There are 5 categories of membership in MIArb namely, Associates, Members, Fellows, Affiliate and Corporate Members MIArb Fellows, the highest category of membership, comprise of retired judges of the Superior Courts and active practising arbitrators of extensive experience. MIArb Members, the second category, comprise of professionals from various disciplines who have hands-on experience in arbitration, whether in the capacity as arbitrators, counsel, advisers or expert witnesses.

Our Members and Associates are from a wide spectrum of professional disciplines, including architects, engineers, insurance brokers, lawyers, loss adjusters, quantity surveyors, valuers, etc. Fellows of MIArb use the designation "FMIArb", while the Members and Associates bear the designations "MMIArb" and "AMIArb" respectively.

Annual Subscriptions and Entrance Fees for membership are as follows:

Membership

Entrance fee

Annual Subscription Fee

Associate
Member
Fellow
Affiliate
Corporate Member
RM 250
RM 250
RM 250
RM 50
RM 1000
RM 150
RM 200
RM 250
RM 50
RM 500

Entrance Fee shall be payable only once upon the first admission to the membership of the Institute. A candidate whose membership is upgraded to a higher category in a particular year shall, in addition to the annual subscription for his previous category, also pay an annual subscription for the higher category in respect of the same year.

Associates shall be elected by Council and every candidate for election shall fulfill the following conditions in that he/she:

  1. Be proposed and seconded by Fellows or Members of the Institute.
  2. Satisfies the Council that he/she is fit in all respects to be a proper person for admission and not one who had been convicted of any criminal offence by the courts of law.
  3. Be engaged in a profession, occupation or calling in which there is recourse to arbitration or other ADR processes directly or indirectly.
  4. Be over twenty-one (21) years of age at the date of the application for membership.
  5. Has obtained a degree or equivalent qualification from a university or tertiary educational body acceptable to the Council.
  6. Be a member of a professional, commercial, trade, industrial, or Government body acceptable to the Council e.g. architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, lawyers, accountants.

    Provided that:
    1. Where a candidate fulfills conditions 1 to 4 and fulfills either condition 5 or condition 6, the Council shall have the discretion to elect the candidate to be an Associate of the Institute if he/she has considerable training or experience in the conduct of arbitrations, arbitration-related matters or other ADR processes, or if he/she is an active member of another national or international institute of arbitrators, or if he/she satisfies the Council as to his/her proficiency in the law and procedure relating to arbitration or other ADR processes.
    2. Where a candidate fulfills conditions 1 to 4 but does not fulfill any of the conditions 5 or 6, the Council shall have the discretion to elect the candidate to be an Associate of the Institute if he/she has considerable experience as an arbitrator, adjudicator or mediator for not less than three (3) years before the date of application and, in the case of an arbitrator or adjudicator, has published at least two (2) written awards or decisions (as the case may be).

Members shall be elected by the Council and every candidate for election shall fulfill the following conditions in that he/she:

  1. Fulfills the conditions for election to be an Associate as stated in 5.1 (read with the provisos); and
  2. Satisfies the Council either as to his/her actual involvement in the arbitration process or other ADR processes as an arbitrator, adjudicator, mediator, counsel, expert witness or advisor, or as to his/her actual experience in making judicial decisions for not less than two (2) years in a court of law or judicial tribunal, or as to his/her proficiency in the law and procedure relating to arbitration or other ADR processes.

    Provided that:
    1. Where a candidate has completed a Diploma in Arbitration (or its equivalent) or a membership upgrade course conducted by the Institute, the Council shall have the discretion to elect the candidate to be a Member of the Institute.

Fellows shall be elected by the Council and every candidate for election shall fulfill the following conditions in that he/she:

  1. Be a member of the Institute for a period of not less than five (5) years.
  2. Satisfies the Council that he/she is a fit and proper person to be made a Fellow.
  3. Has practised as an arbitrator, adjudicator, mediator, or counsel representing parties in the arbitration, adjudication, mediation or litigation of disputes for not less than ten (10) years and satisfies Council as to his/her proficiency in the law and practice relating to arbitration or other ADR processes. Provided always, that Council may waive this requirement in the case of a candidate who has at least five (5) years’ experience as aforesaid and passes any assessment or examination as may be prescribed by Council from time to time to evaluate the candidate's proficiency in the law and practice relating to arbitration or other ADR processes.
  4. Provided always that Council may, in exceptional circumstances, waive the requirement that the candidate for election as a Fellow shall have attained the age of thirty-five (35) years in the case of candidates holding a professional qualification recognised by Council and/or the requisite experience as justifying such a waiver or the requirement of a period of satisfactory training.
  5. Provided always that Council may waive the requirements aforesaid and directly elect as a Fellow candidates who are already Fellows of a national arbitration institute or organisation (of equal standing) where Council considers the candidate to be a fit and proper person to be so elected.
  6. Provided always that the Council may, in exceptional circumstances set out below, waive totally or partly the requirement that the candidate for election as a Fellow shall have been a Member of the Institute for not less than five (5) years in the case of:
    1. A candidate who has been actively practising as an arbitrator or adjudicator in the settlement of contract or industrial or commercial disputes for not less than five (5) years, who satisfies the Council as to his/her proficiency in the law and procedure relating to arbitration or other ADR processes, and who is of considerable reputation in arbitration or other ADR matters; or
    2. A candidate who has been actively involved in arbitrations or adjudications in the settlement of contract, industrial or commercial disputes in his/her capacity as arbitrator or adjudicator or counsel or as administrative head or director of a national or international arbitration institute or body, and with whom the Council is satisfied as to his/her proficiency in the law and procedure relating to arbitration or other ADR processes, and whose election as a Fellow would in the opinion of the Council, enhance or promote the image or reputation of the Institute; or
    3. A candidate who is or has been a Judge of the High Court (or its equivalent) or a Judge of a Court of higher hierarchy, whether in Malaysia or outside Malaysia, and with whom the Council is satisfied as to his/her proficiency in the law and practice relating to arbitration or other ADR processes.
  7. For the purpose of this Rule "counsel" shall include any person who represents a party in an arbitration or other ADR processes and conducts the arbitration or other ADR processes on its behalf.
  1. Any graduate, undergraduate or person who is unable to qualify as an Associate under the conditions stipulated in Associate category above but who intends to so qualify shall be entitled to join the Institute as an Affiliate provided he/she satisfies the Council that he/she is fit in all respects to be a proper person for admission as an Affiliate.
  2. Any person admitted as an Affiliate shall take up approved training to qualify as an Associate within five (5) years of his/her admission as an Affiliate, failing which any extension of membership as an Affiliate shall be subject to the approval of Council and Council may prescribe such conditions thereto as it thinks fit.
  1. Any professional institution, professional association, trade body, corporation, partnership or business, whether in Malaysia or outside Malaysia, is entitled to be elected by the Council as a Corporate Member.
  2. Every candidate for election as a Corporate Member shall satisfy the Council as to the candidate’s actual involvement in duties, activities, work, business and/or services are such as to cause them to deal, participate or work in the area of the law and/or practice relating to arbitration or other ADR processes.
  3. The Corporate Member shall have its authorised representative exercise all rights and benefits under the corporate membership, which the Council may at its discretion determine.