KUALA LUMPUR: Recording Performers Malaysia (RPM) chairman Datuk Sheila Majid, who is facing pressure to resign from artistes' association Persatuan Karyawan Malaysia (Karyawan) has left it to members of her organisation to decide on her fate.
Sheila, 56, who has been under fire from Karyawan for failing to resolve long-standing problems related to artistes' royalty payments, said that RPM members could vote in a new board at its annual general assembly (AGM) on Monday.
"I am doing my best for members, I even declined to take payment throughout my nine years leading RPM because of my commitment to the industry," said Sheila in an online interview yesterday.
She added that the board had worked hard and its efforts had shown results, but it was up to RPM members to decide if they wanted her team to continue or otherwise.
"Feel free to vote me out in the next AGM. I won't be angry. But I hope members would make sure that whoever succeeds me takes good care of RPM's savings which are aplenty," said Sheila.
The veteran singer said that RM21 million would be distributed to 1,961 RPM members in stages, at year's end or early next year.
"We urge members to be patient, because we are currently calculating royalties and awaiting the report on claims made in 2019," she said, dismissing allegations that the RM21 million was not distributed.
"The money came in last year, and we want members to claim their royalties properly. They cannot just demand payment at the counter, we have to make sure every claim is genuine."
Sheila added that two days ago RPM distributed an Unlogged Performance Allocation (UPA) worth RM2.9 million to members who registered before January 2020.
"We have allocated royalties eight times since 2013. The process takes time, but we must always be careful and meticulous, to make sure that the right payment goes to the right person."
In November last year, Karyawan president Datuk Freddie Fernandez urged Sheila to resign as RPM chairman for "failing in her duties with regards to the distribution of royalties to RPM members".
The crisis intensified when the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) began an investigation on the bodies tasked with collecting music royalties, namely Music Authors Copyright Protection (MACP) Bhd, Public Performance Malaysia (PPM) Sdn Bhd and RPM.
The operation was initiated based on a report presented by Fernandez, who is also a member on the MACC advisory panel, during a meeting with MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Azam Baki in October last year.
