Penang Turf Club member to move for EGM to reclassify land back to “recreational” status
In a surprise development, a prominent Penang Turf Club member, Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping, said he will, together with a group of members, “requisite for for an EGM to be convened as soon as possible to pass a resolution mandating the Turf Club committee to take immediate steps to submit application to the authorities to reclassify the racecourse back to its original open space for sports and recreational land use”.
This is to ensure once and for all that the racecourse shall forever be preserved as a green lung for the Penang people, he said in a press statement today.
If his call is heeded, it could present a way out of the Penang state government’s current predicament. Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had indicated that the state government was concerned that if it initiated a move to reclassify the land back to recreational status, it could expose the state to claims of compensation.
Tan said he had been personally against the decision to sell the Batu Gantong land and build a new racecourse in Batu Kawan. He said he voted against the move during an EGM in 2002.
He also disagreed with a recent proposal, mooted by some members, for the Turf Club to consider selling the land to members and subdividing it into bungalow lots for members to profit from.
“I strongly believe that the racecourse be preserved as open space or green lung,” he stressed, adding that there should not be any form of commercial development for monetary gain to any group.
If one traces the history of the racecourse, the 260 acres of land was acceded to PTC by the Straits Settlement Government for a “nominal sum” in 1935 for recreational use as a racecourse, he pointed out.
“Since it was intended for recreational purposes from the beginning, PTC should safeguard and honour the trust bestowed upon the club at all times.”
The club cannot simply sell the land for commercial activity or financial gain, he said.
He questioned how the club could allow the land to be turned over for a mega project for the benefit of “a small group of politically connected individuals to rake in billions of ringgit in profit without considering the massive social, cultural and physical impact affecting the lives of Penang people”.
He said it did not make commercial sense to throw away the existing buildings and facilities that cost nearly RM50 million to acquire over the years and to give up the club’s “first grade” land in the heart of the city in exchange for 300 acres of 60-year leasehold land in Batu Kawan.
“The Batu Gantong racecourse is a well-known landmark in Penang and it is a real shame to destroy the iconic heritage, particularly as the Government is trying to get the UN to designate George Town a heritage or historic city,” said Tan. He noted that other well-known racecourses in the world, including the HK Jockey Club, are located within city limits.
He said if the Turf Club wanted to raise funds to upgrade its facilities and racetrack, it could expand its membership from the current 580 to generate additional funds through new membership entrance fees.
Tan had stood for election to the Committee in 1992 but was not successful. He said he was no longer interested in running for the presidency or for a committee position.
Instead, he now prefers to focus on serving the Chinese business community through the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce and “closer to my heart, community service through education in Han Chiang High School, Han Chiang College and Han Chiang Primary School in Penang”.
Tan is the current chairman of the Board of Governors of Penang Han Chiang Associated Chinese Schools Association, a non-profit organisation. The Han Chiang school authorities allowed the DAP to hold a mammoth 60,000-strong rally a couple of days before the 8 March general election - a move which helped catapult the party to power in Penang.
Critics of the PGCC deal have urged the state government to investigate the background to the shady deal, in particular to discover who was really responsible for pushing for the relocation of the racecourse to the mainland and and to find out how over 1,000 acres of Batu Kawan land was allotted to Abad Naluri Sdn Bhd.
Tan is now expected to file a court case tomorrow on issues related to the sale of the Turf Club land.
- Open letter to Guan Eng, Tsu Koon ahead of ‘live’ debate
- How to stop any development of Penang Turf Club for now
- Penang Turf Club: Here come the vultures
- A tale of two turf clubs
- How did Abad Naluri get over 1,000 acres of Batu Kawan land?
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Mr.anil,
This maybe to your constant harrasment you follows up like leech they back off.
Sometimes its better to be leech until drop out.
rajraman666.will be back like the leech in your blogs.taking a break from blogging for mean time and be a observer.
Tan Kok Ping is a business partner of Vincent Tan. Tan Kok Ping is a BUSINESSMAN. The whole thing reeks of sour grapes.
The people of Penang must speak up. This is a good start. A good government must put the interest of the people first.
This is a positive move that will pricked the conscience of other ‘uncles’ on the committee. It boggles the mind how incentious the whole deal was signed off at the first place.
No two ways about it, pressure needs to be exerted on Abad Naluri to rescind all said contracts and for the ‘uncles’ to returned money paid by Abad Naluri.
The Penang Turf Club needs to honour the wordings of the original charter - for recreational purpose - and the people behind this ‘get rich quick’ scam by hawking this piece of choice real estate should be named and exposed to face the wrath of the people.
The ACA needs to be involved, much in the same vein, the ACA also needs to investigate committee members of the Selangor Turf Club for their involvement in churning the share price of a penny stock now under investigation by the SC.
Heads will roll.
Dear Anil
It may not be advisable to revert the PGCC Land zoning completely to ‘Recreational.’
The current commercial zoning has enhanced this land value stratospherically. There may arise a point in future where some limited commercial development such as a hotel, chalets or apartments for visiting members may be desirable.
My understanding is that you can maintain the PGCC as a racr course, park etc without changing the commercial status. However, if it is deemed necessary to re-zone to Recreational, then say, 25% of the land can be reserved for commercial activities. The title can say Recretional Land and/or 25% commercial, subject to approving vote of 90% of members (and proxies) at an EGM AND the consent of the Chief Minister/State Govt of Penang.
We need an Expert to study the Title Deed to decide on the best approach. The are laws regarding restrictions on usage of Freehold Land.
Another option to explore would be for the State Govt to take over the land and then grant a sub-lease of 99 years (renewable) to the PGCC members.
In the 1980’s when there was an issue of the members selling off the Race Course Land in Singapore for huge profit, LKY changed the law and made it impossible for th eland to be disposed in the interest of the Public and of Public’s right to enjoy a historic Green Lung.
This Tan kok Ping is indeed closly related to Vincent Tan and held various high-profile positions in Berjaya. Berjaya was once trying to start its own horse racing biz but was denied by the govt due to the understanding that the `right’ was already given to AK’s Pan Malaysian Pools.
It may be kind of sour grapes but the move now is deem righteous for the people of Penang.
It’s always a privilege for those holding the committee posts in the Turf Club. Other than able to enjoy those lucrative lifestyle paid fully by the Turf Club, the crony capitalism involved in the Turf Club is even more blatent compare to the political arena. Just look at the few Turf Clubs in Malaysia…we may have a PM serving for 22 yrs, but we see a Chairman of one of the Turf Clubs serving for almost 30 years by now
LATEST NEWS, MALAYSIAKINI,
The Penang Turf Club (PTC) committee members and several others are being sued by its members over the deal made with developer Abad Naluri Sdn Bhd to develop the controversial Penang Global City Centre (PGCC).
GO HERE AND LOOK AT THE ROGUES’ GALLERY,
http://www.penangturfclub.com/
Look under, ABOUT US / COMMITTEE AND YOU CAN SEE THE
PENANG TURF CLUB COMMITTEE
Oon Chong Kie, Teh Choon Beng, Ong Eng Khuan, John Alexander Rodgers, Henry Ooi Kwee Lim
Goh Su Yen (Asst Club Secretary), Robin Rizal PH Tan (General Manager), Tan Phaik Guan, Ch’ng Chin Ghee, Robert Chan Woot Khoon, Leow Khin Ming (Asst General Manager & Secretary), Tan Hock Lim (Financial Controller)
TURF CLUB NEWS ITEM
The Annual General Meeting of the Penang Turf Club was held on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 4.30 pm at the Main Tote Hall. The entire incumbent committee was re-elected for the year 2008/09. Dato’ Ong Eng Khuan remains the President for the 8th consecutive year. The seven (7) Committee Members are Dato’ Robert Chan Woot Khoon, Mr Ch’ng Chin Ghee, Dato’ Dr Henry Ooi Kwee Lim, Mr Oon Chong Kie, Mr John Alexander Rodgers, Mr Tan Phaik Guan and Dato’ Seri Teh Choon Beng.
The following were re-elected to the Election Committee. Mr Cheong Wai Meng, Dr Chong Keat Foong, Mr jeffrey Lee Chin Wah, Dr Allan Ooi Poh Kiat, Mr Ooi Thean Inn, Mr Oon Jin Leong, Mr Teoh Ming Liang and Mr Victor Yeap Leong Peng. The newly elected newcomer is Mr Saw Lip Khai, an Advocate & Solicitor.
The MRA delegates appointed this year are Dato’ Ong Eng Khuan, Mr John Alexander Rodgers and Mr Oon Chong Kie. Dato’ Ong Eng Khuan is also Chairman of Lembaga Totalisator Malaysia and Dato’ Seri Teh Choon Beng is a member
hAHAHA WHAT A BUNCH, wonder how prison food will taste like, but PTC committee look on the bright side, you have the services of your friend Mr Saw Lip Khai, an Advocate & Solicitor. wow he came in at the right time.
No one can be trusted any more. Almost every one is like parasite waiting to have a bite on the cake.
Greed is the word!
Let us hope that LIM GUAN ENg keep to his promises- NO PGCC!!!
From a friend’s email
>CM made a press statement on 15/5/08 (Sun newspaper) that
>”any attempt to re-designate the land earmarked for the
>RM25 billion PGCC project to its original zone status as
>open ground & recreation would put the State Govt at risk
>of incurring hundreds of millions of ringgit”.
>
>CM also said that “under s.37 Town & Country Planning Act
>(TCPA) a landowner can issue a purchase notice demanding
>the State to buy the land at its value under the current
>zoning status [as new development] if the zoning is changed
> [to open ground & recreation]”. ”
Are all these back-and-forth public statements paving the way for one crony developer (Abad Naluri) to be replaced by another crony developer (any new PTC management-related contractor) to develop the PTC land anyway, just a few years later, with a nicer-sounding plan?
> 2) If the date for payment of the purchase price in the
>agreement for the sale & purchase of Batu Kawan land had in
> fact expired in Jan 2008, PDC may be able to terminate
>the agreement;
Regarding the point above, any new PTC management (once they manage to wrest control from the scandalized existing PTC management), can claim that (a) the deal to trade for Batu Kawan land, even if failed, is A SEPARATE ISSUE from (b) the rezoning of PTC land for any future development?
>”In a stunning development, a prominent Penang Turf Club member, Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping,
> says he will, together with a group of members, ‘requisite for for an EGM to be convened
> as soon as possible to pass a resolution mandating the Turf Club committee to take
> immediate steps to submit application to the authorities to reclassify the racecourse back
> to its original open space for sports and recreational land use’.”
I hope the above statement is sincere. Because the PTC can’t seriously remain the same over the next generation under tremendous business pressure (access to greater clientele and revenues on mainland, horse transport, pressure of land value, potential to exchange for larger space for people/cars/horse stable).
The fate of the land is always up to a vote by members. This is not a trust/foundation with a strict mission and constraints.
Will any new management propose a more “environmentally friendly” land exchange and development plan a few years down the line?
Is the new Penang government laying the groundwork argument for that development? (Abad Naluri plan is doomed to fail. Why not keep the rezoning approval to maximize value?)
In other words, if the current dissenting group of PTC members manage to wrest control from the existing PTC management, will CM’s statement — if it is allowed to stand — PERMIT the next management to develop the PTC in the future?