Royal Selangor Club
The Royal Selangor Club (
History and overview
Establishment
The club was founded as the Selangor Club in 1884 as a meeting point for educated and high-ranking members of
The club was initially based in a small wooden building with an attap roof near the north eastern corner of the padang. In 1890, this early building was replaced by a two-storey structure designed by the Government Architect
The club was nicknamed "The Spotted Dog", one explanation is that it referred to its mixed community membership and began with a remark that "frequenters of The Spotted Dog pub must accept the company as they find it".
Over the years, the club's membership increased and had also begun to include high-ranking Malaysian civil servants: judges, lawyers and important people in society. The club's proximity to the old
Flooding and fire
The Royal Selangor Club was not spared from frequent flooding in Kuala Lumpur. Between the start of the 1910s and the 1930s, the club was recorded to be hit by floods in 1911, 1917, December 1925 and December 1926.
On 20 December 1970, the main section of the club was razed in a fire which was believed to have started in its kitchen at around 10.30 p.m. and was contained within an hour by 50 fire fighters (including 20 who were off-duty). Property damage from the fire was estimated at more than M$1.5 million, but there were no casualties. During the fire, guests of a children's Christmas party in the club were safely evacuated with "no panic". The then president of the club, Khir Johari, stated that the club was insured for M$1 million. Shortly after, another flood struck Kuala Lumpur and the club premises three days after the start of 1971.
While the club is more than 100 years old, much of its early records were lost during the three-year
Rebuilding after the fire
After the fire, plans were made by the club to rebuild what was damaged. Proposals were made on a new wing and submitted to the
Sports and recreation
The club has organised various sporting activities since its early years, including cricket (where it has been a key player in the history of cricket in Malaysia). Rugby Union has been played at the Club since 1894.
Sporting events at the club can be viewed from the Long Bar, a portion of the club which has been off limits to women, purportedly because men "would drink and get very excited when they watched the games and they didn't want the ladies to see their exuberant behaviour, hence it was decided to ban women visitors from the Long Bar". The ban was repealed by vote at an extraordinary general meeting in October 2023; the repeal required an amendment to the club's constitution, and thus will not take effect until the amendment is approved by the Registrar of Societies as required by the Societies Act 1966.[6]
Members of the club are said to have introduced hash running in 1938. Legend has it that some members of the Selangor Club decided that it would be a good idea to run to work after heavy drinking the night before so they could rid themselves of their hangovers, which apparently they did. As the club was once also called Hash House (so named because some of its members thought its food unpalatable) the members therefore named themselves Hash House Harriers.[7] During the World Interhash in 1998, an exception was made to allow women into the Long Bar.
Dataran Merdeka field
The field or padang fronting the Royal Selangor Club, now known as
Recognition
Effort has been made to accumulate support from various bodies to recognise the club as a national heritage building and institution, due to its intertwined link with the country's history.
The club is one of the oldest in the country, serving as a British institution, and is witness to the first hoisting of the
Royal Selangor Club Kiara Sport Annexe
The Royal Selangor Club Kiara Sport Annexe is a branch of the Royal Selangor Club built over a piece of land in
Cricket
Ground information | |
---|---|
Location | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
International information | |
First WT20I | 3 June 2018: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka |
Last WT20I | 13 February 2024: Singapore v Thailand |
As of 13 February 2024 Source: ESPNcricinfo |
In 1997, the ground held ten matches in the
See also
- Royal Selangor Golf Club
- Royal Selangor Flying Club
References
- ^ Rimba. Bygone Selangor. pp. 49–50.
- ^ ISBN 978-967-908-028-5.
- ^ "A Look at the History Behind the Royal Selangor Club". ExpatGo. 17 December 2015.
- ISBN 9789814435390.
- ^ a b c Debbie Chan (2006-08-31). "So closely linked to birth of a nation" (PDF). The Star. Retrieved 2007-02-23.
- ^ "RSC members rejoice as no-women rule dropped after 139 years". Free Malaysia Today. 22 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ISBN 9789814435390.
- ^ "ICC Trophy Matches played on Royal Selangor Club, Kuala Lumpur". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
- ^ Commonwealth Games
- ^ "List A Matches played on Royal Selangor Club, Kuala Lumpur". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
- ^ "ICC Under-19 World Cup 2008 - Group D Preview". Cricket World. 3 February 2008.
- "Royal Selangor Club - history". Official Royal Selangor Club website. Archived from the original on 2006-10-27. Retrieved 2007-02-26.
- "Cultural Tourism > KL Heritage Trails > Merdeka Square Trail > Royal Selangor Club". Heritage Trust of Malaysia website. 1998. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2007-03-21.