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Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email update: Some more news, this time form FMT:
… According to a source who took the photo, the membership price list came from a copy of KGNS’s official newsletter, Berita Subang, printed for the October to December 2011 period.
The source told FMT that he found it very “peculiar” that KGNS would practice racial policies in admitting members to the club.
“It is hard to believe that the club, being established by an Act of Parliament still practices somewhat offensive racial discriminatory policies in admitting members. This admission policy somewhat offends my ideology of what Malaysia is.”
“I would like to stress that I have no malice towards the club when posting the picture,” he told FMT.
Predictably the photo caused an outcry over Facebook, with many reacting in disappointment and anger over the racially-charged prices.
“Where goes the 1Malaysia concept (Where has the 1Malaysia concept gone)?” said a Md Farhad Rahman.
Another, only known as PuiSee Ch, said: “What’s in the minds of these pepps (people)? Now ‘race’ can be purchased? They gotta be kidding.”
Other comments were tinged with sarcasm. One Calvin Wong said: “Wow. I never knew Chinese and Indian (were) worth so much more.”
Aiman Baharum said: “Ahh, so good to be the cheapest one lol.”
Janson Chen said: “One day petrol is going to be like that too lol.”
Balancing the racial imbalance
One Facebook user claiming to be a KGNS club member said that the price list had little to do with racism, and more to do with the racial mix in the club.
“This isn’t racism. They’re trying to balance the number of races (there). Currently, there’s lots of Chinese and Indians but very little Malay club members. I know (this) because I’m a club member myself,” said Norman Zakaria.
“So in order to balance it, they charge higher for the Chinese and Indians so not many will apply, and charge less for Malays in order to promote membership to the Malays and increase the number of Malay club members.”
One of the names listed on the photo – who requested to be anonymous- told FMT that the membership payment was part of a United Overseas Bank (UOB) move to finance loans for potential KGNS members.
According to her, UOB had nothing to do with the price list.
“The price was fixed by KGNS according to their quota. We are not selling this (the membership) on their behalf … As a bank, we are running a campaign for the payment,” she said, refusing to elaborate further.
When contacted, KGNS refused to comment.
source: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2012/01/31/racial-tint-to-golf-club-membership/
My initial post:
I first got news of this via Twitter (refer: https://twitter.com/#!/inbarajs/status/163875141623885825/photo/1) yesterday. Today’s TMI article gets some response from KGNS president (refer excerpts from thel article below).
In my opinion, its hard to justify why there should be difference prices as its totally not related to the quota. You had already put a limit based on racial composition, so the price should be the same. However, since the limited places available, then you can find the demand is pushed up for those under limited quota. The selling of memberships (even if facilitated by 3rd party) based on racial lines is considered a racial discrimination (wonder if it will be illegal under the proposed Race Relations Act). Its just like hiring people (and paying them differently) or renting out houses (and charging them different rental amount) based on race.
And to claim that its put up by others and not related to the club is flimsy indeed. How can such transfers/sales happen without the club management’s knowledge? How can a finance company offer to facilitate loan/easy-payment scheme without club’s knowledge?
Yes, supply and demand can play a role in determining prices, but here it looks like the company is setting the price. One can google “easi-cash” and identify which bank is involved.
To be fair to KGNS, refer to their membership fees at website (http://www.subanggolf.com/content/fees+mode+of+payments-117.aspx):
The ordinary membership is RM25k. Ordinary membership is closed except for government servants, but its possible to get a membership transferred (willing seller-willing buyer basis). And there’s a Membership Dept to help facilitiate this transfer. So, don’t tell me they don’t know about such “pricing”.
The club should ask the finance company to remove such notices before its image is spoilt further.
BTW, one can go through the whole website, and there’s not a single reference to any racial quota for membership. I wonder why. If you are proud of your multi-racial membership, then surely you would highlight how its achieved right?
A photograph of a membership price list for one of the country’s most prestigious golf clubs that apparently charged by race triggered an outcry on Facebook, with many condemning the different rates for the different races.
… A picture purportedly of Subang National Golf Club (Kelab Golf Negara Subang — KGNS) membership prices surfaced on Facebook yesterday, showing rates of RM35,000-RM65,000 for Malays, RM45,000-RM80,000 for Chinese, RM60,000-RM80,000 for Indians and RM40,000-RM50,000 for “Others”.
Reactions to the photo, which was posted on Facebook community page “Malaysia”, ranged from disgust to defensive.
“Apa nie??? Racist nye! (What is this? How racist!),” said Wan Hairina Ayin.
“In Singapore, I am a Malaysian. In US, I am a Malaysian. In Australia, I am in Malaysian. But in Malaysia, I am belong to the group OTHERS…” said one Frisca Freddy.
“Malaysia and Spore is the only country that allow companies to advertise ….preferably chinese, or malay or indian…so am not surprised of this la…,” said Julian Maria Intachat.
Some respondents, who appeared possibly to be foreigners, chose to respond with humour.
“So many forms in Malaysia ask ‘Race?’ I simply write ‘human’ no one has ever questioned this ” said Chris Frankland.
When contacted, KGNS president Tan Sri Megat Najmuddin Megat Khas said the notice in the picture was put out by a finance company and had nothing to do with the club.
He said that while KGNS had long practised racial quotas to ensure a good mix of races in its membership, it had never mandated the prices at which memberships could be sold.
Megat Najmuddin said that due to the race quotas, a member can only sell his or her membership to a person of the same race but at any price they wished and the rates in the notice could be reflective of supply and demand among the different racial groups.
He stressed however that the prices that appeared in the notice were just “indicative” and that the club’s philosophy of imposing race quotas was a noble one and not sinister.
“We are the most multi-racial club in Malaysia,” he told The Malaysian Insider. “If you go to other clubs you see it dominated by one race or the other.”
Megat Najmuddin, who also sits on the Umno disciplinary committee, said it was sad that in Malaysia it was getting rare to find the different races mixing together.
“In KGNS, you have all the races mixing together,” he said.
The KGNS president said there have been no cases of members being unable to find a buyer for membership from his or her own race.
“This race quota policy has been a cornerstone of the club and no member has ever asked for it to be removed,” he said.
KGNS, the only club in Malaysia incorporated by an Act of Parliament, limits Malays to 45 per cent of its membership, Chinese to 35 per cent and Indians and others to 20 per cent.
When contacted, “Zainah”, one of the names listed on the notice, immediately started denying having anything to do with the notice.
Calls to the rest of the numbers listed on the notice were not picked up or returned.
Megat Najmuddin said he did not know the finance company behind the notice but criticised the photo as “mischievous” for making it look like it was the club that had issued it.
