The development of the RSGC would not have reached the dizzy heights of today if not for the dedication of many Members and other personalities who had devoted a major part of their lives to selflessly putting their shoulders to the wheel, to see to the wellbeing of the Club. There are many such individuals to whom the Club owes a debt; some whose contributions have been well-documented and many more whose hard work and toil though known to all and sundry, have gone unrecorded.
Short of writing another book to thank them all, and even then some might still be inadvertently omitted, the only alternative, “to put things right,” as it were, is to have on record here and now the Club’s profound gratitude to all those whose names did not appear in this book and a sincere apology for such omissions even though many of them had never expected any recognition or expression of indebtedness in the first place.
However, a history, however informal, of our Club would be incomplete without the mention of a few ladies and gentlemen who had in their own inimitable style put the name of RSGC on the world’s golfing map. They are not presented here in any particular order of priority or importance (lest umbrage be taken by some). A notable personality especially at General Meetings is Chan Hua Eng who calls a spade a spade and is able effectively to dissent in a reasoned manner as well as restore decorum in an unruly meeting where some other Members achieve the same effect only by virtue of their rank or standing in public life. The palpable show of deference to Hua Eng’s views is testimony to the effective manner in which he expresses them. It is a respect earned through the years as a forthright man of integrity who demonstrates his concern for the welfare of the Club. With the same concern, he has over the course of many years continuously and diligently served the Club behind the scenes in Sub-committees and other panels and given advice where his legal expertise is required without seeking recognition or reward. He is also a former Editor of The Circular.
Held in high esteem by his peers in the legal fraternity and by our Club Members (including those in the Lake Club who honoured him with a Life Membership) his contributions at General Meetings help to set the debates in which he participates in the right direction.
Highly-regarded as a “senior statesman” in the Club, Francis Ho Ying Tuck often took centre stage in general meetings with his pertinent views backed up by his thorough knowledge of the Club’s constitution and common law – even though he was not a lawyer but a doctor, and a brilliant one at that. He did however, have a brief stint studying law at the University of Sydney before he answered his true calling. After graduating, he altruistically chose to serve the less affluent segment of the populace by having his practice in Serdang Baru, a remote, under – developed village then, in the 1950s.
In spite of his busy occupation, treating dozens of villagers daily, and eventually becoming their family doctor and close friend for 3 generations, Francis still managed to indulge in his passion for golf, having joined the Club in 1959. Soon, his handicap was whittled to 4 which naturally, made him a regular Club Champion contender, making it to the Knock-out rounds for a number of years. His love affair with the game and the Club led to his involvement in the Committee where he played a prominent role for 10 years from 1985 to 1995. After his “retirement” from TC, his concern for Club matters never waned, and we saw him in his familiar role as part of the “check and balance” team every year, ever willing to contribute his all for the betterment of the Club he loved so much. Sadly, he passed on after a long battle with cancer, having beaten it twice before but finally succumbing to it on 13th March 2018, at the age of 86.
His son Mark, a noted lawyer, in expressing his admiration for his father’s amazing and tireless capacity in spite of his passionate involvement in Club matters, marvelled that “….. he still managed to run a clinic, successful enough to send 6 children to university in Australia and England …. he has left a legacy of different things to different people. As a loving husband, an exemplary father, a true friend and a healer to generations.”
Yong Poh Kon, the Finance Convenor in 2002 and 2003, Club Captain for 4 years up to 2008 and Club President in 2015 and 2016 is another amazing man well worth mentioning, especially for the benefit of the younger Members who may be searching for a good role model.
Barely nine years old, the precocious Poh Kon had his first exposure to “captaincy” in a school musical where he sang his way into the hearts of the audience as a lovable cherubic Captain Kidd. A couple of years later and still the youngest and smallest in his class (all of four feet and a few inches in height), he was cycling to his school, the Methodist Boys’ School in Jalan Davidson (now Jalan Hang Jebat) from his home-cum-factory, a double storey corner lot shop-house in Jalan Pudu next to the old Tai Thong Restaurant. Despite having to help out in the family pewter business after classes and being involved in other time- consuming school activities, he was always one of the top students in his class.
His next captaincy was of a more responsible nature – as the School Captain. By then he had already grown an additional foot or so in height and doubled his weight. His mode of transport was “upgraded” too, to a Lambretta (or was it a Vespa?). As the key speaker in the MBS debating team and the key actor in school plays, he was in essence, the key to “Go forward MBS!” (the title of the school song) in the school’s heydays of ’63. The stern headmaster of MBS, T. Mori, feared by many of the students (especially the errant ones) must have been really impressed by Poh Kon as he proudly walked his lovely daughter Fumiyo down the aisle to give her to Poh Kon in marriage, a few years later upon his return from Adelaide as a mechanical engineer. Wonder whose heart he won first – the father’s or the daughter’s?
After his marriage, Poh Kon settled down to play a major role in building up his family business, from a modest cottage industry to what it is today – an international conglomerate with a line of products that is among the best in the world. He is today one of Malaysia’s few genuine Captains of industry.
Over the years, he distinguished himself not only through his achievements but also, more significantly, through his work ethics where he soon won recognition as a man of integrity. This recognition, more than anything else, led to the string of important appointments in both the private and public sectors where he serves or has served at one time or another, as a Board Member of MIDA, Malaysian Productivity Centre, DBKL, Communications & Multimedia Commission, Bank Negara Malaysia, and OCBC Singapore. He is a former President of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers and Co-Chairman of Pemudah, the government task force to facilitate business. After that, he served on the Economic Council and is currently the Deputy Chairman of the National Education Advisory Council set up to improve the education system in the country.
To be able to fulfill one’s role effectively in such an assortment of noteworthy responsibilities, aside from diligence, work ethics and integrity, one must have more than three pounds of grey matter. That he has – apparently in abundance too – as attested by Mensa (that esoteric circle of brainy fellows) of which he was Founder Chairman.
This is the man who volunteered to serve the RSGC for eight years spread over more than a decade because he was convinced that he could really do something to bring the Club to a higher level, just as he has so successfully done in his capacity as Managing Director of the other “Royal Selangor” – his family’s Royal Selangor International Sdn Bhd. His contributions in improving our financial position, communication with Members through The Circular and dialogue sessions, the golf courses by undertaking and completing the single most leviathan project in the Club’s history and setting in stone, the watershed for admission of women as Ordinary Members at the AGM of 30th June 2007 – are all documented in this book.
It weighs heavily on one’s shoulders to be recorded in history as the one who undertook the Club’s biggest project ever, even though one is fortified by the overwhelming support that had been given in General Meetings from the outset. It takes intestinal fortitude to go forward when the going gets tough and be undeterred by the odd snide remark. But with a clear conscience and a specific direction, and the knowledge that one has tried one’s best with the best of intentions, one can only wait and let history be the judge. Of course, in Poh Kon’s case the pain is assuaged by the knowledge that no aspersion on his performance can be justifiably cast since his probity has never been in doubt throughout his life.
Self-effacing as ever, he is quick to attribute the achievements during the “Golden Age” (see pages 37 and 38) to a super team effort from the whole Committee, in particular to the esteemed Club President for his guidance and encouragement and to Michael Low Chee Kein who actually formulated the Strategic Financial Plan to set all the subsequent projects in motion in the first place. Michael is of course the one who has also devoted years of his life to the golf course reconstruction and together with Poh Kon have suffered “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” as a consequence of the often waterlogged fairways and other teething problems initially – brought on in no small part by the unprecedented deluge of rainfall during the reconstruction period. If only they could control the weather, especially in 2006 and 2007!
The rainfall for 2006 and 2007 was extraordinary – the highest in years. From 2009 to 2015 the network of sub-soil drainage was increased from 30,000 m to 162,400 m.
It is axiomatic that the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Ten years on, with improved drainage made possible by an increased budget of about two to three million ringgit and lots of tender loving care from the industrious and savvy Course Superintendent Jack Cheong, the pudding was ready for tasting. Thankfully, waterlogged fairways are now a thing of the past.
The fact that heavy rainfall in subsequent years did not affect the fairways is concrete testament to the efficacious efforts undertaken. Take a bow – Poh Kon, Michael and Jack, and the subsequent Committees, for your perseverance.
Few, if any, would demur when we speak of Marguerite Edith Eu as the “fairest of them all”. An epitome of grace and elegance in any social function, she is the perfect hostess – decorous, articulate and erudite. Without fail, she has always made our esteemed guests feel so honoured and welcomed whenever she attends our Club’s important happenings.
A Member of the Club since 1968 she unhesitatingly declared “…I cannot think of a better Club than the RSGC! As a young wife and mother, the poolside was the perfect place for 5 boisterous children to run/swim off all that excess energy. After the untimely demise of my late husband, Eu Pek Leng, it was also the perfect place to continue a “normal” life, with social and healthy activities for the whole family.
As I spent so much time by the Poolside, it was a natural progression to becoming involved as Sub-committee on Pool matters. The staff and I spent many enjoyable hours planning the Swimming Carnivals – which were lots of fun for everyone…”
Marguerite is also a prolific writer and has contributed many interesting and enthralling articles in The Circular, while on the Editorial Board for a number of years. She also served in the Membership Sub-committee for a while and in the Ladies’ Golf Committee over a period of time, under different Lady Golf Captains.
She “retired” lately from active involvement in Club matters as she felt it was time for fresh input from younger Members!
And last but certainly not least of the distinguished personalities is none other than our current Club President Abu Talib Othman. This is his second stint as President, having earlier in June 2008 succeeded Mohamed Dzaiddin Hj. Abdullah.
Born in Merlimau, Melaka, Abu attended the Sekolah Melayu Merlimau and then the King George V school, Seremban. Having excelled in his studies, he proceeded to read law at Lincoln’s Inn in the late 1950s. Upon being called to the Bar, he served in the Judicial and Legal service. His first posting was as a magistrate in Kuala Lumpur in 1962. This was followed by his appointment as President of the Sessions Court in Raub, and then Ipoh.
Just like his father who was in the Police in the C.I.D. and then the Special Branch, Abu’s career also necessitated a number of transfers which later saw him as D.P.P. of Negeri Sembilan and Melaka, State Legal Adviser of Terengganu and then Penang. Back in Kuala Lumpur in 1974 as the Head of the Civil Division and then Head of the Criminal Division, he was finally appointed Attorney-General in 1980 where he served with distinction in some notable cases before he retired in 1993. He is currently a director in public and private companies. Following the change in government after GE 14, he was called for “national service” and appointed Chairman of a Committee overseeing and co-ordinating at the early stages, the all-important 1MDB investigation by the investigating agencies. Prior to that appointment, he had served as Chairman of SUHAKAM for 6 years. In August 2018, he was also invited to the Board of Tabung Haji for 2 years.
By nature an amiable and softspoken gentleman, he is also quick-witted, sharp and decisive, effectively exercising his authority when presiding over general meetings.
Aside from his sterling performance throughout his career and as Club President, Abu is no mean golfer as his golfing “kaki”, Syed Hussein Mohamed would readily attest!
Credit to YK Liew – Excerpt from the book ‘The RSGC: Veritably A Royal Heritage’
