How to Vote
Latest update: 16th December 2010

This article provides a general guide to voting your shares in meetings of Hong Kong-listed companies. It is given without liability. If in doubt on how to vote, consult your stockbroker, financial adviser, lawyer or god.

Step 1: Determine how your shares are held

You are either a registered shareholder or a non-registered shareholder.

Step 2: If you are a non-registered shareholder

Step 3: If your stock is held by a broker, bank or custodian

Your broker, bank or custodian (Intermediary) either holds your shares through CCASS or registered in the name of the Intermediary's own nominee (Nominee). These days, most Intermediaries hold stock through CCASS, because it has to be in the system to be traded. If the stock is in CCASS, it will be registered in the name of HKSCC Nominees Ltd. In either case, the procedure is almost the same.

Step 3a: if you want to attend the meeting

Ask your your Intermediary to instruct CCASS or the Nominee to appoint you to attend the meeting in respect of your shares. Get written confirmation of your appointment to attend the meeting, then go to Step 6. If your Intermediary will not allow this, then go to Step 3b.

Step 3b: if you will not attend the meeting

Note: your Intermediary can also instruct CCASS to put your name on the mailing list of Non-registered Shareholders so that you automatically receive all corporate documents from the companies in which you own shares. Most people live in ignorant bliss of this fact, and wonder why they never get asked for voting directions.

Step 4: If you are a CCASS Investor Participant 

Your shares are registered in the name of HKSCC Nominees Ltd (HKSCCN), which is the nominee subsidiary of HKSCC. You can either attend the meeting or instruct CCASS to vote instead.

Step 4a: if you want to attend the meeting

Instruct CCASS to appoint you to attend the meeting in respect of your shares. You can do this through the normal telephone (+852 2979 7888) or internet instruction system. You can also appoint another person to represent you. Now go to Step 6.

4b: if you will not attend the meeting

Instruct CCASS on how to vote your shares, using the phone or internet system.

Step 5: If you are a registered shareholder

You should receive a circular and a Form of Proxy for the meeting.

You should always complete and send a Form of Proxy. It does not prevent you from attending the meeting, in which case you can still vote your shares in person, and the Form of Proxy will have no effect. If you do not send in your Form of Proxy and do not attend the meeting, then you have no vote.

If there is more than one meeting, the forms of proxy will be in different colours. Do not mix them up.

On any given resolution, the Listing Rules now require a poll vote, 1 vote per share. On a poll, your proxy will be bound to vote your shares in accordance with your instructions. Normally, you appoint the Chairman of the meeting as your proxy.

Now that you have sent in your Form of Proxy, if you decide to attend the meeting anyway, go to Step 6.

Step 6: If you attend the meeting

If you can only understand English or only understand Cantonese, and the meeting is held in a different language, then demand that an oral translation be given of anything anyone says, into English or Cantonese as the case may be. Hong Kong Listing Rules require all documents to be in both English and traditional Chinese, so you have a legitimate expectation that meetings will be conducted in both the official languages of Hong Kong. If a company refuses to provide translation, then report it to Webb-site.com.

© Webb-site.com, 2010


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