period of not more than ninety days or such longer period as the Court may for good reason allow if and only if—

    (a) it is satisfied that there is a proposal for a scheme of compromise or arrangement between the company and its creditors or any class of creditors representing at least one-half in value of all the creditors;

    (b) the restraining order is necessary to enable the company and its creditors to formalize the scheme of compromise or arrangement for the approval of the creditors or members pursuant to subsection (1);

    (c) a statement in the prescribed form as to the affairs of the company made up to a date not more than three days before the application is lodged together with the application; and

    (d) it approves the person nominated by a majority of the creditors in the application by the company under subsection (10) to act as a director or if that person is not already a director, notwithstanding the provisions of this Act or the memorandum and articles of the company, appoints the person to act as a director.

(10B) The person approved or appointed by the Court to act as a director of the company under subsection (10A) shall have a right of access at all reasonable times to the accounting and other records (including registers) of the company, and is entitled to require from any officer of the company such information and explanation as he may require for the purposes of his duty.

(10C) Any disposition of the property of the company, including things in action and any acquisition of property by the company, other than those made in the ordinary course of business, made after the grant of the restraining order by the Court shall, unless the Court otherwise orders, be void.

(10D) Where a company disposes or acquires any property, other than in the ordinary course of its business, without leave of the Court, every officer of the company who is in default shall be guilty of an offence against this Act.

Penalty: Imprisonment for five years or one million ringgit or both.

(10E) Where an order is made under subsection (10), every company in relation to which the order is made shall, within seven days—

    (a) lodge an office copy of the order with the Registrar; and

    (b) publish a notice of the order in a daily newspaper circulating generally throughout Malaysia,

and every company which makes default in complying with this subsection and every officer of the company who is in default shall be guilty of an offence against this Act.

Penalty: One hundred thousand ringgit.

(10F) An order made by the Court under subsection (10) shall not have the effect of restraining further proceedings in any action or proceeding against any person other than the company that had applied for the restraining order.

(10G) For the purpose of subsection (10F) , the term "any person" includes a guarantor of the company.

Interpretation

(11) In this section—

"arrangement" includes a reorganization of the share capital of a company by the consolidation of shares of different classes or by the division of shares into shares of different classes or by both these methods;

"company" means any corporation or society liable to be wound up under this Act.