Bidding a fond farewell to my beautiful, beloved golf partner and darling wife, Raja Zakiah Raja Zainal. She left us all so suddenly.
We spent many fun activities together, sharing lots of memorable rounds on the course and at the Clubhouse. In 1989, she became Lady Captain, following in the footsteps of many ‘Mek (Mat) Salleh’ and other distinguished Asian Lady Captains.
It was then that Raja Zakiah began her ‘crusade’ to enable ladies to play the first nine of the Old Course, which had long been reserved for “Gentlemen only”—a tradition inherited from colonial times. Despite a failed EGM, she remained undeterred and played a key role in reinstating that privilege for our meaningful Centenary celebrations. Ladies were then allowed to only play during off-peak hours, from 11:00 a.m. to the last tee-off at 1:30 p.m., with a minimum handicap of 24! They later lifted this and Ladies today enjoy to freely book their tee times.
A talented and dedicated allrounder, she was equally at ease at official functions and casual aprèsgolf soirées. Her “Lemon Sisters” performances in the late ’80s and early ’90s—alongside perennial entertainers like Teddy and his brother, Leslie Eu (Captain, 1990- 1991)—gave us many unforgettable evenings of fun and camaraderie, whether at the Club or away during Interport games. Those were truly the good old days—it all feels like just yesterday.
Annie,” as she was fondly known to her family and close friends, took to golf like a duck to water. She was an avid and accomplished golfer, with three time Holes-in-One to her name, other feats proudly displayed on the Winners’ Boards, along with other notable achievements at other clubs too.
She began playing golf at Royal Johor and SICC (Singapore Island Country Club) while I was serving at the Royal Malaysian Naval Base in Woodlands, Singapore. Later, she honed her skills at Royal Mid Surrey Golf Club, where the Sörenstam sisters, Annika and Charlotta, were still juniors.
We returned to RSGC in the early ’80s, and what a trove of cherished memories we made since then.
We remember her. We will miss her.
