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Penang Turf Club
Race track in the Malaysian state of Penang From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Penang Turf Club (abbrev. PTC) is a horse racing track in George Town within the Malaysian state of Penang. Established in 1864, it is the oldest of Malaysia's three turf clubs, alongside the Selangor and Perak turf clubs. The race track has a three-storey grandstand with a capacity of 14,000. In addition to its primary function as a venue for horse racing, the 118.1-acre (47.8 ha) race track includes a nine-hole golf course.
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In 2024, members of the PTC approved a resolution to dissolve the club and list the race track for sale. The final horse race is scheduled to take place in May 2025.
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History
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Founded in 1864, the PTC was the second oldest horse racing club in British Malaya, following the Singapore Sporting Club which was established in 1842.[1][2] David Wardlow Brown was the club's first president.[3]
The PTC originally received a land grant — provided free of charge by the Straits Settlements government — at Macalister Road for its first race track.[4][5] The race track, measuring nearly 1,621.8 yd (1,483.0 m), was located at the site of what is now St. George's Girls' School.[6][7] The PTC also maintained an office within the Government Offices at Weld Quay.[5]
The original race track on Macalister Road incorporated a section designated for a golf course.[5] The first structures of the track were constructed from wood and attap.[4] In 1900, new grandstands were added to the race track. From 1912 to 1928, it was considered the most modern race track in Malaya.[5]
In 1935, the PTC acquired the present-day 230-acre (93 ha) site at Batu Gantong.[8] The race track was relocated to the Batu Gantong site by 1939.[4][5] Horse racing continued to be permitted during the Japanese occupation, allowing the PTC to survive World War II unscathed.[5]
The 230-acre (93 ha) site comprises the 118.1-acre (47.8 ha) race track, which has a grandstand with a capacity of 14,000 and includes a nine-hole golf course, as well as six other land parcels surrounding the race track.[1][9]
Dissolution
In 2002, the PTC entered into an agreement with local property developer Abad Naluri for the sale of the race track. Abad Naluri had planned to build the RM25 billion Penang Global City Centre (PGCC), envisioned as a mixed-use development with commercial and residential components.[4] Public opposition to the project contributed to Pakatan Rakyat (predecessor to the present-day Pakatan Harapan coalition) seizing power from the incumbent Barisan Nasional in the 2008 state election. The PGCC project was eventually scrapped.[4][10]
In 2011, Berjaya Corporation acquired 23 acres (9.3 ha) from the PTC to develop the low-density residential neighbourhoods of Kensington Gardens and Jesselton Courtyard.[4][11][12] As interest in horse racing declined and financial difficulties mounted following the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2024, members of the PTC voted to dissolve the club and list the race track for sale.[4][13][14] At the time, the land and its associated properties were valued between RM2 billion and RM3 billion.[14] However, by the end of 2024, the club received no qualifying bids, prompting plans to subdivide the land into smaller parcels to attract more potential buyers.[1][4]
The PTC is scheduled to stage its last race on 31 May 2025, after which the Perak Turf Club and Selangor Turf Club will remain as the only operational turf clubs in Malaysia.[4]
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