GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Turf Club (PTC) has voted unanimously to close, following a recently held Special General Meeting on Sunday (April 20).
At the extraordinary meeting, 318 out of 320 ordinary members supported the club’s closure, confirming the resolutions passed at the First Special General Meeting on June 10, 2024, to dissolve. There were only two spoilt votes.
According to a recent PTC press release, the club will initiate the dissolution process, expected to take one to two years.
The cessation of racing activities is intended to cut losses, and PTC will notify all relevant parties and authorities about its intention to cease racing on a date decided by the club’s committee.
The PTC, the oldest of the three horse-racing clubs in Malaysia, is expected to stage its final race meeting on May 31.
Currently, PTC has two trainers and only eight horses in its stable.
Founded in 1864, the PTC was initially given a free land grant on Macalister Road for its first racecourse, with buildings constructed from wood and attap. It moved to its current location next to the upscale Taman Jesselton Heights in 1939.
Last year, several turf clubs in the region ceased horse-racing activities due to dwindling attendance and post-pandemic financial struggles.
The Singapore Turf Club held its final race in October, closing a 180-year-old chapter, while the Macau Jockey Club shut its doors in April last year.
For die-hard racing fans, Malaysia still has two other turf clubs: the Perak Turf Club, founded in 1886, and the Selangor Turf Club, founded in 1896.
