AS the final chapter of the 161-year-old Penang Turf Club (PTC) ended, the question is whether the owners will go the way of conservation or opt for commercialisation.
Yesterday a part of colonial legacy of Penang, PTC held its last race at Batu Gantong to the disappointment of its fans.
It was a solemn occasion where community leaders and journalists showed up to mark a turning point in horse racing, but the future remains uncertain after the turf club board opted to close.
Penang Forum - the umbrella face of the state's civil societies and activists are adamant; preserve and conserve it as Penang Island is filled with condominiums and commercial shop lots.
Aliran president Anil Netto said the initial plan to turn it into another major township drew objections and it would be a mistake to allow excess development in the already crowded island.
Other members also spoke of how the state seems to have many unoccupied condominiums and landed properties although the developers claim that such units have been purchased.
In the age of climate change, the last thing Penang should condone is more development, as it does not arrest the growth of severe weather but hasten it, especially if the carbon footprint is doubled with every single major development project, said Anil.
But Penang Forum may find its voices drowned by the sounds of tractors moving in to clear the land, as Batu Gantong land is the top prime area of the island.
PTC board has agreed to allow the land to be resold to the highest bidder although it would carve the area into three major real estate plots.
The recreational grounds for golfing and horse racing would now be shut down forever in Penang.
It would be interesting in the coming weeks and months on how Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow mitigates the differing views on what is to be done with the PTC land.
Chow did allude that it is a private matter, as the land belongs to the board and its members.
Yesterday, to mark its swansong, the club specially commissioned a trophy, fittingly named the Penang Turf Club Farewell Trophy, for the winner of the poignant and historic occasion.
Dwindling public interest in horse racing, coupled with mounting financial losses, has prompted the closure of PTC, the oldest in the country.
Local jockey C.K. Khaw rode into the history books by winning the Farewell Trophy in record time during the club’s final race meeting.
Riding Super Salute for the first time, Khaw clocked 1:13.9, breaking the previous record of 1:15.07 set by Molly Browne in 2019.
Pacific Vampire, ridden by P.H. Seow, finished second in 1:14.340, while Noah Khan, guided by Al Da Silva, came in third in 1:14.563, trailing by another 1¼ lengths. - June 1, 2025.
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