Criteria

1. Must be a member of the MSA in good standing for the three years. This means that
   for the past 3 consecutive years, the member must have paid his/her subscription within the year it is due.
2. Must be:
   1. presenting a free paper(s), or
   2. attending as an invited speaker, or
   3. representing the Society (see below)
3. Must be attending one of the following meetings held outside Malaysia:
   1. World Congress of Anaethesiologists
   2. Asian Australasian Congress of Anaesthesiologists
   3. Asean Congress of Anaesthesiologists
   4. Congress of the Asian and Oceanic Society of Regional Anaesthesia
   5. Congress of the Western Pacific Association of Critical Care Medicine
4. Must apply in advance to the Executive Committee for approval before going for the conferences.
5. For free papers, the study must not have been presented, in part or as a whole, at an overseas or international conference before.
   For the purpose of this paragraph:
   1. Overseas conference refers to any meeting held outside Malaysia
   2. International conference refers to any meeting where the sponsoring body is a regional organisation. This includes all the conferences mentioned in Para 1 (C) above.
   3. Part of the study refers to:
      1. Preliminary data from the study
      2. A previous presentation in which similar conclusions were derived using data from the study
6. Must not have received a financial subsidy (for presentation of free papers or as an invited speaker) from the Society in the previous year. This means that members are only allowed one subsidy every two years except when officially representing the Society as per Para 1 (B) (3) above.
7. Must not have made any false declarations to the Society previously.
8. Must obtain the agreement of the co-authors that he/she be allowed to present the paper.

Financial Consideration

1. The amount of subsidy will depend on the region where the meeting is held. At the present point in time, the maximum amounts, are:
   1. Within ASEAN RM2000
   2. Asia/Australia (except Japan) RM3000
   3. Japan/Europe/S Africa/America RM5000
   The amount of subsidy shall not be more than the cost of registration and half the airfare.
2. Priority categories will be of the following order:
   1. Invited speakers who are presenting for the 1st time overseas, with or without outside sponsorship
   2. Oral free paper/poster discussion presenters without outside sponsorship
   3. Invited speakers without outside sponsorship
   4. Invited Key speakers (Plenary lecturers), with or without outside sponsorship
   5. Oral free paper/poster discussion presenters with outside sponsorship
   6. Invited speakers with outside sponsorship
   7. Presenters of poster presentations, with or without outside sponsorship
3. Designated Conferences
   At the beginning of each financial year, the Executive Committee will decide which of the conferences mentioned in Para 1(c) above will be designated as conferences in which members may apply for a subsidy. When making the decision, the Executive Committee will consider the following factors.
   1. Priority will be given to WFSA sponsored conferences  World Congress, Asian Australasian Congress, Asean Congress
   2. Priority will be given to conferences within the Asean region
   3. The financial position of the Society
4. Limiting total amount of subsidy per conference (Capping)
   1. The Executive Committee reserves the right to set a limit to the amount of subsidy to be given in order to allow proper budgeting
   2. In order to prevent the capped limit from being exceeded, the Executive Committee reserves the right to decrease number of successful applicants

Approval of subsidy for invited speakers/presenters of free papers

1. Selection Committee
   Composition:
   1. MSA Chairman, who shall chair the committee
   2. MSA Treasurer
   3. One to three members of the Society, one of whom shall be involves in academia full-time.
   Function:
   1. To review the submitted abstracts and make recommendations to the Executive
      Committee.
2. Selection Process
   1. A copy of the abstract sent to the organizing committee of the conference,
      together with the letter of acceptance, must be sent to the Selection Committee.
   2. A cover letter must be completed in full and returned to the Selection Committee. This cover letter will include:
      1. a declaration by the applicant that all the criteria have been met
      2. a declaration by the applicant of all financial support obtained from other sources for the purpose of attending the conference
      3. a declaration by the applicant that agreement of the co-authors, that the applicant be allowed to present the paper, has been received
      4. certification by the Head of Department or Director of Research in the Institution where the study was carried out
      5. a statement by the applicant agreeing to the decision of the Executive Committee with regard to the application and amount of subsidy granted.
      6. official receip

Delegates appointed by the Society

Delegates appointed by the Society will automatically enjoy the subsidy without need for further application. Such appointments must be recorded in the minutes of the Executive Committee meetings. This includes:

1. Society representatives at WFSA/CASA business meetings
2. Speakers appointed by the Society e.g. at the Presidents's Forum

Decision and Appeal

1. The Executive Committee will make the decision on whether to grant any subsidy taking into consideration the recommendation of the Selection Committee.
2. The Hon Secretary will inform unsuccessful applicants within a reasonable time interval.
3. Unsuccessful applicants can appeal to the Executive Committee. The decision of the Executive Committee when considering an appeal will be final.

Review

This policy is subject to review from time to time by the Executive Committee and will depend on the prevailing financial position of the Society.

Prepared by: Dr V Kathiresan
Assoc Prof Lim Thiam Aun

Adopted by Executive Committee on 22 August 2000