B
The
Companies Law (Revised)
Company
Limited by Shares
THE SECOND AMENDED AND
RESTATED
ARTICLES OF
ASSOCIATION
OF
Himax Technologies,
Inc.
(Adopted by way of a special resolution
passed on October
25, 2005[August 6, 2009]
and effective on [August
10, 2009][Note:
subject to completion date of bonus issue and share consolidation])
I N D E
X
SUBJECT |
Article No. |
|
|
Table
A |
1 |
Interpretation |
2 |
Share
Capital |
3 |
Alteration Of
Capital |
4-7 |
SharePre-Emptive Rights 8- of Existing
Members |
8-9 |
Share Rights |
10-11 |
Variation Of
Rights |
10-1112-13 |
Shares |
12-1514-17 |
Share
Certificates |
16-2118-24 |
Lien |
22-2425-27 |
Calls On
Shares |
25-3328-36 |
Forfeiture Of
Shares |
34-4237-45 |
Public Offering |
46 |
Register Of
Members |
43-4447-48 |
Record
Dates |
4549 |
Transfer Of
Shares |
46-5150-55 |
Transmission
Of Shares |
52-5456-58 |
Untraceable
Members |
5559 |
General
Meetings |
56-5860-63 |
Notice Of
General
Meetings |
59-6064 |
Appraisal Right of Dissenting Members |
65-66 |
Proceedings At
General Meetings |
61-6567-72 |
Voting |
66-7773-88 |
Proxies |
78-8389-96 |
Corporations
Acting By Representatives |
8497 |
No Action By
Written Resolutions Of Members |
8598 |
Annulment of Resolutions |
99 |
Board Of
Directors |
86100 |
Retirement of
Directors |
87-88101-102 |
Disqualification
Of Directors |
89103-104 |
Executive
Directors |
90-91105-106 |
Alternate
Directors |
92-95107-110 |
Directors’ Fees And Expenses |
96-99111-113 |
Directors’ Interests |
100-103114-117 |
General Powers
Of The Directors |
104-109118-124 |
Borrowing
Powers |
110-113125-128 |
Proceedings Of
The Directors |
114-123129-138 |
Managers |
124139-126141 |
Officers |
127-130142-145 |
Register of
Directors and Officers |
131146 |
Minutes |
132147-148 |
Seal |
133149 |
Authentication
Of Documents |
134150 |
Destruction Of
Documents |
135151 |
Dividends And
Other Payments |
136-145152-161 |
Reserves |
146162 |
Capitalisation |
147-148163-164 |
Subscription
Rights Reserve |
149165 |
Accounting
Records |
150-154166-170 |
Audit Committee |
155-160171-175 |
Notices |
161-163176-178 |
Signatures |
164179 |
Winding
Up |
165-166180-181 |
Indemnity |
167182 |
Amendment To
Memorandum and Articles of Association And Name of Company |
168183 |
Information |
169184 |
|
|
INTERPRETATION TABLE
A
1. The regulations in Table A in the
Schedule to the Companies Law (Revised) do not apply to the
Company.
INTERPRETATION
2. (1) In these Articles, unless the context
otherwise requires, the words standing in the first column of the following
table shall bear the meaning set opposite them respectively in the second
column.
WORD |
|
MEANING |
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|
2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan” |
|
the employees long term incentive
plan adopted by a resolution of the Members at the extraordinary general
meeting held on 25 October , 2005, as amended from time to
time.
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“Applicable
Law”
|
|
the laws of ROC, the rules of the Designated
Stock Exchange, the Statute or such other rules or legislation applicable
to the Company.
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"Audit
Committee"
|
|
the audit committee of the Company
formed by the Board pursuant to Article 120(1)171 hereof, or any successor
audit
committee.
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|
|
“Auditor”
|
|
the
independent auditor of the Company which shall be an internationally
recognized firm of independent accountants.
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“Articles”
|
|
these Articles in their present
form or as supplemented or amended or substituted from time to
time.
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“Board” or “Directors”
|
|
the board of directors of the
Company or the directors present at a meeting of directors of the Company
at which a quorum is present.
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“capital”
|
|
the share capital from time to
time of the Company.
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“clear days”
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in relation to the
period of a notice,
that period excluding the day when the notice is given or deemed to be
given and the day for which it is given or on which it is to take
effect.
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“clearing
house”
|
|
a clearing house or a depositary recognised by the laws of the
jurisdiction in which
the shares of the Company (or depositary receipts therefor) are listed or
quoted on a
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stock exchange or
interdealer quotation system in such jurisdiction. |
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“Company”
|
|
Himax Technologies,
Inc.
|
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“competent regulatory authority”
|
|
a competent regulatory authority
in
the territory where the shares of the Company (or
depositary receipts therefor) are listed or quoted on a stock exchange or
interdealer quotation system in such territory.
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“debenture” and “debenture
holder”
|
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include
debenture stock and debenture stockholder respectively. |
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“Designated
Stock Exchange”
|
|
the
National Market of The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc.
|
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“Designated Stock
Exchange”
|
|
the National Market of The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. and /
or the Taiwan Stock Exchange (as applicable).
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“dollars” and “$”
|
|
dollars, the legal currency of the
United States of
America.
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“Exchange
Act”
|
|
the Securities Exchange Act of
1934,1934 of the United States of
America, as
amended.
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“Family Relationship within Second
Degree of Kinship”
|
|
in respect of a person, means another person who is
related to the first person either by blood or by marriage of a member of
the family and within the second degree to include the parents, siblings,
grandparents, children and grandchildren of the person as well as
spouse’s parents, siblings and
grandparents.
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“head
office”
|
|
such office of the Company as the
Directors may from time to time determine to be the principal office of
the Company.
|
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“Independent
Directors”
|
|
as
defined in NASD Rules or in Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange
Act
or in the Company Law of the ROC.
|
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“Joint Operation
Contract”
|
|
a contract between the Company and
one or more person(s) or entit(ies) where the parties to the contract
agree to pursue the same business venture and jointly bear losses and
enjoy profits arising
out of such business venture in accordance with the terms of such
contract.
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“Law”
|
|
The Companies Law, Cap. 22 (Law 3
of 1961, as consolidated and revised) of the Cayman Islands.
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“Lease
Contract”
|
|
a contract or arrangement between
the Company and any
other person(s) pursuant to which such person(s) lease or rent from the
Company the necessary means and assets to operate a material or
substantial part of the business of the Company in the name of
such person and for the benefits of such person, and as consideration, the Company
receives a pre-agreed compensation from such person.
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“Management
Contract”
|
|
a contract or arrangement between
the Company and any other person(s) pursuant to which such person(s)
manage and operate the business of the Company in the name of the Company and
for the benefits of the Company, and as consideration, such person(s)
receive a pre-agreed compensation while the Company continues to be
entitled to the profits (or losses) of such
business.
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“Member”
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a duly registered
holder from time to time of
the shares in the capital of the Company.
|
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“month”
|
|
a calendar
month.
|
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“NASD” |
|
National Association
of Securities Dealers. |
|
|
|
“NASD Rules” |
|
the rules set forth in the NASD
Manual. |
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“Notice”
|
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written notice unless otherwise
specifically stated
and as further defined in these Articles.
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“Office”
|
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the registered office of the
Company for the time being.
|
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“ordinary
resolution”
|
|
a resolution
shall be an ordinary resolution when it has been passed by a
simple majority of more than one-half of the votes cast by such Members as,
being entitled so to do, vote in person or, in the case of any Member
being a corporation, by its duly authorised representative or, where
proxies are allowed, by proxy at a general meeting of which the quorum is present and not less than ten (10) clear
days’ Notice has been duly
given; |
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“paid up”
|
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paid up or credited as paid
up.
|
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“Register”
|
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the principal register and where
applicable, any branch register of Members of the Company to be maintained
at such place within
or outside the Cayman Islands as the Board shall determine from time to
time.
|
“Registration
Office”
|
|
in respect of any class of share
capital such place as the Board may from time to time determine to keep a
branch register of Members in respect of that class of share capital and where
(except in cases where the Board otherwise directs) the transfers or other
documents of title for such class of share capital are to be
lodged for registration and are to be
registered.
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“ROC”
|
|
the Republic of China.
|
|
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“SEC” |
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the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission. |
|
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“Seal”
|
|
common seal or any one or more
duplicate seals of the Company (including a securities seal) for use in
the Cayman Islands or in any place outside the Cayman
Islands.
|
|
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“Secretary”
|
|
any person, firm or corporation appointed
by the Board to perform any of the duties of secretary of the Company and
includes any assistant, deputy, temporary or acting
secretary.
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“special
resolution”
|
|
a resolution shall be a special
resolution when it has been passed by a majority of not less than
two-thirds of the
votes cast by such
Members as, being entitled so to do, vote in person or, in the case of
such Members as are corporations, by their respective duly authorised
representative or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at a general meeting of
which the quorum is
present, and not less
than ten (10) clear days’ Notice, specifying (without
prejudice to the power contained in these Articles to amend the same) the
intention to propose the resolution as a special resolution, has been duly given.
Provided that, except in the case
of an annual general meeting, if it is so agreed by a majority in number
of the Members having the right to attend and vote at any such meeting,
being a majority together holding not less than ninety-five (95) per cent. in
nominal value of the shares giving that right and in the case of an annual
general meeting, if it is so agreed by all Members entitled to attend and
vote thereat, a resolution may be proposed and passed as a special
resolution at a meeting of which less
than ten (10) clear days’ Notice has been
given;
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a special resolution
shall be effective for any purpose for which an ordinary resolution is
expressed to be required under any provision of these Articles or the
Statutes. |
“Statutes”
|
|
the Law and every other law of the
Legislature of the Cayman Islands for the time being in force
applying to or affecting the Company, its Memorandum of Association and/or
these Articles.
|
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“year” |
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a calendar
year.
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(2) In these Articles, unless there be something within the subject or
context inconsistent with such construction:
|
(a)
|
words importing the singular
include the plural and vice
versa;
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(b)
|
words importing a gender include
both gender and the neuter;
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(c)
|
words importing persons
include companies,
associations and bodies of persons whether corporate or
not;
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(d) the words:
|
(i)
|
“may” shall be construed as
permissive;
|
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(ii)
|
“shall” or “will” shall be construed as
imperative;
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(e)
|
expressions referring to writing
shall, unless the contrary intention appears, be construed
as including printing, lithography, photography and other modes of
representing words or figures in a visible form, and including where the
representation takes the form of electronic display, provided that both
the mode of service
of the relevant document or notice and the Member’s election comply with all
applicable Statutes, rules and regulations;
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(f)
|
references to any law, ordinance,
statute or statutory provision shall be interpreted as relating to any
statutory modification or re-enactment thereof
for the time being in force;
|
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(g)
|
save as aforesaid words and
expressions defined in the Statutes shall bear the same meanings in these
Articles if not inconsistent with the subject in the
context;
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(h)
|
references to a document being executed include
references to it being executed under hand or under seal or by electronic
signature or by any other method and references to a notice or document
include a notice or document recorded or stored in any digital,
electronic, electrical, magnetic or other retrievable
form or medium and information in visible form whether having physical
substance or not.
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(i)
|
Section 8 of the Electronics
Transactions Law (2003) of the Cayman Islands, as amended from time to
time, shall not apply to these Articles to the extent it
|
imposes obligations or requirements in addition to those set out
in these Articles.
SHARE
CAPITAL
3.
(1) The share capital of the Company at the
date on which these Articles come into effect shall be divided into shares
of a par value of
$0.00010.3 each.
(2) Subject to the Law, the
Company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association
and, where applicable, the rules of the Designated Stock Exchange and/or any
competent regulatory authority, any power of the Company to purchase or otherwise acquire its own
shares, including a
purchase of shares under Articles 65 and 66, shall be exercisable by the Board in
such manner, upon such terms and subject to such conditions as it thinks
fit and any determination
by the Board of the manner
of purchase shall be deemed authorised by these Articles for purposes of the
Law. The Company is hereby authorised to make payments in respect of
the purchase of its shares out of capital or out of any other account or fund
which can be authorised for this purpose in accordance with the
Law. All issued shares purchased or acquired by the Company shall be
cancelled.
(3) No share shall be issued to
bearer.
ALTERATION
OF CAPITAL
4.
The Company may from time to time
by ordinaryspecial resolution in accordance with the Law alter the
conditions of its Memorandum of Association to:
|
(a)
|
increase its capital by such sum,
to be divided into shares of such amounts, as the resolution shall
prescribe;
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|
(b)
|
consolidate and divide all or any
of its capital into
shares of larger amount than its existing
shares;
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(c)
|
without prejudice to the powers of
the Board under Article 12,14, divide its shares into several
classes and without prejudice to any special rights previously conferred
on the holders of existing shares attach thereto respectively
any preferential, deferred, qualified or special rights, privileges,
conditions or such restrictions which in the absence of any such
determination by the Company in general meeting, as the Directors may
determine provided always that, for the avoidance of
doubt, where a class of shares has been authorized by the Company no
resolution of the Company in general meeting is required for the issuance
of shares of that class and the Directors may issue shares of that class
and determine such rights, privileges,
conditions or restrictions attaching thereto as aforesaid, and further
provided that where the Company issues shares which do not carry voting
rights, the words “non-voting” shall appear in the designation
of such shares and where the equity capital
includes shares with different voting rights, the designation of each
class of shares, other than those
|
with the most
favourable voting rights, must include the words “restricted voting” or “limited voting”;
|
(d)
|
sub-divide its shares, or any of them, into shares
of smaller amount than is fixed by the Memorandum of Association (subject,
nevertheless, to the Law), and may by such resolution determine that, as
between the holders of the shares resulting from such sub-division, one
or more of the shares may have any
such preferred, deferred or other rights or be subject to any such
restrictions as compared with the other or others as the Company has power
to attach to unissued or new
shares;
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(e)
|
cancel any shares which, at the
date of the passing
of the resolution, have not been taken, or agreed to be taken, by any
person, and diminish the amount of its capital by the amount of the shares
so cancelled or, in the case of shares, without par value, diminish the
number of shares into which its capital is
divided.
|
5.
The Board may settle as it
considers expedient any difficulty which arises in relation to any consolidation
and division under the last preceding Article and in particular but without
prejudice to the generality of the foregoing may issue certificates in respect
of fractions of shares or arrange for the sale of the shares representing
fractions and the distribution of the net proceeds of sale (after deduction of
the expenses of such sale) in due proportion amongst the Members who would have been entitled to the
fractions, and for this purpose the Board may authorise some person to transfer
the shares representing fractions to their purchaser or resolve that such net
proceeds be paid to the Company for the Company’s benefit. Such purchaser will not be bound to see
to the application of the purchase money nor will his title to the shares be
affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings relating to the
sale.
6.
The Company may from time to time
by special resolution,
subject to any confirmation or consent required by the Law, reduce its share
capital or any capital redemption reserve or other undistributable reserve in
any manner permitted by law.
7.
Except so far as otherwise
provided by the conditions of issue, or by these Articles, any capital
raised by the creation of new shares shall be treated as if it formed part of
the original capital of the Company, and such shares shall be subject to the
provisions contained in these Articles with reference to the payment of calls and instalments, transfer
and transmission, forfeiture, lien, cancellation, surrender, voting and
otherwise.
PRE-EMPTIVE RIGHTS OF EXISTING
MEMBERS
8.
The Company shall, when conducting
any share offerings other than issuance of shares resulting from or in connection with any
merger, consolidation, amalgamation, asset acquisition, group reorganisation,
share swap, share subdivision, exercise of share options, warrants or awards
granted to employees, conversion of convertible securities or debt instruments, grant to the Members
pre-emptive rights to subscribe for new shares of the Company in proportion
respectively to their then shareholdings and advise the Members, by public
announcement in such manner as may be permitted by Applicable Law and give notice to the Members, of their
pre-emptive rights, unless a general meeting has adopted an ordinary
resolution to vary or disapply the
application of this Article. The Board shall have the discretion to
determine if those Members with registered addresses outside the ROC should be
entitled to such pre-emptive rights or participate in such share
offerings. The Company shall include in its notice to the Members an
explanation relating to the share offering and the procedures as to how their
pre-emptive rights may be exercised, and shall
specify the terms and conditions (as determined by the Board in its absolute
discretion) in accordance with which the Members may exercise their pre-emptive
rights. A Member is deemed to have waived its pre-emptive right if such Member fails to exercise
its pre-emptive rights in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in
the notice of the Company. Where an exercise of the pre-emptive rights may
result in fractional entitlement, the fractional entitlements of two or more Members may be
combined to jointly subscribe for one or more whole new shares or for
subscription of whole new shares in the name of a single Member, subject to
compliance with such directions and terms and conditions as determined by the
Board. Any share not taken up
in the share offering may be offered by the Company to the public or for
subscription by designated person(s).
9.
When the Company conducts a share
offering other than issuance of shares resulting from or in connection with
any merger, consolidation,
amalgamation, asset acquisition, group reorganisation, share swap, share
subdivision, exercise of share options, warrants or awards granted to employees,
conversion of convertible securities or debt instruments within the ROC
in accordance with the ROC Securities
Exchange Act and the ROC Regulations Governing the Offering and Issuance of
Securities by Foreign Securities Issuers, unless the ROC competent authority
deems the public offering of the new shares unnecessary or inappropriate, ten percent (10%) or such greater
percentage resolved by the Members at a general meeting (if any) of the total
number of new shares to be issued shall be made available for public
subscription within the ROC in accordance with the applicable ROC laws.
SHARE
RIGHTS
8.10.
Subject to the provisions of the
Law, the rules of the Designated Stock Exchange and the Memorandum and Articles
of Association and to any special rights conferred on the holders of any shares
or class of shares, and without prejudice to Article 1214 hereof, any share in the Company
(whether forming part of the present capital or not) may be issued with or have
attached thereto such rights or restrictions whether in regard to dividend,
voting, return of capital or otherwise as the Board may determine, including
without limitation on terms that they may be, or at the option of the Company or
the holder are, liable to be redeemed on such terms and in such manner,
including out of capital, as the Board may deem fit.
9.11.
Subject to the Law, any preferred shares may be
issued or converted into shares that, at a determinable date or at the option of
the Company or the holder if so authorised by its Memorandum of Association, are
liable to be redeemed on such terms and in such manner as the Company before the issue or
conversion may by ordinary resolution of the Members determine. Where
the Company purchases for redemption a redeemable share, purchases not made
through the market or by tender shall be limited to a maximum price as
may from time to time be determined by the
Board, either generally or with regard to specific purchases. If
purchases are by tender, tenders shall comply with applicable
laws.
VARIATION OF
RIGHTS
10.12.
Subject to the Law and without
prejudice to Article
8,10, all or any of the special rights for
the time being attached to the shares or any class of shares may, unless
otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class, from time
to time (whether or not the Company is being wound up) be varied, modified or abrogated with the
sanction of a special resolution passed at a separate general meeting of the
holders of the shares of that class. To every such separate general
meeting all the provisions of these Articles relating to general
meetings of the Company shall, mutatis
mutandis, apply, but so that:
|
(a)
|
the necessary quorum (whether at a
separate general meeting or at its adjourned meeting) shall be a person or
persons (or in the case of a Member being a corporation, its duly
authorized
representative) together holding or representing by proxy not
less more than one-third-half in nominal value of the issued
shares of that class;
|
|
(b)
|
every holder of shares of the
class shall be entitled on a poll to one vote for every such share held
by him;
and
|
|
(c)
|
any holder of shares of the class
present in person or by proxy or authorised representative may
demand a poll.
|
11.13.
The special rights conferred upon
the holders of any shares or class of shares shall not, unless otherwise
expressly provided in the
rights attaching to or the terms of issue of such shares, be deemed to be
varied, modified or abrogated by the creation or issue of further shares ranking
pari passu therewith.
SHARES
12.14. (1) Subject to theApplicable Law, these Articles and
, where
applicable, the rules of the Designated Stock Exchange any direction made by the Members at a
general meeting and without
prejudice to any special rights or restrictions for the time being attached to
any shares or any class of shares, the unissued shares of the Company (whether
forming part of the original or any increased capital and including fraction
shares) shall be at the
disposal of the Board, which may offer, allot, grant options over or otherwise
dispose of them to such persons, at such times and for such consideration and
upon such terms and conditions as the Board may in its absolute discretion
determine but so that no shares shall be issued at a discount. In
particular and without
prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the
Board is
hereby empowered to authorize by resolution or resolutions from time to
time PROVIDED THAT approval
by the Members by way of a special resolution is required to authorize and
approve the issuance of one
or more classes or series of preferred shares and to fix the designations, powers,
preferences and relative, participating, optional and other rights, if any, and
the qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, if any, including,
without limitation, the number of shares constituting each such class or series, dividend rights,
conversion rights, redemption privileges, voting powers, full or limited or no
voting powers, and liquidation
preferences, and to increase or decrease
the size of any such class or series (but not below the number of shares of any class or series of preferred
shares then outstanding) to the extent permitted by LawApplicable Law, and the Memorandum and
these Articles shall be amended with the sanction of a special resolution to
stipulate the rights, benefits and restrictions of such preferred shares and the
authorised number of the preferred shares. Without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, the resolution or resolutions providing for the
establishment of any class or series of preferred shares may, to the extent
permitted by law, provide
that such class or series shall be superior to, rank equally with or be junior
to the preferred shares of any other class or series.
(2)
Neither the Company nor the Board
shall be obliged, when making or granting any allotment of, offer of, option over or disposal of
shares, to make, or make available, any such allotment, offer, option or shares
to Members or others with registered addresses in any particular territory or
territories being a territory or territories where, in the absence of a registration statement or
other special formalities, this would or might, in the opinion of the Board, be
unlawful or impracticable. Members affected as a result of the
foregoing sentence shall not be, or be deemed to be, a separate class of
members for any purpose
whatsoever. Except as otherwise expressly provided in the resolution
or resolutions providing for the establishment of any class or series of
preferred shares, no vote of the holders of preferred shares of or ordinary
shares shall be a prerequisite to the issuance of any
shares of any class or series of the preferred shares authorized by and
complying with the conditions of the Memorandum and Articles of
Association.
(3)
TheSubject to Applicable Law,
the Board may issue
options, warrants or
convertible securities or securities of similar nature conferring the right upon
the holders thereof to subscribe for, purchase or receive any class of shares or
securities in the capital of the Company on such terms as it may from time to
time determine. The Board may issue employee share
subscription warrants pursuant to the 2005 Long-Term Incentive Plan, as
recommended by the Board and approved by the Members on 25 October, 2005, and as
amended, revised and modified from time to time by the compensation committee of the Board (if
any) or a sub-committee thereof, or any other committee designated by the Board
to administer employee share subscription plan.
13.15.
The Company may in connection with
the issue of any shares exercise all powers of paying commission and brokerage
conferred or permitted by the Law. Subject to the Law, the commission
may be satisfied by the payment of cash or by the allotment of fully or partly
paid shares or partly in one and partly in the other.
14.16.
Except as required by law, no person shall be
recognised by the Company as holding any share upon any trust and the Company
shall not be bound by or required in any way to recognise (even when having
notice thereof) any equitable, contingent, future or partial interest in any share or any fractional part
of a share or (except only as otherwise provided by these Articles or by law)
any other rights in respect of any share except an absolute right to the
entirety thereof in the registered holder.
15.17.
Subject to the Law and these Articles, the Board may
at any time after the allotment of shares but before any person has been entered
in the Register as the holder, recognise a renunciation thereof by the allottee
in favour of some other person and may accord
B
to any allottee of a share a right to effect
such renunciation upon and subject to such terms and conditions as the Board
considers fit to impose.
SHARE
CERTIFICATES
18.
The Company shall, within thirty
(30) days from the date that the name of Member is entered in the Register of Members in respect
of such shares acquired by such Member, issue share certificates in accordance
with these Articles and deliver the share certificates to the
Members. The Company shall publicly announce in the manner permitted
by Applicable Law the time and procedure for
Members to collect the share certificates.
16.19.
Every share certificate shall be
issued under the Seal or a facsimile thereof and shall specify the number and
class and distinguishing numbers (if any) of the shares to which it relates, and the amount
paid up thereon and may otherwise be in such form as the Directors may from time
to time determine. No certificate shall be issued representing shares
of more than one class. The Board may by resolution
determine, either generally or in any particular
case or cases, that any signatures on any such certificates (or certificates in
respect of other securities) need not be autographic but may be affixed to such
certificates by some mechanical means or may be printed thereon.
17.20. (1)
In the case of a share held
jointly by several persons, the Company shall not be bound to issue more than
one certificate therefor and delivery of a certificate to one of several joint
holders shall be sufficient delivery to all such holders.
(2)
Where a share stands in the names
of two or more persons, the person first named in the Register shall as regards
service of notices and, subject to the provisions of these Articles, all or any
other matters connected with the Company, except the transfer of the shares, be deemed the
sole holder thereof.
18.
The
Company may, but21. Subject to Article 18, every person
whose name is entered, upon an allotment of shares, as a Member in the
Register shall not be
obliged to, issue,be
entitled without payment, a
shareto receive
one certificate for all
such shares of any one class allotted
and issued or several
certificates each for one or more of such shares of such class upon payment for
every certificate after the first of such reasonable out-of-pocket expenses as the Board from time to
time determines.
19.
If
share certificates are required by the Designted Stock Exchange to be issued,
they shall be issued within the relevant time limit as as the Designated Stock
Exchange may from time to time determine,
after allotment or, except in the case of a transfer which the Company is for
the time being entitled to refuse to register and does not register, after
lodgment of a transfer with the Company.
20. (1)22. Upon every transfer of shares the
certificate held by the
transferor shall be given up to be cancelled, and shall forthwith be cancelled
accordingly, and a new certificate shall be issued to the transferee in respect
of the shares transferred to him at such fee as is provided in paragraph
(2) of this
Article. 23. If any of the shares
included in the certificate so given up
shall be retained by the transferor a
new certificate for the balance shall be issued to him at the aforesaid fee
payable by the transferor to the Company in respect thereof.
(2)23
The fee referred to in
paragraph
(1)Article 22 above shall be an amount not exceeding
the relevant maximum amount as the Designated Stock Exchange or Applicable Law may from time to time determine provided
that the Board may at any time determine a lower amount for such
fee.
21.24.
If a share certificate shall be
damaged or defaced or alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed a new
certificate representing the same shares may be issued to the relevant Member
upon request and on payment of such fee as the Company may determine
and, subject to compliance with such terms (if any) as to evidence and indemnity
and to payment of the costs and reasonable out-of-pocket expenses of the Company
in investigating such evidence and preparing such indemnity as the Board may think fit and, in
case of damage or defacement, on delivery of the old certificate to the Company
provided always that where share warrants have been issued, no new share warrant
shall be issued to replace one that has been lost unless the Board has determined that the
original has been destroyed.
LIEN
22.25.
The Company shall have a first and
paramount lien on every share (not being a fully paid share) for all moneys
(whether presently payable or not) called or payable at a fixed time in respect of that
share. The Company shall also have a first and paramount lien on
every share (not being a fully paid share) registered in the name of a Member
(whether or not jointly with other Members) for all amounts of money presently
payable by such Member or his estate to the
Company whether the same shall have been incurred before or after notice to the
Company of any equitable or other interest of any person other than such member,
and whether the period for the payment or discharge of the same shall have actually arrived or not,
and notwithstanding that the same are joint debts or liabilities of such Member
or his estate and any other person, whether a Member of the Company or
not. The Company’s lien on a share shall extend to all
dividends or other moneys payable thereon or in
respect thereof. The Board may at any time, generally or in any
particular case, waive any lien that has arisen or declare any share exempt in
whole or in part, from the provisions of this Article.
23.26.
Subject to these Articles, the Company may sell in
such manner as the Board determines any share on which the Company has a lien,
but no sale shall be made unless some sum in respect of which the lien exists is
presently payable, or the liability or engagement in respect of which such lien exists is
liable to be presently fulfilled or discharged nor until the expiration of
fourteen (14) clear days after a notice in writing, stating and demanding
payment of the sum presently payable, or specifying the liability or
engagement and demanding fulfilment or
discharge thereof and giving notice of the intention to sell in default, has
been served on the registered holder for the time being of the share or the
person entitled thereto by reason of his death or
bankruptcy.
24.27.
The net proceeds of the sale shall
be received by the Company and applied in or towards payment or discharge of the
debt or liability in respect of which the lien exists, so far as the same is
presently payable, and any residue shall (subject to a like lien for debts or liabilities
not presently payable as existed upon
the share prior to the sale) be paid to the person entitled to the share at the
time of the sale. To give effect to any such sale the Board may
authorise some person to transfer the shares sold to the purchaser
thereof. The purchaser shall be registered as the holder of the
shares so transferred and he shall not be bound to see to the application of the
purchase money, nor shall his title to the shares be affected by any
irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings relating
to the sale.
CALLS ON
SHARES
25.28.
Subject to these Articles and to
the terms of allotment, the Board may from time to time make calls upon the
Members in respect of any moneys unpaid on their shares (whether on account of the nominal value of the
shares or by way of premium), and each Member shall (subject to being given at
least fourteen (14) clear days’ Notice specifying the time and place of
payment) pay to the Company as required by such notice the amount called on his shares. A call
may be extended, postponed or revoked in whole or in part as the Board
determines but no member shall be entitled to any such extension, postponement
or revocation except as a matter of grace and favour.
26.29.
A call shall be deemed to have been made at the time
when the resolution of the Board authorising the call was passed and may be made
payable either in one lump sum or by instalments.
27.30.
A person upon whom a call is made
shall remain liable for calls made upon him notwithstanding the subsequent transfer
of the shares in respect of which the call was made. The joint
holders of a share shall be jointly and severally liable to pay all calls and
instalments due in respect thereof or other moneys due in respect
thereof.
28.31.
If a sum called in respect of a
share is not paid before or on the day appointed for payment thereof, the person
from whom the sum is due shall pay interest on the amount unpaid from the day
appointed for payment thereof to the time of actual payment at such rate (not exceeding twenty
per cent. (20%) per annum) as the Board may determine, but the Board may in its
absolute discretion waive payment of such interest wholly or in
part.
29.32.
No Member shall be entitled to
receive any dividend or bonus or to be present and vote (save as
proxy for another Member) at any general meeting either personally or by proxy,
or be reckoned in a quorum, or exercise any other privilege as a Member until
all calls or instalments due by him to the Company, whether alone or jointly with any other person,
together with interest and expenses (if any) shall have been
paid.
30.33.
On the trial or hearing of
any action or other proceedings for the recovery of any money due for any call,
it shall be sufficient to prove that the name of the Member sued is
entered in the Register as the holder, or one of the holders, of the shares in
respect of which such debt accrued, that the resolution making the call is duly
recorded in the minute book, and that notice of such call was duly given to the Member sued, in
pursuance of these Articles; and it shall not be necessary to prove the
appointment of the Directors who made such call, nor any other matters
whatsoever, but the proof of the matters aforesaid shall be conclusive
evidence of the debt.
31.34.
Any amount payable in respect of a
share upon allotment or at any fixed date, whether in respect of nominal value
or premium or as an instalment of a call, shall be deemed to be a call duly made
and payable on the date fixed for payment and if it is not paid the
provisions of these Articles shall apply as if that amount had become due and
payable by virtue of a call duly made and notified.
32.35. On the issue of shares the Board may
differentiate between the allottees or holders as to the amount of calls to be paid and
the times of payment.
33.36.
The Board may, if it thinks fit,
receive from any Member willing to advance the same, and either in money or
money’s worth, all or any part of the moneys
uncalled and unpaid or instalments payable upon any shares held by him
and upon all or any of the moneys so advanced (until the same would, but for
such advance, become presently payable) pay interest at such rate (if any) as
the Board may decide. The Board may at any time repay the
amount so advanced upon giving to such
Member not less than one month’s Notice of its intention in that
behalf, unless before the expiration of such notice the amount so advanced shall
have been called up on the shares in respect of which it was
advanced. Such payment in advance shall not entitle
the holder of such share or shares to participate in respect thereof in a
dividend subsequently declared.
FORFEITURE
OF SHARES
34.37.
(1) If a call remains unpaid after it has
become due and payable the Board may give to the person from whom it is due
not less than fourteen (14) clear days’ Notice:
|
(a)
|
requiring payment of the amount
unpaid together with any interest which may have accrued and which may
still accrue up to the date of actual payment;
and
|
|
(b)
|
stating that if the Notice is not
complied with the shares on which the call was made will be liable to be
forfeited.
|
(2) If the requirements of any such Notice
are not complied with, any share in respect of which such Notice has been given
may at any time thereafter,
before payment of all calls and interest due in respect thereof has been made,
be forfeited by a resolution of the Board to that effect, and such forfeiture
shall include all dividends and bonuses declared in respect of the forfeited
share but not actually paid before the
forfeiture.
35.38.
When any share has been forfeited,
notice of the forfeiture shall be served upon the person who was before
forfeiture the holder of the share. No forfeiture shall be
invalidated by any omission or neglect to give such Notice.
36.39.
The Board may accept the surrender
of any share liable to be forfeited hereunder and, in such case, references in
these Articles to forfeiture will include surrender.
37.40.
Any share so forfeited shall be
deemed the property of the
Company and may be sold, re-allotted or otherwise disposed of to such person,
upon such terms and in such manner
as the Board determines, and at any time
before a sale, re-allotment or disposition the forfeiture may be annulled by the
Board on such terms as the Board
determines.
38.41.
A person whose shares have been
forfeited shall cease to be a Member in respect of the forfeited shares but
nevertheless shall remain liable to pay the Company all moneys which at the date
of forfeiture were presently payable by him to the Company in
respect of the shares, with (if the Directors shall in their discretion so
require) interest thereon from the date of forfeiture until payment at such rate
(not exceeding twenty per cent. (20%) per annum) as the Board determines. The Board may
enforce payment thereof if it thinks fit, and without any deduction or allowance
for the value of the forfeited shares, at the date of forfeiture, but his
liability shall cease if and when the Company shall have received payment
in full of all such moneys in respect of
the shares. For the purposes of this Article any sum which, by the
terms of issue of a share, is payable thereon at a fixed time which is
subsequent to the date of forfeiture, whether on account of the nominal
value of the share or by way of premium,
shall notwithstanding that time has not yet arrived be deemed to be payable at
the date of forfeiture, and the same shall become due and payable immediately
upon the forfeiture, but interest thereon shall only be payable in respect of any period between the
said fixed time and the date of actual payment.
39.42.
A declaration by a Director
or the Secretary that a share has been forfeited on a specified date shall be
conclusive evidence of the facts therein stated as against all persons claiming to be entitled
to the share, and such declaration shall (subject to the execution of an
instrument of transfer by the Company if necessary) constitute a good title to
the share, and the person to whom the share is disposed of shall be registered as the holder of the
share and shall not be bound to see to the application of the consideration (if
any), nor shall his title to the share be affected by any irregularity in or
invalidity of the proceedings in reference to the forfeiture, sale or disposal of the
share. When any share shall have been forfeited, notice of the
declaration shall be given to the Member in whose name it stood immediately
prior to the forfeiture, and an entry of the forfeiture, with the date thereof,
shall forthwith be made in the register, but no
forfeiture shall be in any manner invalidated by any omission or neglect to give
such notice or make any such entry.
40.43.
Notwithstanding any such
forfeiture as aforesaid the Board may at any time, before any shares
so forfeited shall have
been sold, re-allotted or otherwise disposed of, permit the shares forfeited to
be bought back upon the terms of payment of all calls and interest due upon and
expenses incurred in respect of the share, and upon such further terms
(if any) as it thinks
fit.
41.44.
The forfeiture of a share shall
not prejudice the right of the Company to any call already made or instalment
payable thereon.
42.45.
The provisions of these Articles
as to forfeiture shall apply in the case of non-payment of any sum which, by the terms of
issue of a share, becomes payable at a fixed time, whether on account of the
nominal value of the share or by way of premium, as if the same had been payable
by virtue of a call duly made and notified.
PUBLIC OFFERING
46.
The Board shall, within seven (7)
calendar days after its receipt of a public tender offer to purchase shares of
the Company, resolve to recommend the Members to either accept or object the
tender offer purchase, and shall disclose the following by way of public announcement in any
manner permitted by the Applicable Law:
|
(a)
|
the type, number and amount of
shares currently held by the Directors, and any shareholders with more
than ten percent (10%) of the Company’s outstanding shares;
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|
(b)
|
the recommendation made to the
Company’s shareholders on such tender
offer purchase, wherein the names and reasons of every objecting
director(s) shall be indicated;
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(c)
|
whether there were major changes
to the Company’s financial conditions after the
delivery of its most
recent financial statements, and the contents of such changes; and
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(d)
|
the type, number and amount of
shares of the offeror or its affiliates held by the Directors or the major
shareholders holding over ten percent (10%) of the Company’s outstanding shares.
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REGISTER OF
MEMBERS
43.47. (1) The Company shall keep in one or more
books a Register of its Members and shall enter therein the following
particulars, that is to say:
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(a)
|
the name and address of each
Member, the number and class of shares held by him and the amount
paid or agreed to be considered as paid on such
shares;
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(b)
|
the date on which each person was
entered in the Register; and
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(c)
|
the date on which any person
ceased to be a Member.
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(2) The Company may keep an overseas or
local or other branch
register of Members resident in any place, and the Board may make and vary such
regulations as it determines in respect of the keeping of any such register and
maintaining a Registration Office in connection therewith.
44.48 The Register and branch register of Members, as
the case may be, shall be open to inspection for such times and on such days as
the Board shall determine by Members without charge or by any other person, upon
a maximum payment of $2.50 or such other sum specified by the Board, at the Office or such
other place at which the Register is kept in accordance with the Law or, if
appropriate, upon a maximum payment of $1.00 or such other sum specified by the
Board at the Registration Office. The Register including any
overseas or local or other branch register
of Members may, after notice has been given by advertisement in an appointed
newspaper or any other newspapers in accordance with the requirements of the
Designated
Stock Exchange or by any electronic
means in such manner as may be accepted by the
Designated Stock Exchange to that effect, be closed at such times or for such
periods not exceeding in the whole thirty (30) days in each year as the Board
may determine and either generally or in respect of any class of shares.
RECORD
DATES
45.49.
For the purpose of determining the
Members entitled to notice of or to vote at any general meeting, or any
adjournment thereof, or entitled to express consent to corporate action in
writing without a meeting, or entitled to receive payment of any dividend or
other distribution or allotment of any rights, or entitled to exercise any
rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of shares or for the
purpose of any other lawful action, the Board may fix, in advance, a date as the record date for any such
determination of Members, which date shall not be more than sixty (60) days nor
less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting, nor more than sixty
(60) days prior to any other such action.
If the Board does
not fix a record date for
any general meeting, the record date for determining the Members entitled to a
notice of or to vote at such meeting shall be at the close of business on the
day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or, if in
accordance with these Articles notice is waived,
at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting
is held. If
corporate action without a general meeting is to be taken, the record date for
determining the Members entitled to express consent to
such corporate action in writing, when no prior action by the Board is
necessary, shall be the first date on which a signed written consent setting
forth the action taken or proposed to be taken is delivered to the Company by
delivery to its head office.
The record date for
determining the Members for any other purpose shall be at the close of business
on the day on which the Board adopts the resolution relating
thereto.
A determination of the Members of record
entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of the Members shall apply
to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board may fix a
new record date for the adjourned meeting.
TRANSFER OF
SHARES
46.50. Subject to these Articles, any Member
may transfer all or any of his shares by an instrument of transfer
in the usual or common form or in a form prescribed by the Designated Stock
Exchange or in any other form approved by the Board and may be under hand or, if
the transferor or transferee is a clearing house or its nominee(s), by hand or by machine imprinted
signature or by such other manner of execution as the Board may approve from
time to time.
47.51. The instrument of transfer shall be
executed by or on behalf of the transferor and the transferee provided that
the Board may dispense with
the execution of the instrument of transfer by the transferee in any case which
it thinks fit in its discretion to do so. Without prejudice to the
last preceding Article, the Board may also resolve, either generally or in any
particular case, upon request by either the
transferor or transferee, to accept mechanically executed
transfers. The transferor shall be deemed to remain the holder of the
share until the
name of the transferee is entered in the
Register in respect thereof. Nothing in these Articles shall preclude
the Board from recognising a renunciation of the allotment or provisional
allotment of any share by the allottee in favour of some other
person.
48.52. (1) The Board may, in its absolute
discretion, and without giving any reason therefor, refuse to
register a transfer of any share (not being a fully paid up share) to a person
of whom it does not approve, or any share issued under any share incentive
scheme for employees upon which a restriction on transfer imposed thereby still subsists, and it may also,
without prejudice to the foregoing generality, refuse to register a transfer of
any share to more than four joint holders or a transfer of any share (not being
a fully paid up share) on which the Company has a lien.
(2) The Board in so far as permitted by any
applicable law may, in its absolute discretion, at any time and from time to
time transfer any share upon the Register to any branch register or any share on
any branch register to the Register or any other branch register. In the event of
any such transfer, the shareholder requesting such transfer shall bear the cost
of effecting the transfer unless the Board otherwise
determines.
(3) Unless the Board otherwise agrees (which
agreement may be on such terms and subject to such conditions as the Board
in its absolute discretion may from time to time determine, and which agreement
the Board shall, without giving any reason therefor, be entitled in its absolute
discretion to give or withhold), no shares upon the Register shall be transferred to any branch
register nor shall shares on any branch register be transferred to the Register
or any other branch register and all transfers and other documents of title
shall be lodged for registration, and registered, in the case of any shares on a branch register,
at the relevant Registration Office, and, in the case of any shares on the
Register, at the Office or such other place at which the Register is kept in
accordance with the Law.
49.53. Without limiting the
generality of the last
preceding Article, the Board may decline to recognise any instrument of transfer
unless:-
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(a)
|
a fee of such maximum sum as the
Designated Stock Exchange may determine to be payable or such lesser sum
as the Board may from time to time require is paid to the Company in respect
thereof;
|
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(b)
|
the instrument of transfer is in
respect of only one class of
share;
|
|
(c)
|
the instrument of transfer is
lodged at the Office or such other place at which the Register is kept in
accordance with the Law or the Registration Office (as the case
may be) accompanied by the relevant share certificate(s) and such other
evidence as the Board may reasonably require to show the right of the
transferor to make the transfer (and, if the instrument of transfer is
executed by some other person on his
behalf, the authority of that person so to do);
and
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|
(d)
|
if applicable, the instrument of
transfer is duly and properly
stamped.
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50.54. If the Board refuses to register a
transfer of any share, it shall, within two months after the date on which the transfer was
lodged with the Company, send to each of the transferor and transferee notice of
the refusal.
51.55. The registration of transfers of shares
or of any class of shares may, after notice has been given by
advertisement in an
appointed newspaper or any other newspapers or by any other means in accordance
with the requirements of the Designated Stock Exchange to that effect be
suspended at such times and for such periods (not exceeding in the whole thirty
(30) days in any year) as the Board may
determine.
TRANSMISSION
OF SHARES
52.56. If a Member dies, the survivor or
survivors where the deceased was a joint holder, and his legal personal
representatives where he was a sole or only surviving holder, will be the only
persons recognised by the
Company as having any title to his interest in the shares; but nothing in this
Article will release the estate of a deceased Member (whether sole or joint)
from any liability in respect of any share which had been solely or
jointly held by him.
53.57. Any person becoming entitled to a share
in consequence of the death or bankruptcy or winding-up of a Member may, upon
such evidence as to his title being produced as may be required by the Board,
elect either to become the holder of the share or to have some person
nominated by him registered as the transferee thereof. If he elects
to become the holder he shall notify the Company in writing either at the
Registration Office or Office, as the case may be, to that effect. If
he elects to have another person registered he
shall execute a transfer of the share in favour of that person. The
provisions of these Articles relating to the transfer and registration of
transfers of shares shall apply to such notice or transfer as aforesaid
as if the death or bankruptcy of the Member
had not occurred and the notice or transfer were a transfer signed by such
Member.
54.58. A person becoming entitled to a share by
reason of the death or bankruptcy or winding-up of a Member shall be entitled to
the same dividends and
other advantages to which he would be entitled if he were the registered holder
of the share. However, the Board may, if it thinks fit, withhold the
payment of any dividend payable or other advantages in respect of such share
until such person shall become the registered
holder of the share or shall have effectually transferred such share, but,
subject to the requirements of Article 7584(2) being met, such a person may vote at
meetings.
UNTRACEABLE
MEMBERS
55.59. (1) Without prejudice to the rights of the Company
under paragraph (2) of this Article, the Company may cease sending cheques for
dividend entitlements or dividend warrants by post if such cheques or warrants
have been left uncashed on two consecutive
occasions. However, the Company may exercise the power to
cease sending cheques for
dividend entitlements or dividend
warrants after the first occasion on which such a cheque or warrant is returned
undelivered.
(2) The Company shall have the power to
sell, in such manner as the
Board thinks fit, any shares of a Member who is untraceable, but no such sale
shall be made unless:
|
(a)
|
all cheques or warrants in respect
of dividends of the shares in question, being not less than three in total
number, for any sum payable in cash to the holder of such shares in
respect of them sent during the relevant period in the manner authorised
by the Articles of the Company have remained
uncashed;
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|
(b)
|
so far as it is aware at the end
of the relevant period, the Company has not at any time during the relevant period
received any indication of the existence of the Member who is the holder
of such shares or of a person entitled to such shares by death, bankruptcy
or operation of law; and
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(c)
|
the Company, if so required by the
rules governing the
listing of shares on the Designated Stock Exchange, has given notice to,
and caused advertisement in newspapers to be made in accordance with the
requirements of, the Designated Stock Exchange of its intention to sell
such shares in the manner required by the Designated Stock Exchange,
and a period of three months or such shorter period as may be allowed by
the Designated Stock Exchange has elapsed since the date of such
advertisement.
|
For the purpose of the foregoing, the
“relevant
period” means the
period commencing twelve
(12) years before the date of publication of the advertisement referred to in
paragraph (c) of this Article and ending at the expiry of the period referred to
in that paragraph.
(3) To give effect to any such sale the
Board may authorise some
person to transfer the said shares and an instrument of transfer signed or
otherwise executed by or on behalf of such person shall be as effective as if it
had been executed by the registered holder or the person entitled by
transmission to such shares, and the purchaser shall not be
bound to see to the application of the purchase money nor shall his title to the
shares be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings relating
to the sale. The net proceeds of the sale will belong to the Company and upon receipt by the
Company of such net proceeds it shall become indebted to the former Member for
an amount equal to such net proceeds. No trust shall be created in
respect of such debt and no interest shall be payable in respect of it and the Company shall not be required
to account for any money earned from the net proceeds which may be employed in
the business of the Company or as it thinks fit. Any sale under this
Article shall be valid and effective notwithstanding that the Member holding the shares sold is dead,
bankrupt or otherwise under any legal disability or
incapacity.
GENERAL
MEETINGS
60.
An annual general meeting of the
Company shall be held and convened by the Board in each year, but no later than
six (6) months after the
close of each fiscal year. A general meeting of the Company shall be held within
the territory of the ROC at such time and place as
may be determined by the Board; however
for so long as the shares of the Company are listed on the Taiwan Stock
Exchange, the Board may pass a resolution to
convene a general meeting outside the territory of the ROC in which
case, an application shall be submitted to the Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation
for its approval within two (2) days after the date that the Board has resolved as such. Without prejudice to the generality of the
foregoing, where any
general meeting of the Company is to be held outside the territory of ROC, the
Company shall appoint an agent of stock affairs within the ROC to administer and
handle affairs relating to
voting by Members at such general meeting.
56.
An
annual general meeting of the Company shall be held in each year other than the
year of the Company’s
incorporation at such time and place as may be determined by the
Board.
61.
One or more Member (s) holding one percent
(1%) or more of the total number of outstanding shares of the Company may submit
to the Company not more than one proposal for consideration and if appropriate,
approval at the annual general meeting, provided
that only one matter may be
proposed in each single proposal. The Company shall give a public notice
in such manner as permitted by Applicable Law at such time deemed appropriate by
the Board specifying the place and a period of not less than ten (10) days for
Members to submit
proposals. Any Member(s) whose proposal has been submitted and
accepted by the Board, shall continue to be entitled to attend the annual
general meeting in person or by proxy or in the case of a corporation, by its
authorised representative(s), and participate in the discussion
of such proposal. The Board may exclude a proposal submitted by a
Member if (i) the proposal involves matters which cannot be resolved at the
annual general meeting in accordance with or under Applicable Laws;
(ii) the number of shares held by the
Member(s) is less than one percent (1%) of the total number of issued and
outstanding shares in the Register of Members as of the record date determined
by the Board or upon commencement of the non-book-entry period before the annual general meeting; (iii) the
proposal submitted concerns more than one matter; or (iv) the proposal is
submitted after the expiration of the specified period determined by the Board,
in which case, the rejected proposal shall not be discussed at the annual general
meeting. The Company shall, prior to the dispatch of a Notice of the
annual general meeting, inform the Members the result of submission of proposals
and list in the Notice of annual general meeting the proposals accepted for
consideration and approval at the annual general
meeting. The chairman of the annual general meeting or if the
chairman is not a director of the Company, any director of the Company shall
explain at the annual general meeting the reasons for excluding proposals
submitted by Members.
57.62. Each general meeting, other than an
annual general meeting, shall be called an extraordinary general
meeting. General meetings may be held at such times and in any
location in the world as may be determined by the Board.
58.63. Only
aA majority of the Board or the
Chairman of the Board may
call extraordinary general meetings, which extraordinary general meetings shall
be held at such times and locations (as permitted hereby) as such
person or persons shall determine.the Board shall determine PROVIDED THAT one or
more Member(s) holding three-percent (3%) or more of the total number of the
outstanding voting shares of the Company continuously for a period of one (1)
year or more may, by filing with the Company a written proposal setting forth therein the subjects for
discussion, consideration and approval and the reasons, request the Board to
convene an extraordinary general meeting. If the Board
fails to give notice for convening an
extraordinary general meeting within fifteen (15) days after receiving such request,
the proposing Member(s) may convene an extraordinary general meeting by sending
out a notice of general meeting in accordance with Article 64 and
such Member(s) shall be entitled to determine the time and place of the general meeting, provided that if
the general meeting will not be held within the territory of the ROC,
an application shall be
submitted by such Member(s) to the Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation for its
prior approval. The Board will not be
required to prepare the
manual referred to in Article 67 where a general meeting is convened by
Member(s).
NOTICE OF
GENERAL MEETINGS
59.64. (1) An annual general meeting and any
extraordinary general meeting may be called by not less than ten (10) clear
days’ Notice but a general meeting may be
called by shorter notice, subject to the Law, if it is so
agreed:
|
(a)
|
in the case of a meeting called as
an annual general meeting, by all the Members entitled to attend and vote
thereat; and
|
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(b)
|
in the case of any other meeting, by a majority in
number of the Members having the right to attend and vote at the meeting,
being a majority together holding not less than ninety-five per cent.
(95%) in nominal value of the issued shares giving that
right.
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(2) TheWithout prejudice to Article 64(3),
the notice shall specify
the time and place of the meeting and, in case of special business, the general
nature of the business. The notice convening an annual general
meeting shall specify the meeting as such. Notice of every general meeting shall be given to all
Members other than to such Members as, under the provisions of these Articles or
the terms of issue of the shares they hold, are not entitled to receive such
notices from the Company, to all persons entitled to a share in consequence of the death or
bankruptcy or winding-up of a Member and to each of the Directors and
members of the AuditorsAudit Committee.
(3) The following matters may not be
considered, discussed or proposed for approval at a general meeting
unless they have been
included in the Notice of general meeting with reasonable amount of
explanations:
|
(a)
|
any election or removal of
Directors;
|
(b) any change to the name of the
Company;
(c) any amendment or modification to the
Memorandum or these Articles;
|
(d)
|
any dissolution, voluntary
winding-up, merger, consolidation, amagalmation or split-up of the
Company;
|
|
(e)
|
any proposal for the Company to
enter into, amend, or terminate any Lease Contract, Management Contract or
Joint Cperation Contract;
|
|
(f)
|
transfer in whole or any
substantial part of the Company’s business or assets;
|
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(g)
|
acquisition of the whole or any
substantial part of the business of a third-party, which materially
affects the operation of the
Company;
|
|
(h)
|
private placement of
equity-linked
securities of the Company;
|
|
(i)
|
to the extent permitted by
Applicable Law, to approve a Director to enter into a contract or an
arrangement which results in competition between the Director and the
Company; and
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(j)
|
upon recommendation of the
Board, payment of
dividends or distributions partly or wholly by way of issuance of new
shares of the Company.
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APPRAISAL RIGHT OF DISSENTING
MEMBERS
65.
Subject to compliance with
Applicable Law, a Member who has expressed his dissent, in writing or
verbally with a record,
before or during a general meeting, with respect to any resolution proposed at a
general matter in relation to the following matter(s), may abstain from
exercising his voting rights in respect of such resolution(s) and request the
Company to acquire or purchase his
share(s) at the then prevailing fair price:
|
(a)
|
splitting of a material part of
the business of the Company by way of disposal or otherwise, consolidation
or merger of the Company; or
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(b)
|
the Company proposes to enter
into, amend, or
terminate any Lease Contract, Management Contract or Joint Operation
Contract.
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66. (1) Subject to the above, the Member shall
give written notice to request the Company to acquire or purchase his shares no
later than twenty (20) days after the passing of a conditional or
unconditional resolution approving any of the above matter(s) at the relevant
general meeting, and shall state in such request the class and number of shares
that such Member requests the Company to
repurchase.
(2) If agreement on the price of the shares can
be reached between the Member and the Company, the Company shall repurchase and
pay for the shares within ninety (90) days from the date on which the
conditional or unconditional resolution was passed. If no
agreement is reached within sixty (60) days of
the date on which the resolution was passed, the Member may, within thirty (30)
days from the date on which the sixty-day (60) period expires, apply to a
competent court for a ruling on the price. Subject to the
ruling of the competent court, the Company
shall pay judgment interest
on the price as determined by the court from the date of expiration of the
period referred to above.
(3) The payment of repurchase price to the
Members shall be made at the same time against the delivery of the relevant share
certificate(s) and an
instrument(s) of transfer in
respect of the shares subject to such
instrument(s) of transfer for the repurchase being duly executed by such
Member to the Company, and
the date of transfer of such shares shall be the date on which
payment is made by the
Company to the Member and the register of members of the Company shall be
updated accordingly.
60.
The
accidental omission to give Notice of a meeting or (in cases where instruments
of proxy are sent
out with the Notice) to send such instrument of proxy to, or the non-receipt of
such Notice or such instrument of proxy by, any person entitled to receive such
Notice shall not invalidate any resolution passed or the proceedings at that
meeting.
(4) The request of a Member pursuant to
Article 65 shall become ineffective if the Company announces before completion
of the purchase under Article 66(3) that the Company will not proceed with the
matters that such Member dissented to under Article 65 or where the Company is prohibited under
Applicable Law to repurchase the relevant shares. Where a Member
fails to make a request within the period prescribed in Articles 66 (1) and (2)
above, such Member is deemed to have duly waived its rights under Article
65.
PROCEEDINGS
AT GENERAL MEETINGS
67.
The Board shall prepare a manual
setting out the agenda of a general meeting of Members (including all the
subjects and matters to be resolved at the meeting) and shall make public
announcement(s) in a manner permitted by Applicable Law to disclose
the contents of such manual together with other information related to the said
meeting at least fifteen (15) days prior to the date of the relevant
general meeting. Such manual shall be distributed to the Members attending the general meeting in person, by
proxy or by corporate representative(s)(where the Member is a corporation) at
the general meeting.
61.68. (1) All business shall be deemed special
that is transacted at an extraordinary general meeting, and also all business that is transacted at an
annual general meeting, with the exception of the
election of
Directors.
(2) No business other than the appointment
of a chairman of a meeting shall be transacted at any general meeting unless a
quorum is present at the
commencement of the business. AtSubject to these Articles (in
particular, Articles 87 and 88), at any general meeting of the Company, two
(2) Members entitled to vote and present in person or by proxy or (in the case
of a Member being a corporation) by its duly authorised representative
representing not
lessmore than one-third half (1/2) in nominal value of the total issued
voting shares in the Company throughout the meeting shall form a quorum for
all
purposes.the purpose of the
meeting.
62.69. If within thirty (30) minutes (or such
longer time not exceeding one hour as the chairman of the meeting may determine
to wait) after the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present, the
meeting shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same time and place or to such
time and place as the Board may determine. If at such adjourned
meeting a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for
holding the meeting, the meeting shall be dissolved.
63.70. The chairman of the Company shall preside as
chairman at every general meeting. If at any meeting the chairman is
not present within fifteen (15) minutes after the time appointed for holding the
meeting, or is not willing to act as chairman, the Directors present
shall choose one of their number to act,
or if one Director only is present he shall preside as chairman if willing to
act. If no Director is present, or if each of the Directors present
declines to take the chair, or if the chairman chosen shall retire from the chair, the Members present in
person or by proxy and entitled to vote shall elect one of their number to be
chairman.
64.71. The chairman may adjourn the meeting
from time to time and from place to place, but no business shall be transacted
at any adjourned meeting
other than the business which might lawfully have been transacted at the meeting
had the adjournment not taken place. When a meeting is adjourned for fourteen
(14) days or more, at least seven (7) clear days’ notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given specifying the time
and place of the adjourned meeting but it shall not be necessary to specify in
such notice the nature of the business to be transacted at the adjourned meeting
and the general nature of the business to be transacted. Save as aforesaid, it shall be
unnecessary to give notice of an adjournment.
65.72. If an amendment is proposed to any
resolution under consideration but is in good faith ruled out of order by the
chairman of the meeting, the proceedings on the substantive resolution shall not be invalidated
by any error in such ruling. In the case of a resolution duly
proposed as a special resolution, no amendment thereto (other than a mere
clerical amendment to correct a patent error) may in any event be considered
or voted upon.
VOTING
66.73. Subject to any special rights or
restrictions as to voting for the time being attached to any shares by or in
accordance with these Articles, at any general meeting on a show of hands every
Member present in person (or being a corporation, is present by a duly
authorised representative), or by proxy shall have one vote and on a poll every
Member present in person or by proxy or, in the case of a Member being a
corporation, by its duly authorised representative shall have one vote for every fully paid share of
which he is the holder but so that no amount paid up or credited as paid up on a
share in advance of calls or instalments is treated for the foregoing purposes
as paid up on the share and
fraction shares will not be entitled to any fractional voting
right. Notwithstanding anything
contained in these Articles, where more than one proxy is appointed by a Member
which is a clearing house (or its nominee(s)), each such proxy shall have one
vote on a show of hands.
A resolution put to the vote of a meeting shall
be decided on a show of hands unless (before or on the declaration of the result
of the show of hands or on the withdrawal of any other demand for a poll) a poll
is demanded:
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(a)
|
by the chairman of such meeting;
or
|
|
(b)
|
by at least three Members present
in person or in the case of a Member being a corporation by its duly
authorised representative or by proxy for the time being entitled to vote
at the meeting; or
|
|
(c)
|
by a Member or Members present in
person or in the case
of a Member being a corporation by its duly authorised representative or
by proxy and representing not less than one-tenth of the total voting
rights of all Members having the right to vote at the meeting;
or
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|
(d)
|
by a Member or Members present
in person or in the
case of a Member being a corporation by its duly authorised representative
or by proxy and holding shares in the Company conferring a right to vote
at the meeting being shares on which an aggregate sum has been paid up
equal to not less than one-tenth of the total sum
paid up on all shares conferring that
right.
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A demand by a person as proxy for a
Member or in the case of a Member being a corporation by its duly authorised
representative shall be deemed to be the same as a demand by a Member.
67.74. Unless a poll is duly demanded and the
demand is not withdrawn, a declaration by the chairman that a resolution has
been carried, or carried unanimously, or by a particular majority, or not
carried by a particular majority, or lost, and an entry to that effect made in the minute
book of the Company, shall be conclusive evidence of the facts without proof of
the number or proportion of the votes recorded for or against the
resolution.
68.75. If a poll is duly demanded the result of
the poll shall be deemed to
be the resolution of the meeting at which the poll was
demanded. There shall be no requirement for the chairman to disclose
the voting figures on a poll.
69.76. A poll demanded on the election of a
chairman, or on a question of adjournment, shall be taken
forthwith. A poll demanded on any other question shall be taken in
such manner (including the use of ballot or voting papers or tickets) and either
forthwith or at such time (being not later than thirty (30) days after the date
of the demand) and place as the chairman
directs. It shall not be necessary (unless the chairman otherwise
directs) for notice to be given of a poll not taken
immediately.
70.77. The demand for a poll shall not prevent
the continuance of a meeting or the transaction of any business other than
the question on which the poll has been demanded, and, with the consent of the
chairman, it may be withdrawn at any time before the close of the meeting or the
taking of the poll, whichever is the earlier.
71.78. On a poll votes may be given either
personally or by proxy.
72.79. A person entitled to more than one vote
on a poll need not use all his votes or cast all the votes he uses in the same
way.
73.80. All questions submitted to a meeting
shall be decided by a simple
majority of votesway of an
ordinary resolution, except
where a greater majority is required by these Articles or by the
Applicable Law. In the case of an equality of votes,
whether on a show of hands or on a poll, the chairman of such meeting
shall be entitled to a
second or casting vote in addition to any other vote he may
have.
81.
The following matters require
approval of the Members by way of a special resolution:
|
(a)
|
any proposal for the Company to
enter into, amend, or terminate any Lease Contract, Management Contract or
Joint Operation Contract;
|
|
(b)
|
any amendment or modification to
the Memorandum and/or these Articles;
|
|
(c)
|
upon recommendation of the Board,
payment of dividends or distributions partly or wholly by way of issuance
of new shares of the
Company;
|
|
(d)
|
any dissolution, voluntary
winding-up, merger, consolidation, amagalmation or a splitting of a
material part of the business of the Company by way of disposal or
otherwise of the Company; and
|
|
(e)
|
private placement of
equity-linked
securities of the Company.
|
82.
To the extent permitted by
Applicable Law and notwithstanding any provisions provided in these Articles,
the Board may resolve to allow Members not attending and voting at a general meeting in
person, by proxy or by
corporate representatives (where a Member is a corporation), to exercise their
voting power and cast their votes by a written instrument approved by the Board
or by way of electronic transmission (as provided under the ROC Electronic Signatures Act)
prior to commencement of
the general meeting, provided that the relevant method and procedures are
specified in the Notice of that meeting and complied with by such
Member(s). However, if a general meeting is convened outside the territory of the ROC, to the
extent permitted by
Applicable Law, the Company must allow the Members to exercise their voting
rights and cast their votes by way of a written instrument approved by the Board or by way
of electronic transmission in the manner referred to in the
foregoing. For
the avoidance of doubt, those Members voted in the manner mentioned in the
foregoing shall for purposes of these Articles and the Law be deemed to have
appointed the chairman of the general meeting as their proxy to vote their
shares at the general meeting in the manner directed by the
written instrument or electronic document. The chairman as proxy
shall not have the power to exercise the voting rights of such Members with
respect to any matters not referred to or indicated in the written or
electronic document and/or any amendment to
resolution(s) proposed at the general meeting. Where a Member has
exercised the voting power and casted its votes by written instrument or by way
of electronic transmission intends to attend the meeting physically
in person, such Member shall send a
separate written declaration of intention to rescind and revoke the votes casted
by way of written instrument or electronic transmission to the Company at least
one (1) business day prior to the date of the general meeting failing which, the Member shall be
deemed to have waived his right to attend and vote at the relevant general
meeting in person, the deemed appointment by the Member of the chairman as proxy
shall remain valid and the Company shall not count any votes cast by such Member physically at the
relevant general meeting.
74.83. Where there are joint holders of any
share any one of such joint holder may vote, either in person or by proxy, in
respect of such share as if he were solely entitled thereto, but if
more than one of such joint
holders be present at any meeting the vote of the senior who tenders a vote,
whether in person or by proxy, shall be accepted to the exclusion of the votes
of the
other joint holders, and for this
purpose seniority shall be determined by the order in which the names
stand in the Register in respect of the joint holding. Several
executors or administrators of a deceased Member in whose name any share stands
shall for the purposes of this Article be deemed joint holders
thereof.
75.84. (1) A Member who is a patient for any
purpose relating to mental health or in respect of whom an order has been made
by any court having jurisdiction for the protection or management of the affairs
of persons incapable of managing their own affairs may vote, whether on a show of hands or on
a poll, by his receiver, committee, curator bonis or other person in the nature
of a receiver, committee or curator bonis appointed by such court, and such
receiver, committee, curator bonis or other person may vote on a poll by proxy, and may otherwise
act and be treated as if he were the registered holder of such shares for the
purposes of general meetings, provided that such evidence as the Board may
require of the authority of the person claiming to vote shall have been deposited at the Office, head
office or Registration Office, as appropriate, not less than forty-eight (48)
hours before the time appointed for holding the meeting, or adjourned meeting or
poll, as the case may be.
(2) Any person entitled under Article 5357 to be registered as the holder of any
shares may vote at any general meeting in respect thereof in the same manner as
if he were the registered holder of such shares, provided that forty-eight (48)
hours at least before the time of
the holding of the meeting or adjourned meeting, as
the case may be, at which he proposes to vote, he shall satisfy the Board of his
entitlement to such shares, or the Board shall have previously admitted his
right to vote at such meeting in respect thereof.
76.85. No Member shall, unless the Board
otherwise determines, be entitled to attend and vote and to be reckoned in a
quorum at any general meeting unless he is duly registered and all calls or
other sums presently payable by him in respect of shares in the Company have been paid.
77.86. If:
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(a)
|
any objection shall be raised to
the qualification of any voter;
or
|
|
(b)
|
any votes have been counted which
ought not to have been counted or which might have been rejected;
or
|
|
(c)
|
any votes are not counted which
ought to have been
counted;
|
the objection or error shall not vitiate
the decision of the meeting or adjourned meeting on any resolution unless the
same is raised or pointed out at the meeting or, as the case may be, the
adjourned meeting at which the vote objected to is given or tendered or at
which the error occurs. or it is annualed by a court ruling
granted upon an application made by a Member under Article 99. Any objection or error shall
be referred to the chairman of the meeting and shall only vitiate the decision of the meeting on any
resolution if the chairman decides that the same may have affected the decision
of the meeting. TheIn the absence of any court ruling to
the contrary, the decision
of the chairman on such matters shall be final and conclusive.
87.
To the extent required by
Applicable Law, any Member who bears a personal interest that may conflict with
and impair the interests of the Company in respect of any matter proposed for
consideration and approval at a general meeting shall abstain from voting any of the shares that
such Member should otherwise be entitled to vote in person, as a proxy or
corporate representative with respect to the said matter, but all such shares
shall be counted in the quorum for the purpose of Article 68(2) notwithstanding that they do not carry
voting rights. To the extent that the Company has knowledge, any
votes cast by or on behalf of such member in contravention of the foregoing
shall not be counted by the Company.
88. Shares of the Company held by the
following persons shall not
carry any voting rights and shall not be counted in the total number of
outstanding shares of the Company which are entitled to vote when calculating
the quorum for the purpose of Article 68(2).
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(a)
|
any entity in which the
Company is legally or
beneficially interested in more than 50% of its issued and voting share
capital or equity capital;
or
|
|
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(b)
|
any entity in which the Company,
the holding company of the Company or any subsidiary of the holding
company of the Company or of the Company is legally or
beneficially interested in more than 50% of its issued and voting share
capital or equity capital.
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PROXIES
78.89. Any Member entitled to attend and vote
at a meeting of the Company shall be entitled to appoint another
person as his proxy to
attend and vote instead of him. A
Member who is the holder of two or more provided that a Member, irrespective of
how many shares
he holds, may only appoint more
than one proxy to represent
him and vote on his behalf at a general meeting of the Company or at a class
meeting. A proxy need not be a Member. In addition,
subject to Article 82,
a proxy or proxies
representing either a Member who is an individual or a Member which is a
corporation shall be entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of the Member which he or
they represent as such Member could exercise.
79.
The90. Unless otherwise provided in these
Articles, the instrument
appointing a proxy shall be in writing under the hand of the appointor
or of his attorney duly authorised
in writingMember making the
appointment or, if the
appointor is a corporation, either under its seal or under the hand of an
officer, attorney or other person authorised to sign the same. In the
case of an instrument of proxy purporting to be signed on behalf of a corporation by an
officer thereof it shall be assumed, unless the contrary appears, that such
officer was duly authorised to sign such instrument of proxy on behalf of the
corporation without further evidence of the facts.
80.
The91. Unless otherwise provided in these
Articles, the instrument
appointing a proxy and (if
required by the Board) the power of attorney or other authority (if any) under
which it is signed, or a certified copy of such power or authority, shall be delivered to such place or one of such places (if
any) as may be specified for that purpose in or by way of note to or in any
document accompanying the notice convening the meeting (or, if no place is so
specified, at the Registration Office or the
Office, as may be
appropriate) not less than
forty-eightfive (485) hoursdays before the time appointed for holding
the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the person named in the instrument
proposes to vote or, in
the case of a poll taken subsequently to the date of a meeting or
adjourned meeting, not less than twenty-four (24) hours before the time
appointed for the taking of the poll and in default the instrument of proxy
shall not be treated as valid. No instrument appointing a
proxy shall be valid after the expiration of twelve (12) months from the date
named in it as the date of its execution, except at an adjourned meeting or on a
poll demanded at a meeting or an adjourned meeting in cases where the meeting
was originally held within twelve (12) months from such date. DeliveryWhere multiple instruments of proxy are
received by the Company from the same Member, the first written duly executed
and valid instrument of proxy received by the Company shall prevail, unless an
explicit written statement revoking the previous instrument(s) appointing a proxy is
made in the subsequent duly executed and valid instrument of proxy received by
the Company. The Board of Directors shall have the final discretion to determine
which instrument of proxy shall be accepted where there is any dispute. Unless otherwise provided in these
Articles, delivery of an
instrument appointing a proxy shall not preclude a Member from attending and
voting in person at the meeting convened and in such event, the instrument
appointing a proxy shall be deemed to be revoked.
81.
Instruments92. Unless otherwise provided in these
Articles, instruments of
proxy shall be in any common
form or in such other form
as the Board may approve (provided that this shall not preclude the use of the
two-way form) and the Board
may, if
it thinks fit,shall send out either by post or electronic
transmission on the same delivery day with the notice of any meeting forms of
instrument of proxy for use at the meeting. TheSuch form shall specify therein the
instruction of appointment,
scope of authorisation, as well as the names of the appointor and the
proxy. Unless otherwise provided in these Articles, the instrument of proxy shall be deemed to
confer authority to demand or join in demanding a poll and to vote on any
amendment of a resolution
put to the meeting for which it is given as the proxy thinks fit. The
instrument of proxy shall, unless the contrary is stated therein, be valid as
well for any adjournment of the meeting as for the meeting to which it
relates.
82.
A93. Unless otherwise provided in these
Articles, a vote given in
accordance with the terms of an instrument of proxy shall be valid
notwithstanding the previous death or insanity of the principal, or revocation
of the instrument of proxy or of the authority under which it was executed, provided
that no intimation in writing of such death, insanity or revocation shall have
been received by the Company at the Office or the Registration Office (or such
other place as may be specified for the delivery of instruments of proxy in the notice convening
the meeting or other document sent therewith) two hours at least before the
commencement of the meeting or adjourned meeting, or the taking of the poll, at
which the instrument of proxy is used.
94.
A Member who is deemed to have appointed the chairman
of the meeting as proxy pursuant to Article 82 shall have the right to appoint
another person as its proxy to attend the meeting, in which case the express
appointment of another proxy shall deemed to have revoked the deemed appointment of the chairman as
proxy under Article 82 and the Company shall only count the vote(s) casted by
such expressly appointed proxy at the meeting.
95.
Except for an ROC trust enterprise
or stock agencies approved by the competent authority in the ROC, save with respect to the
chairman being deemed appointed as proxy
under Article 82, when a person acts as
the proxy for two or more Members, the total number of voting shares that the
proxy may vote shall not exceed three percent (3%) of the total number of voting shares of the
Company; otherwise, such number of voting shares in excess of the aforesaid
threshold shall not be counted towards the number of votes cast for or against
the relevant resolution or the number of voting shares entitled to vote on such resolution but shall
be included in the quorum. Upon such exclusion, the number of voting shares
being excluded and attributed to each Member represented by the same proxy shall
be determined on a pro-rata basis based on the total number of voting shares being excluded and the
number of voting shares that such Members have appointed the proxy to vote
for. Where a resolution is to be voted by way of a show of
hands but the Company has knowledge that a proxy may vote in contravention of
this Article, the chairman of the general
meeting shall demand a poll pursuant to Article
73.
96.
To the extent permissible under
Applicable Law and subject to compliance with these Articles (in particular,
Articles 82, 94 and 95) , when a proxy is used by a Member in a general
meeting, the relevant provisions under the “ROC Regulations Governing the Use of
Proxies for Attendance at Shareholder Meetings of Public Companies” shall also apply.
83.
Anything
which under these Articles a Member may do by proxy he
may likewise do by his duly appointed attorney and the provisions of these
Articles relating to proxies and instruments appointing proxies shall apply
mutatis mutandis in relation to any such attorney and the instrument under which
such attorney is
appointed.
CORPORATIONS
ACTING BY REPRESENTATIVES
84.97. (1) Any corporation which is a Member may by
resolution of its directors or other governing body authorise such person as it
thinks fit to act as its representative at any meeting of the Company or at any meeting of any class of
Members. The person so authorised shall be entitled to exercise the
same powers on behalf of such corporation as the corporation could exercise if
it were an individual Member and such corporation shall for the
purposes of these Articles be deemed to be
present in person at any such meeting if a person so authorised is present
thereat.
(2) If a clearing house (or its nominee(s)),
being a corporation, is a Member, it may authorise such persons as it thinks fit
to act as its
representatives at any meeting of the Company or at any meeting of any class of
Members provided that the authorisation shall specify the number and class of
shares in respect of which each such representative is so
authorised. Each person so authorised under the provisions of this Article
shall be deemed to have been duly authorised without further evidence of the
facts and be entitled to exercise the same rights and powers on behalf of the
clearing house (or its nominee(s)) as if such person was the registered holder of the shares of the
Company held by the clearing house (or its nominee(s)) including the right to
vote individually on a show of hands.
(3) Any reference in these Articles to a
duly authorised representative of a Member being a corporation shall mean a representative
authorised under the provisions of this Article.
NO ACTION BY
WRITTEN RESOLUTIONS OF MEMBERS
85.98. Any action required or permitted to be
taken at any annual or extraordinary general meetings of the Company may be
taken only upon the vote of
the Members at an annual or extraordinary general meeting duly noticed and
convened in accordance with these Articles and the Law and may not be taken by
written resolution of Members without a meeting.
ANNULMENT OF
RESOLUTIONS
99.
To the extent possible and
permitted by Applicable Law, where the procedures for convening a general
meeting or the proceedings of the general meeting contravene any applicable
laws, regulations, ordinance, Applicable Law or these Articles, any
Member may submit a petition within thirty (30)
days from the date of such general meeting to a competent court having proper
jurisdiction, including, the ROC Taipei District Court, if applicable, for
annulment of such resolution.
BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
86. (1) Unless
otherwise determined by the Company in general meeting, the100.(1)The number of Directors shall not be less
than two
(2) five
(5). The term of office for a Director shall not exceed three (3)
years, and such three-year term restriction shall apply to any Director elected in the 2009
Annual General Meeting and in any general meeting thereafter. There shall be no maximum
number of Directors unless otherwise determined from time to time by the Members
in general meeting. The Directors shall be elected or appointed in the first
place by the subscribers to the Memorandum of Association or by a majority of
them and thereafter in accordance with this Article
87 and Article 101 shall hold office until their
successors are elected or appointed.
(2) A spousal relationship and/or a Family
Relationship within the Second Degree of Kinship may not exist among more than
half (1/2) of the members of the Board (the “Threshold”). Where the appointment of any person
having a spousal relationship and/or a Family Relationship within the Second Degree of
Kinship with any existing member of the Board or with any other person(s) also
nominated for appointment as a director (the “Related Person”) is proposed at a general meeting, only
the following persons may be appointed as a Director:
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(i)
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firstly, such person(s) approved
by the Members by way of ordinary resolution under sub-paragraph (3) below
and who is not a Related Person;
and
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(ii)
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secondly, such number of Related
Person(s) approved by the Members by way of ordinary resolution under sub-paragraph
(3) below and who receive the highest number of votes from the Members for
its appointment among all the Related Persons the appointment of whom
would not result in a contravention of the Threshold. If the
existing composition of the Board fails to
satisfy the
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Threshold, such Director in office being a Related Person shall
immediately cease to be a Director of the Company.
(3) Subject to the Articles and the Law, the
Company may by ordinary resolution elect any person to be a Director either to fill a casual
vacancy or as an addition to the existing Board.
(3) The
Directors shall have the power from time to time and at any time to appoint any
person as a Director to fill a casual vacancy on the Board or as an addition
to the
existing Board. Any Director so appointed by the Board shall hold
office only until the next following annual general meeting of the Company and
shall then be eligible for re-election.
(4) When the number of Directors falls below
five (5) due to the
dismissal of a Director or any Director ceases to be a Director of the Company
for any reason, the Company shall hold an election to elect substitute
director(s) at the next following general meeting. When the number of Directors
falls short by one-third (1/3) of the minimum number
prescribed by these Articles, an extraordinary general meeting shall be convened
within sixty (60) days of the occurrence of that fact to hold a by-election of
directors.
(5) No Director shall be required to hold
any shares of the Company
by way of qualification and a Director who is not a Member shall be entitled to
receive notice of and to attend and speak at any general meeting of the Company
and of all classes of shares of the Company.
(56) Subject to any provision to
the contrary in these
Articles, a Director may be
removed by way of an ordinary resolution of the Members at any time before the
expiration of his period of office notwithstanding anything in these
Articles or in any agreement between the Company
and such Director (but
without prejudice to any claim for damages under any such
agreement).
(7) The number of Independent Directors
shall not be less than three (3), and at least one (1) of the Independent
Directors shall domicile in the ROC. The Independent Directors shall possess the requisite
expertise and shall remain independent when performing their
duties.
(6) A vacancy
on the Board created by the removal of a Director under the provisions of
subparagraph (5) above may be filled by the election or appointment by
ordinary resolution of the Members at the meeting at which such Director is
removed or by the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the remaining
Directors present and voting at a Board meeting.
(8) When the number of Independent Directors
falls below two (2) due to
the dismissal of an Independent Director or the Independent Director ceases to
be a Director for any reason, the Company shall hold an election for director at
the next following general meeting. When both of the Independent Directors
have been dismissed or cease to be
Directors, an extraordinary general meeting shall be convened within sixty (60)
days of the occurrence of that fact to hold a by-election for independent
directors.
(7) The
Company may from time to time in general meeting by
ordinary resolution increase or reduce the number of Directors but so that the
number of Directors shall never be less than two (2).
(9) The Independent Directors shall possess
the requisite professional knowledge and shall maintain independence within
the scope of their
directorial duties. The Independent Directors may not have any direct
or indirect interest in the Company. The professional qualification,
restrictions on shareholdings and concurrent positions held, and assessment of
independence shall be subject to the relevant rules of the
ROC Securities and Exchange Act.
RETIREMENT
OF DIRECTORS
87. (1) Notwithstanding
any other provisions in the
Articles, at101.(1)At each annual general meeting one-third
of the Directors for the time being (or, if their number is not a multiple of
three (3), the number nearest to but not greater than one-third) shall retire
from office by rotation provided
that notwithstanding anything herein, the chairman of the Board and/or the
managing director of the Company shall not,
whilst holding such office,. Every Director
shall be subject to
retirement by
rotation or be taken into account in determining the number of Directors to
retire in each year.at an
annual general meeting at least once every three years and in accordance with Article 100 (1), the term
of office for any Director elected in the 2009 Annual General Meeting and in any
general meeting thereafter shall not exceed three (3) years.
(2) A retiring Director shall be eligible
for re-election. The Directors to retire by rotation shall include (so
far as necessary to ascertain the number of directors to retire by rotation) any
Director who wishes to retire and not to offer himself for
re-election. Any further Directors so to retire shall be those of the
other Directors subject to retirement by
rotation who have been longest in office since their last re-election or
appointment and so that as between persons who became or were last re-elected
Directors on the same day those to retire shall (unless they otherwise agree among themselves) be determined
by lot. Any
Director appointed pursuant to Article 86(2) or Article 86(3) shall not be taken
into account in determining which particular Directors or the number of
Directors who are to retire by rotation.
88.
No102. Subject to Article 103, no person other than a Director retiring
at the meeting shall, unless recommended by the Directors for election, be
eligible for election as a Director at any general meeting unless a Notice
signed by a Member (other than the person to be proposed) duly qualified
to attend and vote at the meeting for which such notice is given of his
intention to propose such person for election and also a Notice signed by the
person to be proposed of his willingness to be elected shall have been lodged at the head office or at the
Registration Office provided
that the minimum length of the period, during which such Notice(s) are given,
shall be at least seven (7) days and that the period for lodgment of such
Notice(s) shall commence no earlier than the
day after the dispatch of the notice of the general meeting appointed for such
election and end no later than seven (7)not less than 7 days prior to the date of such general
meeting.
DISQUALIFICATION
OF DIRECTORS
103.
Any person who
falls within any of the
following categories shall not be appointed a Director of the Company by the
Members. If for any reason he became a Director, he shall cease to be
a Director of the Company forthwith upon the Company having actual notice that a
breach of this Article 103 has been made without
any action required on the part of the Company:
(1) any person having committed an offence
as specified in the ROC statute of prevention of organizational
crimes and subsequently adjudicated guilty by a final judgment, and the time elapsed after he has
served the full term of the sentence is less than five (5)
years;
(2) any person having committed an offence
involving fraud, breach of trust or misappropriation and subsequently punished
with imprisonment for a term of more than one year, and the time
elapsed after he has served the full term of such sentence is less than two (2)
years;
(3) any person having been adjudicated
guilty by a final judgment for misappropriating public funds during the time of
his public service, and the
time elapsed after he has served the full term of such sentence is less than two
(2) years;
(4) any person having been adjudicated
bankrupt, and has not been reinstated to his rights and
privileges;
(5) any person having been dishonored
for unlawful use of credit
instruments, and the term of such sanction has not expired yet;
or
(6) any person having no or only limited
capacity.
89.104. The office of a Director shall be
vacated if the Director:
(1) resigns his office by notice in
writing delivered to the
Company at the Office or tendered at a meeting of the Board;
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(2)
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becomes of unsound mind or
dies;
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(3) without special leave of absence from
the Board, is absent from meetings of the Board for six consecutive months and
the Board resolves that his
office be vacated; or
(4) becomes bankrupt, or has a receiving order made against
him or suspends payment or compounds with his creditors;
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(5)
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is prohibited by law from being a
Director; or
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(6) ceases to be a Director by virtue of any
provision of the
StatutesStatute or is removed from office pursuant to
these Articles; or
(7) if the existing composition of the Board
fails to satisfy the Threshold, such Director in office being a Related Person
as referred to Article 100(2)(ii).
EXECUTIVE
DIRECTORS
90.105. The Board may from time to time appoint
any one or more of its body to be a managing director, joint managing director
or deputy managing director or to hold any other employment or executive office
with the Company for such period (subject to their continuance as
Directors) and upon such terms as the Board may determine and the Board may
revoke or terminate any of such appointments. Any such revocation or
termination as aforesaid shall be without prejudice to any claim for
damages that such Director may have against
the Company or the Company may have against such Director. A Director
appointed to an office under this Article shall be subject to the same
provisions as to removal as the other Directors of the Company, and he
shall (subject to the provisions of any
contract between him and the Company) ipso facto and immediately cease to hold
such office if he shall cease to hold the office of Director for any
cause.
91.106. Notwithstanding Articles 96, 97,
98 and 99,111 to
113, an executive director appointed to an
office under Article 90105 hereof shall receive such remuneration
(whether by way of salary, commission, participation in profits or otherwise or
by all or any of those modes) and such other benefits (including
pension and/or gratuity
and/or other benefits on retirement) and allowances as the Board may from time
to time determine, and either in addition to or in lieu of his remuneration as a
Director.
ALTERNATE
DIRECTORS
92.107. Any Director may at any time by
Notice delivered to the
Office or head office or at a meeting of the Directors appoint any person
(including another Director) to be his alternate Director. Any person
so appointed shall have all the rights and powers of the Director or Directors
for whom such person is appointed in the
alternative provided that such person shall not be counted more than once in
determining whether or not a quorum is present. An alternate Director
may be removed at any time by the body which appointed him and, subject
thereto, the office of alternate Director
shall continue until the happening of any event which, if we were a Director,
would cause him to vacate such office or if his appointer ceases for any reason
to be a Director. Any appointment or removal of an alternate Director shall be effected by Notice
signed by the appointor and delivered to the Office or head office or tendered
at a meeting of the Board. An alternate Director may also be a
Director in his own right and may act as alternate to more than one
Director. An alternate Director
shall, if his appointor so requests, be entitled to receive notices of meetings
of the Board or of committees of the Board to the same extent as, but in lieu
of, the Director appointing him and shall be entitled to such extent
to attend and vote as a Director at any
such meeting at which the Director appointing him is not personally present and
generally at such meeting to exercise and discharge all the functions, powers
and duties of his appointor as a Director and for the purposes of the proceedings at such meeting the
provisions of these
Articles shall apply as if he were a Director save that as an alternate for more
than one Director his voting rights shall be cumulative.
93.108. An alternate Director shall only be a
Director for the purposes
of the Law and shall only be subject to the provisions of the Law insofar as
they relate to the duties and obligations of a Director when performing the
functions of the Director for whom he is
appointed in the alternative and shall
alone be responsible to the Company for his
acts and defaults and shall not be deemed to be the agent of or for the Director
appointing him. An alternate Director shall be entitled to contract
and be interested in and benefit from contracts or arrangements or transactions and to be repaid expenses
and to be indemnified by the Company to the same extent mutatis mutandis as if
he were a Director but he shall not be entitled to receive from the Company any
fee in his capacity as an alternate Director except only such part, if any, of the remuneration
otherwise payable to his appointor as such appointor may by Notice to the
Company from time to time direct.
94.109. Every person acting as an alternate
Director shall have one vote for each Director for whom he acts as alternate (in addition to his own vote
if he is also a Director). If his appointor is for the time being
absent from the Republic
of ChinaROC or otherwise not available or unable to
act, the signature of an alternate Director to any resolution in
writing of the Board or a
committee of the Board of which his appointor is a member shall, unless the
notice of his appointment provides to the contrary, be as effective as the
signature of his appointor.
95.110. An alternate Director shall ipso facto
cease to be an alternate
Director if his appointor ceases for any reason to be a Director, however, such
alternate Director or any other person may be re-appointed by the Directors to
serve as an alternate Director PROVIDED always that, if at any meeting any
Director retires but is re-elected at the
same meeting, any appointment of such alternate Director pursuant to these
Articles which was in force immediately before his retirement shall remain in
force as though he had not retired.
DIRECTORS’ FEES AND
EXPENSES
96.111. The ordinary remuneration of the
Directors shall from time to time be determined by the Board.97., taking into consideration of the
market standards as well as the standards of other companies listed on the
Designated Stock Exchange(s). Each Director shall be entitled to be repaid
or prepaid all travelling, hotel and incidental expenses reasonably incurred or
expected to be incurred by him in attending meetings of the Board or committees
of the Board or general meetings or separate meetings of any class of shares or of debentures of
the Company or otherwise in connection with the discharge of his duties as a
Director.
98.112. Any Director who, by request, goes or
resides abroad for any purpose of the Company or who performs services which
in the opinion of the Board
go beyond the ordinary duties of a Director may be paid such extra remuneration
(whether by way of salary, commission, participation in profits or otherwise) as
the Board, taking into
consideration of the market standards as well as the standards of other companies
listed on the Designated Stock Exchange(s), may determine and such extra
remuneration shall be in
addition to or in substitution for any ordinary remuneration provided for by or
pursuant to any other Article.
99.113. The Board is authorized to make any
payment to any Director or past Director of the Company by way of compensation
for loss of office, or as consideration for or in connection with his retirement
from office.
DIRECTORS’
INTERESTS
100.114. A Director may:
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(a)
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hold any other office or place of
profit with the Company (except that of Auditorthe Audit Committee, except in the
case of an Independent Director) in conjunction with his office
of Director for such period and upon such terms as the Board may
determine. Any
remuneration (whether by way of salary, commission, participation in
profits or otherwise) paid to any Director in respect of any such other
office or place of profit shall be in addition to any remuneration
provided for by or pursuant to any other
Article;
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(b)
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act by himself or his firm in a
professional capacity for the Company (otherwise than as Auditorthe Audit Committee, except in the
case of an Independent Director) and he or his firm may be
remunerated for professional services as if he were not a
Director;
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(c)
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continue to be or become a
director, managing director, joint managing director, deputy managing
director, executive director, manager or other officer or member of any
other company promoted by the Company or in which the Company may be interested as a
vendor, shareholder or otherwise and (unless otherwise agreed) no such
Director shall be accountable for any remuneration, profits or other
benefits received by him as a director, managing director, joint managing
director, deputy managing director, executive
director, manager or other officer or member of or from his interests in
any such other company. Subject as otherwise provided by these
Articles the Directors may exercise or cause to be exercised the voting
powers conferred by the shares in any other
company held or owned by the Company, or exercisable by them as Directors
of such other company in such manner in all respects as they think fit
(including the exercise thereof in favour of any resolution appointing
themselves or any of them directors, managing
directors, joint managing directors, deputy managing directors, executive
directors, managers or other officers of such company) or voting or
providing for the payment of remuneration to the director, managing
director, joint managing director, deputy
managing director, executive director, manager or other officers of such
other company and any Director may vote in favour of the exercise of such
voting rights in manner aforesaid notwithstanding that he may be, or about
to be, appointed a director, managing
director, joint managing director, deputy managing director, executive
director, manager or other officer of such a company, and that as such he
is or may become interested in the exercise of such voting rights in
manner aforesaid.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, no
“Independent
Director” as defined in
NASD Rules or in Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act or in the ROC Company Law, and with respect of whom the Board has
determined constitutes an “Independent Director” for purposes of compliance with applicable law
or the Company’s listing requirements, shall without
the consent of the Audit Committee take any of the foregoing actions or any
other action that
would reasonably be likely to affect
such Director’s status as an “Independent Director” of the Company.
101.115. Subject to the Law and to these
Articles, no Director or proposed or intending Director shall be disqualified by
his office from contracting with the Company, either with regard to his tenure
of any office or place of
profit or as vendor, purchaser or in any other manner whatever, nor shall any
such contract or any other contract or arrangement in which any Director is in
any way interested be liable to be avoided, nor shall any Director so
contracting or being so interested be liable to account to
the Company or the Members for any remuneration, profit or other benefits
realised by any such contract or arrangement by reason of such Director holding
that office or of the fiduciary relationship thereby established provided that such Director shall
disclose the nature of his interest in any contract or arrangement in which he
is interested in accordance with Article 102116 herein. Any such transaction
that would reasonably be likely to affect a Director’s status as an “Independent Director”, or that would constitute a
“related party
transaction” as defined by
Item 7.N of Form 20F promulgated by the SEC, shall require the approval of the
Audit Committee.
102.116. A Director who to his knowledge is in
any way, whether directly
or indirectly, interested in a contract or arrangement or proposed contract or
arrangement with the Company shall disclose his interest to the Audit
Committee in accordance with Article 172(d) and declare the nature of his interest at
the meeting of the Board at
which the question of entering into the contract or arrangement is first
considered, if he knows his interest then exists, or in any other case at the
first meeting of the Board after he knows that he is or has become so
interested. For the purposes of this Article, a general Notice to the
Board and the Audit
Committee by a Director to
the effect that:
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(a)
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he is a member or officer of a
specified company or firm and is to be regarded as interested in any
contract or arrangement which may after the date of the Notice
be made with that company or firm;
or
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(b)
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he is to be regarded as interested
in any contract or arrangement which may after the date of the Notice be
made with a specified person who is connected with
him;
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shall be deemed to be a sufficient declaration of
interest under this
Article in relation to any
such contract or arrangement, provided that no such Notice shall be effective
unless either it is given at a meeting of the Board or the Director takes
reasonable steps to secure
that it is brought up and read at the next Board meeting after it is
given.
103.117. Following
a declaration being made pursuant to the last preceding two Articles, subject to
any separate requirement for Audit Committee approval under applicable
law or the
listing rules of the Company’s
Designated Stock Exchange, and unless disqualified by the chairman of the
relevant Board meeting,At a
Board meeting or in connection with a written board resolution under Article
137, a Director
may not vote in respect of any contract or proposed contract
or arrangement in which such Director is
interested and maybears a
personal interest which may conflict with and impair the interest of the Company
but the Director shall be
counted in the quorum at
suchfor
convening the
board
meeting.
GENERAL
POWERS OF THE DIRECTORS
104.118. (1) The business of the Company shall be
managed and conducted by the Board, which may pay all expenses incurred in
forming and registering the Company and may exercise all powers of the
Company (whether relating
to the management of the business of the Company or otherwise) which are not by
the Statutes or by these
Articles required to be
exercised by the Company in general meeting, subject nevertheless to the
provisions of the Statutes and of these Articles and to such regulations being not
inconsistent with such provisions, as may be prescribed by the Company in
general meeting, but no regulations made by the Company in general meeting shall
invalidate any prior act of the Board which would have been valid if such regulations
had not been made. The general powers given by this Article shall not
be limited or restricted by any special authority or power given to the Board by
any other Article.
(2) Any person contracting or dealing with
the Company in the ordinary
course of business shall be entitled to rely on any written or oral contract or
agreement or deed, document or instrument entered into or executed as the case
may be by any two of the Directors acting jointly on behalf of the
Company and the same shall be deemed to be
validly entered into or executed by the Company as the case may be and shall,
subject to any rule of law, be binding on the Company.
(3) Without prejudice to the general powers
conferred by these
Articles it is
hereby expressly declared
that the Board shall have the following powers:
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(a)
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To give to any person the right or
option of requiring at a future date that an allotment shall be made to
him of any share at par or at such premium as may be
agreed.
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(b)
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To give to any Directors, officers or
employees of the Company an interest in any particular business or
transaction or participation in the profits thereof or in the general
profits of the Company either in addition to or in substitution for a
salary or other remuneration.
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(c)
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To resolve that the Company be
deregistered in the Cayman Islands and continued in a named jurisdiction
outside the Cayman Islands subject to the provisions of the
Law.
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105.119. The Board may establish any regional or
local boards or agencies
for managing any of the affairs of the Company in any place, and may appoint any
persons to be members of such local boards, or any managers or agents, and may
fix their remuneration (either by way of salary or by commission or by
conferring the right to participation in the profits of the
Company or by a combination of two or more of these modes) and pay the working
expenses of any staff employed by them upon the business of the
Company. The Board may delegate to any regional or local board,
manager or agent any of the powers, authorities
and discretions vested in or exercisable by the Board (other than its powers to
make calls and forfeit shares), with power to sub-delegate, and may authorise
the members of any of them to fill any vacancies therein and to act notwithstanding
vacancies. Any such appointment
or delegation may be made upon such
terms and subject to such conditions as the Board may think fit, and the Board
may remove any person appointed as aforesaid, and may revoke or vary such
delegation, but no person dealing in good faith
and without notice of any such revocation or variation shall be affected
thereby.
106.120. The Board may by power of attorney
appoint any company, firm or person or any fluctuating body of persons, whether
nominated directly or
indirectly by the Board, to be the attorney or attorneys of the Company for such
purposes and with such powers, authorities and discretions (not exceeding those
vested in or exercisable by the Board under these Articles) and for such period and subject to such conditions as it may
think fit, and any such power of attorney may contain such provisions for the
protection and convenience of persons dealing with any such attorney as the
Board may think fit, and may also authorise any such attorney to sub-delegate all or any of the powers,
authorities and discretions vested in him. Such attorney or attorneys may, if so
authorised under the Seal of the Company, execute any deed or instrument under
their personal seal with the same effect as the affixation of the Company’s Seal.
107.121. The Board may entrust to and confer upon
a managing director, joint managing director, deputy managing director, an
executive director or any Director any of the powers exercisable by it upon such
terms and conditions and
with such restrictions as it thinks fit, and either collaterally with, or to the
exclusion of, its own powers, and may from time to time revoke or vary all or
any of such powers but no person dealing in good faith and without notice of
such revocation or variation shall be affected
thereby.
108.122. All cheques, promissory notes, drafts,
bills of exchange and other instruments, whether negotiable or transferable or
not, and all receipts for moneys paid to the Company shall be signed, drawn,
accepted, endorsed or
otherwise executed, as the case may be, in such manner as the Board shall from
time to time by resolution determine. The Company’s banking accounts shall be kept with
such banker or bankers as the Board shall from time to time
determine.
109.123. (1) The Board may establish or concur or
join with other companies (being subsidiary companies of the Company or
companies with which it is associated in business) in establishing and making
contributions out of the Company’s moneys to any schemes or funds for providing pensions, sickness
or compassionate allowances, life assurance or other benefits for employees
(which expression as used in this and the following paragraph shall include any
Director or ex-Director who may hold or have held any executive office or any office of profit under
the Company or any of its subsidiary companies) and ex-employees of the Company
and their dependants or any class or classes of such person.
(2) The Board may pay, enter into agreements
to pay or make grants of revocable or irrevocable pensions or other
benefits to employees and ex-employees and their dependants, or to any of such
persons, including pensions or benefits additional to those, if any, to which
such employees or ex-employees or their dependants are or may become entitled under any such scheme
or fund as mentioned in the last preceding paragraph. Any such
pension or benefit may, as the Board considers desirable, be granted to an
employee either before and in anticipation of or upon or at any time after
his actual retirement, and may be subject
or not subject to any terms or conditions as the Board may
determine.
124.
At the close of each fiscal year, the
Board shall prepare the business report, financial statements and the surplus
earning distribution or
loss offsetting proposals for adoption by the general meeting, and upon adoption
by the general meeting, distribute to each Member copies of adopted financial
statements and the resolutions on the surplus earning distribution and/or loss
offsetting in accordance with these Articles and
Applicable Law.
BORROWING
POWERS
110.125. The Board may exercise all the powers of
the Company to raise or borrow money and to mortgage or charge all or any part
of the undertaking, property and assets (present and future) and uncalled capital of the Company
and, subject to the Law, to issue debentures, bonds and other securities,
whether outright or as collateral security for any debt, liability or obligation
of the Company or of any third party.
111.126. Debentures, bonds and other securities may be made
assignable free from any equities between the Company and the person to whom the
same may be issued.
112.127. Any debentures, bonds or other
securities may be issued at a discount (other than shares), premium or
otherwise and with any
special privileges as to redemption, surrender, drawings, allotment of shares,
attending and voting at general meetings of the Company, appointment of
Directors and otherwise.
113.128. (1) Where any uncalled capital of the
Company is charged, all
persons taking any subsequent charge thereon shall take the same subject to such
prior charge, and shall not be entitled, by notice to the Members or otherwise,
to obtain priority over such prior charge.
(2) The Board shall cause a proper
register to be kept, in
accordance with the provisions of the Law, of all charges specifically affecting
the property of the Company and of any series of debentures issued by the
Company and shall duly comply with the requirements of the Law in regard to
the registration of charges and debentures
therein specified and otherwise.
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE DIRECTORS
114.129. The Board may meet for the despatch of
business, adjourn and otherwise regulate its meetings as it considers
appropriate. Questions arising at any meeting shall be determined by a
majority of votes. In the case of any equality of votes the chairman
of the meeting shall have an additional or casting vote.
115.130. A meeting of the Board may be convened
by the Secretary on request of a Director or by any Director. The
Secretary shall convene a meeting of the Board of which notice may be given in
writing or by telephone or in such other manner as the Board may from time to
time determine whenever he shall be required so to do by the president or chairman, as the case may be, or
any Director.
116.131. (1) The quorum necessary for the transaction
of the business of the Board may be fixed by the Board and, unless so fixed at
any other number, shall be a majority of the Board. An alternate
Director shall be counted
in a quorum in the case of the absence of a Director for whom he is the
alternate provided that he shall not be counted more than once for the purpose
of determining whether or not a quorum is present.
(2) Directors may participate in any meeting of the Board by means of
a conference telephone or other communications equipment through which all
persons participating in the meeting can communicate with each other
simultaneously and instantaneously and, for the purpose of counting a
quorum, such participation shall
constitute presence at a meeting as if those participating were present in
person.
(3) Any Director who ceases to be a Director
at a Board meeting may continue to be present and to act as a Director and be
counted in the quorum until
the termination of such Board meeting if no other Director objects and if
otherwise a quorum of Directors would not be present.
117.
The132. Subject to Article 100(4),
the continuing Directors or
a sole continuing Director may act notwithstanding any vacancy in the Board
but, if
and so long asor the number of Directors is
reduced below the minimum
number fixed by or in accordance with these Articles, the
continuing Directors or Director, notwithstanding that the number of Directors
is below the number
fixed by or in accordance with these Articles as the quorum or that there is
only one continuing Director, may act for the purpose of filling vacancies in
the Board or of summoning general meetings of the Company but not for any other
purpose.
118.133. The Chairman of the Board shall be the
chairman of all meetings of the Board. If the Chairman of the Board
is not present at any meeting within five (5) minutes after the time appointed
for holding the same, the Directors present may choose one of their number to be chairman of the
meeting.
119.134. A meeting of the Board at which a quorum
is present shall be competent to exercise all the powers, authorities and
discretions for the time being vested in or exercisable by the
Board.
120.135. (1) The Board may delegate any of its
powers, authorities and discretions to committees (including, without
limitation, an audit committee), consisting of such Director or Directors and
other persons as it thinks fit, and they may, from time to time, revoke
such delegation or revoke the appointment
of and discharge any such committees either wholly or in part, and either as to
persons or purposes. Any committee so formed shall, in the exercise
of the powers, authorities and discretions so delegated, conform to any regulations which may be imposed
on it by the Board.
(2) All acts done by any such committee in
conformity with such regulations, and in fulfilment of the purposes for which it
was appointed, but not otherwise, shall have like force and effect as
if done by the Board, and
the Board (or if the Board delegates such power, the committee) shall have power
to remunerate the members of any such committee, and charge such remuneration to
the current expenses of the Company.
121.136.
The meetings and proceedings of any committee consisting of
two or more members shall be governed by the provisions contained in
these Articles for regulating the meetings and
proceedings of the Board so far as the same are applicable and are not
superseded by any regulations imposed by the Board under the last
preceding Article,
indicating, without limitation, any committee charter adopted by the Board for
purposes or in respect of any such committee.
122.137. A resolution in writing signed by all
the Directors except those
Director(s) prohibited from
voting under Article 117 and such as are temporarily unable to act
through ill-health or disability shall (provided that such number is sufficient
to constitute a quorum for
a Board meeting and further
provided that a copy of such resolution has been given or the
contents thereof communicated to all the Directors for the time being entitled
to receive notices of Board meetings in the same manner as notices of meetings
are required to be given by these Articles) be as valid and effectual as if a resolution had been
passed at a meeting of the Board duly convened and held. Such
resolution may be contained in one document or in several documents in like form
each signed by one or more of the Directors and for this purpose a
facsimile signature of a Director shall be treated
as valid.
123.138. All acts bona fide done by the Board or
by any committee or by any person acting as a Director or members of
a committee, shall, notwithstanding that it is afterwards discovered that there
was some defect in the
appointment of any member of the Board or such committee or person acting as
aforesaid or that they or any of them were disqualified or had vacated office,
be as valid as if every such person had been duly appointed and was qualified
and had continued to be a Director or
member of such committee.
MANAGERS
124.
139. The Board may from time to time appoint
a general manager, a manager or managers of the Company and may fix his or their
remuneration either by way of salary or commission or by conferring the right to
participation in the profits of the Company or by a combination of two or more
of these modes and pay the working expenses of any of the staff of the general
manager, manager or managers who may be employed by him or them upon the business of the
Company.
125.
140. The appointment of such general manager,
manager or managers may be for such period as the Board may decide, and the
Board may confer upon him or them all or any of the powers of the Board as they
may think fit.
126.
141. The Board may enter into such agreement
or agreements with any such general manager, manager or managers upon such terms
and conditions in all respects as the Board may in their absolute discretion
think fit, including a power for such general manager, manager or managers to
appoint an assistant manager or managers or other employees whatsoever under
them for the purpose of carrying on the business of the
Company.
OFFICERS
127.142. (1) The officers of the Company shall
consist of the Chairman of
the Board, the Directors and Secretary and such additional officers (who may or
may not be Directors) as the Board may from time to time determine, all of whom
shall be deemed to be officers for the purposes of the Law and these Articles.
(2) The Directors shall, as soon as may be
after each appointment or election of Directors, elect amongst the Directors a
chairman and if more than one Director is proposed for this office, the election
to such office shall take place in such manner as the Directors may
determine.
(3) The officers shall receive such
remuneration as the Directors may from time to time
determine.
128.143. (1) The Secretary and additional officers,
if any, shall be appointed by the Board and shall hold office on such terms
and for such period as the
Board may determine. If thought fit, two or more persons may be
appointed as joint Secretaries. The Board may also appoint from time
to time on such terms as it thinks fit one or more assistant or deputy
Secretaries.
(2) The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the
Members and shall keep correct minutes of such meetings and enter the same in
the proper books provided for the purpose. He shall perform such
other duties as are prescribed by the Law or these Articles or as may be prescribed by the
Board.
129.144.
The officers of the Company shall
have such powers and perform such duties in the management, business and affairs
of the Company as may be delegated to them by the Directors from time to
time.
130.145. A provision of the Law or of these Articles requiring or authorising a thing to be
done by or to a Director and the Secretary shall not be satisfied by its being
done by or to the same person acting both as Director and as or in place of the
Secretary.
REGISTER OF
DIRECTORS
AND OFFICERS
131.146. The Company shall cause to be kept in
one or more books at its Office a Register of Directors and Officers in which
there shall be entered the full names and addresses of the Directors and
Officers and such other particulars as required by the Law or as the
Directors may determine. The Company shall send to the Registrar of Companies in
the Cayman Islands a copy of such register, and shall from time to time notify
to the said Registrar of any change that takes place in relation to such Directors and Officers as
required by the Law.
MINUTES
132.147. (1) The Board shall cause minutes to be duly
entered in books provided for the purpose:
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(a)
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of all elections and appointments
of officers;
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(b)
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of the names of the Directors
present at each
meeting of the Directors and of any committee of the
Directors;
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(c)
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of all resolutions and proceedings
of each general meeting of the Members, meetings of the Board and meetings
of committees of the Board and where there are managers, of all proceedings of meetings of the
managers.
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(2)
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Minutes shall be kept by the
Secretary at the Office.
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148.
The Board shall keep copies of the
Memorandum and these Articles, the minutes referred to in Article 147 above, the
financial statements, the register of members of the Company and the
register of bonds issued by the Company (if any) at the Company’s agent for stock affairs located within
the ROC. Subject to Article 48 and such other reasonable charges as may be
determined by the Board, any Member may request at any time, by submitting
evidentiary document(s) showing his interest involved and indicating the scope
of interested matters, gains access to inspect and make copies of the above
documents.
SEAL
133.149. (1) The Company shall have one or more Seals, as the Board may
determine. For the purpose of sealing documents creating or
evidencing securities issued by the Company, the Company may have a securities
seal which is a facsimile of the Seal of the Company with the addition of the
word “Securities” on its face or in such other form as
the Board may approve. The Board shall provide for the custody of
each Seal and no Seal shall be used without the authority of the Board or of a
committee of the Board authorised by the Board in that behalf. Subject as otherwise
provided in these Articles,
any instrument to which a Seal is affixed shall be signed autographically by one
Director and the Secretary or by two Directors or by such other person
(including a Director) or persons as the Board may appoint, either generally or in any
particular case, save that as regards any certificates for shares or debentures
or other securities of the Company the Board may by resolution determine that
such signatures or either of them shall be dispensed with or affixed by some method or system of
mechanical signature. Every instrument executed in manner provided by
this Article shall be deemed to be sealed and executed with the authority of the
Board previously given.
(2) Where the Company has a Seal for use
abroad, the Board may by
writing under the Seal appoint any agent or committee abroad to be the duly
authorised agent of the Company for the purpose of affixing and using such Seal
and the Board may impose restrictions on the use thereof as may be thought
fit. Wherever in these
Articles reference is made to the Seal, the reference shall, when and
so far as may be applicable, be deemed to include any such other Seal as
aforesaid.
AUTHENTICATION
OF DOCUMENTS
134.150. Any Director or the Secretary or any
person appointed by the
Board for the purpose may authenticate any documents affecting the constitution
of the Company and any resolution passed by the Company or the Board or any
committee, and any books, records, documents and accounts relating to the
business of the Company, and to certify
copies thereof or extracts therefrom as true copies or extracts, and if any
books, records, documents or accounts are elsewhere than at the Office or the
head office the local manager or other officer of the Company having the custody thereof shall be deemed
to be a person so appointed by the Board. A document purporting to be
a copy of a resolution, or an extract from the minutes of a meeting, of the
Company or of the Board or any committee which is so certified shall be conclusive evidence in favour of all
persons dealing with the Company upon the faith thereof that such resolution has
been duly passed or, as the case may be, that such minutes or extract is a true
and accurate record of proceedings at a duly constituted meeting.
DESTRUCTION
OF DOCUMENTS
135.151. (1) The Company shall be entitled to destroy
the following documents at the following times:
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(a)
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any share certificate which has
been cancelled at any time after the expiry of one (1) year from the date
of such
cancellation;
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(b)
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any dividend mandate or any
variation or cancellation thereof or any notification of change of name or
address at any time after the expiry of two (2) years from the
date such mandate variation cancellation or notification was
recorded by the
Company;
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(c)
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any instrument of transfer of
shares which has been registered at any time after the expiry of seven (7)
years from the date of
registration;
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(d)
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any allotment letters after the
expiry of seven (7) years from the date of issue thereof;
and
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(e)
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copies of powers of attorney,
grants of probate and letters of administration at any time after the
expiry of seven (7) years after the account to which the relevant power of
attorney, grant of probate or letters of administration related
has been
closed;
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and it shall conclusively be presumed in
favour of the Company that every entry in the Register purporting to be made on
the basis of any such documents so destroyed was duly and properly made and
every share certificate so destroyed was a valid certificate duly and properly
cancelled and that every instrument of transfer so destroyed was a valid and
effective instrument duly and properly registered and that every other document
destroyed hereunder was a valid and effective document in accordance with the recorded particulars
thereof in the books or records of the Company. Provided always that:
(1) the foregoing provisions of this Article shall apply only to the destruction of
a document in good faith and without express notice to the Company that the preservation of such
document was relevant to a claim; (2) nothing contained in this Article shall be construed as imposing
upon the Company any
liability in respect of the destruction
of any such document earlier than as aforesaid or in any case where the conditions of proviso (1)
above are not fulfilled; and (3) references in this Article to the destruction
of any document include references to its disposal in any
manner.
(2) Notwithstanding any provision contained
in these Articles, the Directors may, if permitted by applicable
law, authorise the destruction of documents set out in sub-paragraphs (a) to (e)
of paragraph (1) of this Article and any other documents in relation to share
registration which have been microfilmed or electronically stored by the Company or by the share
registrar on its behalf provided always that this Article shall apply only to
the destruction of a document in good faith and without express notice to the
Company and its share registrar that the preservation of such document was relevant to a
claim.
DIVIDENDS
AND OTHER PAYMENTS
136.152.
Subject to the Law, the
BoardCompany in general meeting may from time
to time declare dividends
in any currency to be paid to the Members but no dividend shall be declared in
excess of the amount
recommended by the Board.
137.153.
Dividends may be declared and paid
out of the profits of the Company, realised or unrealised, or from any reserve
set aside from profits which the Directors determine is no longer
needed. The Board
may also
declare and pay dividendsSubject to compliance with these
Articles (in particular, Article 81), with the sanction of an ordinary
resolution dividends may also be declared and paid out of share premium account or any
other fund or account which can be authorised for this purpose in
accordance with the Law.
138.154.
Except in so far as the rights
attaching to, or the terms of issue of, any share otherwise
provide:
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(a)
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all dividends shall be declared
and paid according to the amounts paid up on the shares in respect of which the
dividend is paid, but no amount paid up on a share in advance of calls
shall be treated for the purposes of this Article as paid up on the share;
and
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(b)
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all dividends shall be apportioned
and paid pro rata according to the amounts paid up on the shares
during any portion or portions of the period in respect of which the
dividend is paid.
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139.
The Board
may from time to time155. The Company may in general meeting
declare and pay to the
Members
such interim dividends
as recommended by and appear to the Board to be justified by
the profits of the Company and in particular (but without prejudice to the
generality of the foregoing) if at any time the share capital of the Company is
divided into different classes, upon recommendation by the Board, the Company may in general meeting pay such interim dividends in respect
of those shares in the capital of the Company which confer on the holders
thereof deferred or non-preferential rights as well as in respect of those
shares which confer on the
holders thereof preferential rights with regard to dividend and provided that
the Board acts bona fide the Board shall not incur any responsibility to the
holders of shares conferring any preference for any damage that they may suffer
by
reason of the payment of an interim
dividend on any shares having deferred or non-preferential rights and may also
pay any fixed dividend which is payable on any shares of the Company half-yearly
or on any other dates, whenever such profits, in the opinion of the Board and subject to approval by the Members
in general meeting,
justifies such payment.
140.156. The Board may deduct from any dividend
or other moneys payable to a Member by the Company on or in respect of any
shares all sums of money (if any) presently payable by him to the Company
on account of calls or otherwise.
141.157. No dividend or other moneys payable by
the Company on or in respect of any share shall bear interest against the
Company.
142.158. Any dividend, interest or other sum
payable in cash to the
holder of shares may be paid by cheque or warrant sent through the post
addressed to the holder at his registered address or, in the case of joint
holders, addressed to the holder whose name stands first in the Register in
respect of the shares at his address as appearing in
the Register or addressed to such person and at such address as the holder or
joint holders may in writing direct. Every such cheque or warrant
shall, unless the holder or joint holders otherwise direct, be made
payable to the order of the holder or, in
the case of joint holders, to the order of the holder whose name stands first on
the Register in respect of such shares, and shall be sent at his or their risk
and payment of the cheque or warrant by the bank on which it is drawn shall constitute a good
discharge to the Company notwithstanding that it may subsequently appear that
the same has been stolen or that any endorsement thereon has been
forged. Any one of two or more joint holders may give effectual
receipts for any dividends or other moneys payable
or property distributable in respect of the shares held by such joint
holders.
143.159. All dividends or bonuses unclaimed for
one (1) year after having been declared may be invested or otherwise made use of
by the Board for the
benefit of the Company until claimed. Any dividend or bonuses
unclaimed after a period of six (6) years from the date of declaration shall be
forfeited and shall revert to the Company. The payment by the Board
of any unclaimed dividend or other sums payable on or in respect of
a share into a separate account shall not constitute the Company a trustee in
respect thereof.
144.160. Whenever the
Board or the Company in general meeting has
resolved that a dividend be paid or declared, subject to Article 81, the Board may further resolve that such
dividend be satisfied wholly or in part by the distribution of specific assets
of any kind and in particular of paid up shares, debentures or warrants to
subscribe securities of the Company or any other company, or in any one or more of
such ways, and where any difficulty arises in regard to the distribution the
Board may settle the same as it thinks expedient, and in particular may issue
certificates in respect of fractions of shares, disregard fractional entitlements or round the same up
or down, and may fix the value for distribution of such specific assets, or any
part thereof, and may determine that cash payments shall be made to any Members
upon the footing of the value so fixed in order to adjust the rights of all parties, and may
vest any such specific assets in trustees as may seem expedient to the Board and
may appoint any person to sign any requisite instruments of transfer and other
documents on behalf of the persons entitled to the dividend, and such appointment shall be
effective and binding on the Members. The Board may resolve that no
such assets shall be made available to Members with registered addresses in any
particular territory or territories where, in the absence of a
registration
statement or other special formalities,
such distribution of assets would or might, in the opinion of the Board, be
unlawful or impracticable and in such event the only entitlement of the Members
aforesaid shall be to receive cash payments as aforesaid. Members affected as a result of the
foregoing sentence shall not be or be deemed to be a separate class of Members
for any purpose whatsoever.
145.161. (1) Whenever the Board or
the Company in general
meeting has resolved that a dividend be paid or declared on any class of the share capital
of the Company, subject to
Article 81, the Board may
further resolve either:
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(a)
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that such dividend be satisfied
wholly or in part in the form of an allotment of shares credited as fully
paid up, provided that the Members entitled thereto will be
entitled to elect to receive such dividend (or part thereof if the Board
so determines) in cash in lieu of such allotment. In such case,
the following provisions shall
apply:
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(i)
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the basis of any such allotment
shall be determined
by the Board;
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(ii)
|
the Board, after determining the
basis of allotment, shall give not less than ten (10) days’ Notice to the holders of the
relevant shares of the right of election accorded to them and shall send
with such notice forms of election and specify the procedure to be
followed and the place at which and the latest date and time by which duly
completed forms of election must be lodged in order to be
effective;
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(iii)
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the right of election may be
exercised in respect of the whole or part of that portion of the dividend in
respect of which the right of election has been accorded;
and
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(iv)
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the dividend (or that part of the
dividend to be satisfied by the allotment of shares as aforesaid) shall
not be payable in cash on shares in respect whereof the cash election has not
been duly exercised (“the non-elected shares”) and in satisfaction thereof
shares of the relevant class shall be allotted credited as fully paid up
to the holders of the non-elected shares on the basis of allotment
determined as aforesaid and for such purpose
the Board shall capitalise and apply out of any part of the undivided
profits of the Company (including profits carried and standing to the
credit of any reserves or other special account, share premium account,
capital redemption reserve other than the
Subscription Rights Reserve) as the Board may determine, such sum as may
be required to pay up in full the appropriate number of shares of the
relevant class for allotment and distribution to and amongst the holders
of the non-elected shares on such basis;
or
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(b)
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that the Members entitled to such
dividend shall be entitled to elect to receive an allotment of shares
credited as fully paid up in lieu of the whole or such part of the
dividend as the Board may think fit. In such case, the following provisions
shall apply:
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(i)
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the basis of any such allotment
shall be determined by the
Board;
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(ii)
|
the Board, after determining the
basis of allotment, shall give not less than ten (10) days’ Notice to the holders of the
relevant shares of
the right of election accorded to them and shall send with such notice
forms of election and specify the procedure to be followed and the place
at which and the latest date and time by which duly completed forms of
election must be lodged in order to be
effective;
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(iii)
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the right of election may be
exercised in respect of the whole or part of that portion of the dividend
in respect of which the right of election has been accorded;
and
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(iv)
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the dividend (or that part of the
dividend in respect of which a right of election has been
accorded) shall not be payable in cash on shares in respect whereof the
share election has been duly exercised (“the elected shares”) and in lieu thereof shares of
the relevant class shall be allotted credited as fully paid up to the holders of the elected
shares on the basis of allotment determined as aforesaid and for such
purpose the Board shall capitalise and apply out of any part of the
undivided profits of the Company (including profits carried and standing
to the credit of any reserves or other special
account, share premium account, capital redemption reserve other than the
Subscription Rights Reserve) as the Board may determine, such sum as may
be required to pay up in full the appropriate number of shares of the
relevant class for allotment and
distribution to and amongst the holders of the elected shares on such
basis.
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(2)
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(a)
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The shares allotted pursuant to
the provisions of paragraph (1) of this Article shall rank pari passu in
all respects with shares of the same class (if any) then in issue save
only as regards participation in the relevant dividend or in any other
distributions, bonuses or rights paid, made, declared or announced prior
to or contemporaneously with the payment or declaration of the relevant
dividend unless, contemporaneously with
the announcement by the Board of their proposal to apply the provisions of
sub-paragraph (a) or (b) of paragraph (2) of this Article in relation to
the relevant dividend or contemporaneously with their announcement of
the distribution, bonus or rights in
question, the Board shall specify that the shares to be allotted pursuant
to the provisions of paragraph (1) of this Article shall rank for participation in
such distribution, bonus or
rights.
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(b)
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The Board may do all
acts and
things considered necessary or expedient to give effect to any
capitalisation pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) of this
Article, with full power to the Board to make such provisions as it thinks
fit in the case of shares becoming distributable in fractions (including
provisions whereby, in whole or in part, fractional
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entitlements
are aggregated and sold and the net proceeds distributed to those entitled, or
are disregarded or rounded up or down or whereby the benefit of fractional
entitlements accrues to the Company rather than
to the Members concerned). The Board may authorise any person to
enter into on behalf of all Members interested, an agreement with the Company
providing for such capitalisation and matters incidental thereto and
any agreement made pursuant to such
authority shall be effective and binding on all concerned.
(3) The Company may upon the recommendation
of the Board by ordinaryspecial resolution resolve in respect of any
one particular dividend of the Company that notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1)
of this Article a dividend may be satisfied wholly in the form of an allotment
of shares credited as fully paid up without offering any right to shareholders
to elect to receive such dividend in cash in lieu of such allotment.
(4) The Board may on any occasion determine
that rights of election and the allotment of shares under paragraph (1) of this
Article shall not be made
available or made to any shareholders with registered addresses in any territory
where, in the absence of a
registration statement or other special formalities, the circulation of an offer
of such rights of election or the allotment of shares would or might, in the
opinion of the Board, be unlawful or impracticable, and in such event the
provisions aforesaid shall be read and construed
subject to such determination. Members affected as a result of the
foregoing sentence shall not be or be deemed to be a separate class of Members
for any purpose whatsoever.
(5) Any resolution declaring a
dividend on shares of any
class, whether a
resolution of the Company in general meeting or a resolution of the Board,
may specify that the same
shall be payable or distributable to the persons registered as the holders of
such shares at the close of business on a particular date, notwithstanding that it
may be a date prior to that on which the resolution is passed, and thereupon the
dividend shall be payable or distributable to them in accordance with their
respective holdings so registered, but without prejudice to the rights inter se in respect of such
dividend of transferors and transferees of any such shares. The
provisions of this Article shall mutatis mutandis apply to bonuses,
capitalisation issues, distributions of realised capital profits or offers or
grants made by the Company to the
Members.
RESERVES
146.162. (1) The Board shall establish an account to
be called the share premium account and shall carry to the credit of such
account from time to time a sum equal to the amount or value of the premium
paid on the issue of any
share in the Company. Unless otherwise provided by the provisions of
these Articles, the Board may apply the share premium account in any manner
permitted by the Law. The Company shall at all times comply with the
provisions of the Law in relation to the share premium
account.
(2) Before recommending any dividend, the
Board may set aside out of the profits of the Company such sums as it determines
as reserves which shall, at the discretion of the Board, be applicable for any
purpose to which the
profits of the Company may be properly applied and pending such application may,
also at such discretion, either be employed in the
business of the Company or be invested
in such investments as the Board may from time to time think fit and so that it shall not be necessary to
keep any investments constituting the reserve or reserves separate or distinct
from any other investments of the Company. The Board may also without
placing the same to reserve carry forward any profits which it may think prudent not to
distribute.
CAPITALISATION
147.163. (1) The Company may, upon the recommendation
of the Board, at any time and from time to time pass an ordinary resolution to
the effect that it is desirable to capitalise all or any part of any
amount for the time being
standing to the credit of any reserve or fund (including a share premium account
and capital redemption reserve and the profit and loss account) whether or not
the same is available for distribution and accordingly that such amount
be set free for distribution among the
Members or any class of Members who would be entitled thereto if it were
distributed by way of dividend and in the same proportions, on the footing that
the same is not paid in cash but is applied either in or towards paying up the amounts for the time being
unpaid on any shares in the Company held by such Members respectively or in
paying up in full unissued shares, debentures or other obligations of the
Company, to be allotted and distributed credited as fully paid up among such Members, or partly in one way
and partly in the other, and the Board shall give effect to such resolution
provided that, for the purposes of this Article, a share premium account and any
capital redemption reserve or fund representing unrealised profits, may be applied only in paying
up in full unissued shares of the Company to be allotted to such Members
credited as fully paid.
(2) Notwithstanding any provisions in these
Articles, the Board may resolve to capitalise any sum for the time
being standing to the
credit of any of the reserve accounts or to the credit of the retained earnings
or profit and loss account or funds legally available by applying such sum in
paying up unissued shares to be allotted to service providers and employees
(including directors) of the Company or its
affiliate (meaning any individual, corporation, partnership, association,
joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated association or other entity (other
than the Company) that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is
controlled by or is under common control with, the Company) upon exercise of any
options or awards granted under any share incentive scheme or employee benefit
scheme or other arrangement which relates to such persons that has been adopted or approved by the
Members at a general meeting.
148.164. The Board may settle, as it considers
appropriate, any difficulty arising in regard to any distribution under the last
preceding Article and in particular may issue certificates in respect of fractions of shares or
authorise any person to sell and transfer any fractions or may resolve that the
distribution should be as nearly as may be practicable in the correct proportion
but not exactly so or may ignore fractions altogether, and may determine that cash payments shall be
made to any Members in order to adjust the rights of all parties, as may seem
expedient to the Board. The Board may appoint any person to sign on
behalf of the persons entitled to participate in the distribution any contract necessary or desirable for
giving effect thereto and such appointment shall be effective and binding upon
the Members.
SUBSCRIPTION
RIGHTS RESERVE
149.165. The following provisions shall have
effect to the extent that they are not prohibited by and are in compliance with the
Law:
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(1)
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If, so long as any of the rights
attached to any warrants issued by the Company to subscribe for shares of
the Company shall remain exercisable, the Company does any act or engages
in any transaction which, as a result of any adjustments to the
subscription price in accordance with the provisions of the conditions of
the warrants, would reduce the subscription price to below the par value
of a share, then the following provisions shall
apply:
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(a)
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as from the date of such act or transaction the
Company shall establish and thereafter (subject as provided in this
Article) maintain in accordance with the provisions of this Article a
reserve (the “Subscription Rights
Reserve”) the amount
of which shall at no time be less than the sum which for the
time being would be required to be capitalised and applied in paying up in
full the nominal
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amount of the additional shares required
to be issued and allotted credited as fully paid pursuant to sub-paragraph (c)
below on the exercise in
full of all the subscription rights outstanding and shall apply the Subscription
Rights Reserve in paying up such additional shares in full as and when the same
are allotted;
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(b)
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the Subscription Rights Reserve
shall not be used for any purpose other than that specified above
unless all other reserves of the Company (other than share premium
account) have been extinguished and will then only be used to make good
losses of the Company if and so far as is required by
law;
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(c)
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upon the exercise of all or any of the subscription
rights represented by any warrant, the relevant subscription rights shall
be exercisable in respect of a nominal amount of shares equal to the
amount in cash which the holder of such warrant is required to pay on
exercise of the subscription rights
represented thereby (or, as the case may be the relevant portion thereof
in the event of a partial exercise of the subscription rights) and, in
addition, there shall be allotted in respect of such subscription rights
to the exercising warrantholder, credited as
fully paid, such additional nominal amount of shares as is equal to the
difference between:
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(i)
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the said amount in cash which the
holder of such warrant is required to pay on exercise of the subscription
rights represented thereby (or, as the case may be,
the relevant portion thereof in the event of a partial exercise of the
subscription rights); and
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(ii)
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the nominal amount of shares in
respect of which such subscription rights would have been exercisable
having regard to the
provisions of the conditions of the warrants, had it been possible for
such subscription rights to represent the right to subscribe for shares at
less than par and immediately upon such exercise so much of the sum
standing to the credit of the Subscription Rights Reserve as is required
to pay up in full such additional nominal amount of shares shall be
capitalised and applied in paying up in full
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such
additional nominal amount of shares which shall forthwith be allotted credited
as fully paid to the exercising warrantholders; and
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(d)
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if, upon the exercise of the
subscription rights represented by any warrant, the amount standing to the
credit of the Subscription Rights Reserve is not sufficient to pay up in
full such additional nominal amount of shares equal to such difference as
aforesaid to which the exercising warrantholder is entitled, the Board
shall apply any profits or reserves then or thereafter becoming available
(including, to the extent permitted by law, share premium account) for
such purpose until such additional nominal
amount of shares is paid up and allotted as aforesaid and until then no
dividend or other distribution shall be paid or made on the fully paid
shares of the Company then in issue. Pending such payment and
allotment, the exercising warrantholder shall be
issued by the Company with a certificate evidencing his right to the
allotment of such additional nominal amount of shares. The
rights represented by any such certificate shall be in registered form and
shall be transferable in whole or in part in units of
one share in the like manner as the shares for the time being are
transferable, and the Company shall make such arrangements in relation to
the maintenance of a register therefor and other matters in relation
thereto as the Board may think fit and adequate
particulars thereof shall be made known to each relevant exercising
warrantholder upon the issue of such
certificate.
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(2) Shares allotted pursuant to the
provisions of this Article shall rank pari passu in all respects with the other shares allotted on the
relevant exercise of the subscription rights represented by the warrant
concerned. Notwithstanding anything contained in paragraph (1) of
this Article, no fraction
of any share shall be allotted on exercise of the subscription rights.
(3) The provision of this Article as to the
establishment and maintenance of the Subscription Rights Reserve shall not be
altered or added to in any way which would vary or abrogate, or which would have
the effect of varying or abrogating the provisions for the benefit of any
warrantholder or class of warrantholders under this Article without the sanction
of a special resolution of such warrantholders or class of
warrantholders.
(4) A certificate or report by the
auditorsAudit Committee for the time being of the Company as to
whether or not the Subscription Rights Reserve is required to be established and
maintained and if so the amount thereof so required to be established and
maintained, as to the purposes for which the Subscription Rights Reserve has been used, as to the
extent to which it has been used to make good losses of the Company, as to the
additional nominal amount of shares required to be allotted to exercising
warrantholders credited as fully paid, and as to any other matter concerning the Subscription Rights Reserve
shall (in the absence of manifest error) be conclusive and binding upon the
Company and all warrantholders and shareholders.
ACCOUNTING
RECORDS
150.166. The Board shall cause true accounts to
be kept of the sums of
money received and expended by the Company, and the matters in respect of which
such receipt and expenditure take place, and of the property, assets, credits
and liabilities of the Company and of all other matters required by the Law or
necessary to give a true and fair view of the
Company’s affairs and to explain its
transactions.
151.167. The accounting records shall be kept at
the Office or, at such other place or places as the Board decides and shall
always be open to inspection by the Directors. No Member (other than a
Director) shall have any right of inspecting any accounting record or book or
document of the Company except as conferred by law or authorised by the Board or
the Company in general meeting or these Articles.
152.168. Subject to Article
153,Articles 169 and
170, a printed copy of the
Directors’ report, accompanied by the balance
sheet and profit and loss
account, including every document required by law to be annexed thereto, made up
to the end of the applicable financial year and containing a summary of the assets and
liabilities of the Company under convenient heads and a statement of income and
expenditure, together with a copy of the Auditors’Audit Committee’s report, shall be sent to each person
entitled thereto and be
kept at the
Company’s agent for stock affairs located within
the ROC for inspection by the Members from time to time at least ten (10) days before the date of the general
meeting, and laid before the Company at the
annual general meeting held in accordance with Article 5660 provided that this Article shall not
require a copy of those documents to be sent to any person whose address the
Company is not aware or to
more than one of the joint holders of any shares or
debentures.
153.169. Subject to due compliance with all applicable
Statutes, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the rules of the
Designated Stock ExchangeApplicable Law, and to obtaining all necessary
consents, if any, required thereunder, the requirements of Article 152168 shall be deemed satisfied in relation to any
person by sending to the person in any manner not prohibited by the Statutes, a
summary financial statement derived from the Company’s annual accounts and the
directors’ report which shall be in the form and
containing the information required by applicable
laws and regulations, provided that any person who is otherwise entitled to the
annual financial statements of the Company and the directors’ report thereon may, if he so requires
by notice in writing served on the Company, demand that the Company sends to
him, in addition to a summary financial statement, a complete printed copy of
the Company’s annual financial statement and the
directors’ report thereon.
154.170. The requirement to send to a person
referred to in Article
152168 the documents referred to in that
article or a summary financial report in accordance with Article 153169 shall be deemed satisfied where, in
accordance with all applicable Statutes, rules and regulations, including,
without limitation, the rules of the Designated Stock Exchange, the Company
publishes copies of the documents referred to in Article 152168 and, if applicable, a summary financial
report complying with Article 153,169, on the Company’s computer network or in any other
permitted manner (including
by sending any form of
electronic communication), and
that person has agreed or is deemed to have agreed to treat the publication or
receipt of such documents in such manner as discharging the Company’s
obligation to send to him a copy of such
documents.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
171.
The Company shall set up an Audit
Committee. The Audit Committee shall comprise solely of Independent
Directors and the number of committee members shall not be less than three
(3). One of the Audit Committee members shall be appointed as the convener to
convene meetings of the Audit Committee from time to time and at least one of
the Audit Committee members shall have accounting or financial
expertise. A valid resolution of the Audit Committee requires
approval of one-half or more of all its members.
172.
Notwithstanding anything provided to the
contrary contained herein, the following matters require approval of the Audit
Committee and final approval of the Board:
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(a)
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adoption of or amendment to an
internal control
system;
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(b)
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assessment of the effectiveness of
the internal control system;
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(c)
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adoption of or amendment to the
handling procedures for financial or operational actions of material
significance, such as acquisition or disposal of assets,
derivatives trading,
extension of monetary loans to others, or endorsements or guarantees for
others;
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(d)
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any matter relating to the
personal interest of the Directors;
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(e)
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the entering into of a transaction
that has material effect on the assets of the Company or a material derivatives
transaction that is subject to compliance with the “Procedures Governing the
Acquisition and Disposal of Assets” adopted by the Board on July 25,
2007;
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(f)
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a material monetary loan,
endorsement, or provision of guarantee that is subject to compliance with the
Company’s “Procedures Governing Loaning of
Funds” and the
Company’s “Procedures Governing Making of
Endorsements/ Guarantees” adopted by the Board on April 27,
2004;
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(g)
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the offering, issuance, or private
placement of any equity-linked
securities;
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(h)
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the hiring or dismissal of an
attesting certified public accountant as the auditor of the Company, or
the compensation given
thereto;
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(i)
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the appointment or discharge of a
financial, accounting, or internal auditing
officer;
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155.
Subject
to applicable law and rules of the Designated Stock
Exchange:
(j)
approval of annual and semi-annual
financial reports; and
(1) The
Board, on the advice of the Audit Committee, shall appoint an auditor to audit
the accounts of the Company and such
auditor shall hold office until the Audit Committee appoints another
auditor. No Director or officer or employee of the Company shall,
during his continuance in office, be eligible to act as an auditor of the
Company.
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(k)
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any other material matter
so required by
Applicable Law or the competent
authority.
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(2) The
Board, on the advice of the Audit Committee, may remove the Auditor at any time
before the expiration of his term of office and appoint another Auditor in his
stead for the remainder of his term.
With the exception of item (j), any
other matter that has not been approved with the consent of one-half or more of
all Audit Committee members may be undertaken upon the consent of two-thirds or
more of the members of the Board , and the resolution of the Audit Committee shall be
recorded in the minutes of the Directors meeting.
156.173. Subject to the Law the accounts of the
Company shall be audited at least once in every year.
157.
The
remuneration of the Auditor shall be fixed by the Board, on the
advice of the Audit Committee.
158.
If the
office of auditor becomes vacant by the resignation or death of the Auditor, or
by his becoming incapable of acting by reason of illness or other disability at
a time when his services are required, the Board, on
the advice of the Audit Committee, shall fill the vacancy and determine the
remuneration of such Auditor.
159.174. The AuditorAudit Committee shall at all reasonable times have
access to all books kept by the Company and to all accounts and vouchers relating thereto; and he may call
on the Directors or officers of the Company for any information in their
possession relating to the books or affairs of the Company.
160.175. The statement of income and expenditure
and the balance sheet provided for by these Articles shall be examined by the AuditorAudit Committee and compared by him
with the books, accounts
and vouchers relating thereto; and hethe Audit Committee shall make a written report thereon
stating whether such statement and balance sheet are drawn up so as to present fairly the
financial position of the Company and the results of its operations for the
period under review and, in case information shall have been called for from
Directors or officers of the Company, whether the same has been furnished and has been
satisfactory. The Audit Committee may appoint, on behalf
of the Company, a practicing lawyer and a certified public accountant to conduct
the examination. The
financial statements of the
Company shall be audited by an auditor appointed by the AuditorBoard in accordance with generally accepted
auditing standards. The Auditorauditor shall make a written report thereon in
accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and the report of the
Auditorauditor shall be submitted to the Members in general
meeting. The generally accepted auditing standards referred to herein
may be those of a country or jurisdiction other than the Cayman
Islands. If so, the financial statements and the report of the
Auditorauditor should disclose this fact and name such country or
jurisdiction.
NOTICES
161.176. Any Notice or document, whether or not,
to be given or issued under these Articles from the Company to a Member shall be
in writing or by cable, telex or facsimile transmission message or other form of electronic transmission or
communication and any such Notice and document may be served or delivered by the
Company on or to any Member either personally or by sending it through the post
in a prepaid envelope addressed to such Member at his registered address as appearing in the
Register or at any other address supplied by him to the Company for the purpose
or, as the case may be, by transmitting it to any such address or transmitting
it to any telex or facsimile transmission number or electronic number or address or website
supplied by him to the Company for the giving of Notice to him or which the
person transmitting the notice reasonably and bona fide believes at the relevant
time will result in the Notice being duly received by the Member or may also be served by advertisement in
appropriate newspapers in accordance with the requirements of the Designated
Stock Exchange (if
any) or, to the extent
permitted by the applicable laws, by placing it on the Company’s website and giving to the
member a notice stating
that the notice or other document is available there (a “notice of availability”). The notice of availability
may be given to the Member by any of the means set out above. In the
case of joint holders of a share all notices shall be given to that one of the joint holders
whose name stands first in the Register and notice so given shall be deemed a
sufficient service on or delivery to all the joint holders.
162.177. Any Notice or other
document:
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(a)
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if served or delivered by post,
shall where
appropriate be sent by airmail and shall be deemed to have been served or
delivered on the day following that on which the envelope containing the
same, properly prepaid and addressed, is put into the post; in proving
such service or delivery it shall be sufficient to prove that
the envelope or wrapper containing the notice or document was properly
addressed and put into the post and a certificate in writing signed by the
Secretary or other officer of the Company or other person appointed by the
Board that the envelope or wrapper
containing the notice or other document was so addressed and put into the
post shall be conclusive evidence
thereof;
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(b)
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if sent by electronic
communication, shall be deemed to be given on the day on which it is
transmitted from the
server of the Company or its agent. A notice placed on the
Company’s website is deemed given by the
Company to a Member on the day following that on which a notice of
availability is deemed served on the
Member;
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(c)
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if served or delivered in
any other manner
contemplated by these Articles, shall be deemed to have been
served or delivered at the time of personal service or delivery or, as the
case may be, at the time of the relevant despatch or transmission; and in
proving such service or delivery a certificate in writing
signed by the Secretary or other officer of the Company or other person
appointed by the Board as to the act and time of such service, delivery,
despatch or transmission shall be conclusive evidence thereof;
and
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(d)
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may be given to a Member either in the
English language or the Chinese language, subject to due compliance with
all applicable Statutes, rules and
regulations.
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This Article 177 shall apply
mutatis mutandis to the
service of any document by a Member on the Company under these Articles.
163.178. (1) Any Notice or other document delivered
or sent by post to or left at the registered address of any Member in pursuance
of these Articles shall, notwithstanding that such Member is then dead or
bankrupt or that any other
event has occurred, and whether or not the Company has notice of the death or
bankruptcy or other event, be deemed to have been duly served or delivered in
respect of any share registered in the name of such Member as sole or joint
holder unless his name shall, at the time of the service or
delivery of the notice or document, have been removed from the Register as the
holder of the share, and such service or delivery shall for all purposes be
deemed a sufficient service or delivery of such Notice or document on all persons interested (whether
jointly with or as claiming through or under him) in the
share.
(2) A notice may be given by the Company to
the person entitled to a share in consequence of the death, mental disorder or
bankruptcy of a Member by sending it through the post in a prepaid
letter, envelope or wrapper addressed to him by name, or by the title of
representative of the deceased, or trustee of the bankrupt, or by any like
description, at the address, if any, supplied for the purpose by the
person claiming to be so entitled, or
(until such an address has been so supplied) by giving the notice in any manner
in which the same might have been given if the death, mental disorder or
bankruptcy had not occurred.
(3) Any person who by operation of
law, transfer or other
means whatsoever shall become entitled to any share shall be bound by every
notice in respect of such share which prior to his name and address being
entered on the Register shall have been duly given to the person from whom he
derives his title to such
share.
SIGNATURES
164.179. For the purposes of these Articles, a
cable or telex or facsimile or electronic transmission message purporting to
come from a holder of shares or, as the case may be, a Director, or, in the case
of a corporation which is a
holder of shares from a director or the secretary thereof or a duly appointed
attorney or duly authorised representative thereof for it and on its behalf,
shall in the absence of express evidence to the contrary available to the
person relying thereon at the relevant time be
deemed to be a document or instrument in writing signed by such holder or
Director in the terms in which it is received.
WINDING
UP
165.180. (1) TheSubject to Article 81, the Board shall have power in the name
and on behalf of the
Company to present a petition to the court for the Company to be wound
up.
(2) A resolution that the Company
or its business
be wound up by the court or
be wound up voluntarily shall be a special resolution.
166.181. (1) Subject to any special rights, privileges or
restrictions as to the distribution of available surplus assets on liquidation
for the time being attached to any class or classes of shares (i) if the Company
shall be wound up and the assets available for distribution amongst the Members of the Company shall be
more than sufficient to repay the whole of the capital paid up at the
commencement of the winding up, the excess shall be distributed pari passu
amongst such members in proportion to the amount paid up on the shares
held by them respectively and (ii) if the
Company shall be wound up and the assets available for distribution amongst the
Members as such shall be insufficient to repay the whole of the paid-up capital
such assets shall be distributed so that, a nearly as may be, the losses shall be borne by the
Members in proportion to the capital paid up, or which ought to have been paid
up, at the commencement of the winding up on the shares held by them
respectively.
(2) If the Company shall be wound up
(whether the liquidation is
voluntary or by the court) the liquidator may, with the authority of a special
resolution and any other sanction required by the Law, divide among the Members
in specie or kind the whole or any part of the assets of the Company and whether
or not the assets shall consist of
properties of one kind or shall consist of properties to be divided as aforesaid
of different kinds, and may for such purpose set such value as he deems fair
upon any one or more class or classes of property and may determine how such division shall be carried out
as between the Members or different classes of Members. The
liquidator may, with the like authority, vest any part of the assets in trustees
upon such trusts for the benefit of the Members as the liquidator with
the like authority shall think fit, and the
liquidation of the Company may be closed and the Company dissolved, but so that
no contributory shall be compelled to accept any shares or other property in
respect of which there is a liability.
(3) In the event of winding-up of the business of the Company in the People’s Republic of China, every Member of the
Company who is not for the time being in the People’s Republic of China shall be bound, within 14 days after the
passing of an
effectivea special resolution to wind up the business of the Company voluntarily, or the making of an
order for the winding-up of the Company or its business, to serve notice in writing on the
Company appointing some person resident in the People’s Republic of China and stating that
person’s full name, address and occupation upon
whom all summonses, notices, process, orders and judgements in relation to or
under the winding-up of the Company or its business may be served, and in default of such
nomination the liquidator of the Company shall be at liberty on behalf of such
Member to appoint some such person, and service upon any such appointee, whether
appointed by the Member or the liquidator, shall be deemed to be good personal
service on such Member for all purposes, and, where the liquidator makes any such appointment, he
shall with all convenient speed give notice thereof to such Member by
advertisement as he shall deem appropriate or by a registered letter sent
through the post and addressed to such Member at his address as
appearing in the register, and such notice
shall be deemed to be service on the day following that on which the
advertisement first appears or the letter is posted.
INDEMNITY
167.182. (1) The Directors, Secretary and other officers
for the time being of the
Company and the liquidator or trustees (if any)
for the time being acting in relation to any of the
affairs of the Company and everyone of
them, and everyone of their heirs, executors and administrators, shall be indemnified and secured
harmless out of the assets
and profits of the Company from and against all actions, costs,
charges, losses, damages and expenses which they or any of them, their or any of
their heirs, executors or administrators, shall or may incur or sustain by or by
reason of any act done,
concurred in or omitted in or about the execution of their duty, or supposed
duty, in their respective offices or trusts; and none of them shall be answerable for
the acts, receipts, neglects or defaults of the other or others of them or for
joining in any receipts for
the sake of conformity, or for any bankers or other persons with whom any moneys
or effects belonging to the Company shall or may be lodged or deposited for safe
custody, or for insufficiency or deficiency of any security upon which any
moneys of or belonging to the Company shall
be placed out on or invested, or for any other loss, misfortune or damage which
may happen in the execution of their respective offices or trusts, or in
relation thereto; PROVIDED THAT this indemnity shall not extend to any matter in respect of any
fraud or dishonesty which may attach to any of said
persons.
(2) Each Member agrees to waive any claim or
right of action he might have, whether individually or by or in the right of the
Company, against any Director on account of any action taken by such
Director, or the failure of such Director to take any action in the performance
of his duties with or for the Company; PROVIDED THAT such waiver shall not
extend to any matter in respect of any fraud or dishonesty which may attach to such
Director.
AMENDMENT TO
MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
AND NAME OF
COMPANY
168.183. No Article shall be rescinded, altered
or amended and no new Article shall be made until the same has been approved by
a special resolution of the
Members. A special resolution shall be required to alter the
provisions of the Memorandum of Association or to change the name of the
Company.
INFORMATION
169.184. No Member shall be entitled to require
discovery of or any information respecting any detail of the Company’s trading or any matter which is or may
be in the nature of a trade secret or secret process which may relate to the
conduct of the business of the Company and which in the opinion of the Directors
it will be inexpedient in the interests of the members of the Company
to communicate to the public.
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