ADMINISTRATION

AFMA is a private non-stock and non-profit organisation with its address located in the home country of the Secretary General. The principal officers of AFMA are the President, Vice President and Secretary General appointed by the Executive Council. The positions of President of AFMA and its Secretary General are rotated amongst its constituent members every two years.

MCOM officially took over as host Secretariat from IMA in January 2015 and has continued to host as Secretariat until December 2021. During these period, the MCOM President, Dato’ Seri Mohd Ajib Anuar acted as President of AFMA and the MCOM Executive Director, Tuan Haji Muhamad Nor Muhamad acted as AFMA Secretary General. Administratively, they were supported by staff of the MCOM Secretariat.

At an AFMA Executive Council meeting held on 13 December 2021 via Zoom meeting platform hosted by MCOM, it was decided that the Malaysian Chamber of Mines should continue to host the AFMA Secretariat until 31 December 2022. Dato’ Seri Mohd Ajib Anuar and Tuan Haji Muhamad Nor Muhamad, were re-elected as AFMA President and Secretary General, respectively during this one year term in 2022. It was during this meeting also that Ms Anchalee Trakuldit, Chairman of MICT was elected as the new Vice President of AFMA for the same one year term.

As AFMA President, Dato’ Seri Ajib endeavours to continue to enhance closer rapport, interaction and cooperation not only amongst the private sector players within ASEAN but also with officials of the public sector responsible for the development of the ASEAN mineral resource industry. This effort dovetail with the establishment, in January 2015, of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), a powerful economic and trading block serving the Southeast Asian market of some 600 million consumers with a large industrial base and a region rich in mineral resource endowment.

ACTIVITIES & PROGRAMMES

AFMA’s primary event is the Asia-Pacific Mining Conference and Exhibition held once every two years. The first Asia Pacific Mining Conference and Exhibition was held in Bangkok in 1988. This was at a time when most, if not all, of the countries in the region were formulating their respective mining laws. The succeeding events were held in Manila in 1992, in Jakarta in 1994 and 1996, in Kuala Lumpur in 2000, and later again in Manila and Jakarta in recent years. The recent most event was the 2016 Asia Pacific Mineral Resource Exhibition and Conference (APMREC) held in November 2016 in Kuala Lumpur. All these events are global in nature and scope, dealing with common issues and concerns as well as latest developments, new technologies, mining policies, mineral legislations and investments opportunities in the mining and mineral resource industry.

Another primary event organised by AFMA is the annual Private Sector Forum (PSF) which is usually held in conjunction with the inter-governmental ASEAN Senior Officials Meetings on Minerals (ASOMM). The idea of having a PSF in conjunction with ASOMM was first mooted at the 5th ASOMM held in Indonesia in 2003. The first PSF was organised by AFMA together with LMA. It was held in Vientiane, Lao PDR on 19 July 2004, before the meeting of the 6th ASOMM. The second PSF was held in Kuching, Sarawak in Malaysia on 1 August 2005, and subsequently the third PSF was held in Manila the following year. The fourth PSF, organised by MCOM, was held in conjunction with the 2016 APMREC on 10 – 12 November 2016 in Kuala Lumpur back-to-back with the 16th ASOMM. The fifth PSF, organised jointly by MFMA and AFMA, was held on 29 November, 2017 in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar after the conclusion of the 10th ASOMM + 3 Consultation. The sixth PSF was held on 6 December 2018 in Manila, the Philippines. The event, organised jointly by the CMP and AFMA, was held immediately after the 11th ASOMM + 3 Consultation. The next PSF, which will be organised jointly by MICT and AFMA, is scheduled to be held in Bangkok, Thailand in December 2019.