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The Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
So long, after last furlong
End of an era: Founded in 1864, PTC is the oldest of the three horse-racing clubs in Malaysia. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star GEORGE TOWN: When the horses gallop past the finishing post at 4.25pm in Race 7 at Batu Gantong today, it will mark the end of the final chapter of the 161-year-old Penang Turf Club (PTC). And nobody is more disappointed to see the Sport of Kings end this way than stablehand Paramalingam Veeran. The father-of-two said the club was like his second home as he has been working there all his adult life. 'I feel so sad it has come to this. I do not have any backup plans after taking care of horses for more than 40 years. I really don't know any other work,' he said. Paramalingam added that two horses under his care called 'Big Monkey' and 'Blue Marine' will be racing for the last time at the club today. A PTC permanent staff, who declined to be named, said it's not easy to find another job after committing nearly 20 years of his life to the club. 'I'm already in my mid-50s, and I've enjoyed my time here. But I don't know what the future has in store for me,' he said, adding that he will miss the place. To mark the occasion, the club, which started on a small piece of land in Jalan Macalister (now St George's Girls' School) in 1864, will be holding several commemorative races to bid farewell this afternoon. Among them are the RM250,000 PTC Farewell Trophy (1,300m race), the RM150,000 PTC Memorial Trophy (1,100m race) and the RM100,000 Jockey Club of Turkey Trophy (1,400m race). On April 20, 318 of the 320 ordinary members voted in favour of the club's closure during the extraordinary meeting, confirming the resolutions passed at the First Special General Meeting on June 10, 2024, to dissolve the club. According to PTC, the dissolution process is 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 club had said in a statement. Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow recently told the state legislative sitting that any redevelopment of PTC land must follow existing Penang Island City Council (MBPP) planning laws. 'The land is privately owned and zoned as a Priority Development Zone 1 for commercial purposes. 'Any request to change its category or conditions must go through the district land office and state Land and Mines Office,' he said. The land is believed to be held in trust by Tan Sri Goh Eng Toon, Datuk Ong Eng Khuan and Datuk Seri Teh Choon Beng. The combined size of the land is equivalent to 153 football fields, and when including the built structures, is said to be valued at RM2bil to RM3bil. However, PTC has not been able to find a buyer for the land touted to be the largest piece of prime real estate in the state. Meanwhile, the over 600 members of the PTC Golf Section are unhappy with the club's proposed RM7,500 ex-gratia payment to eligible golfing members. The golfers' management committee is appealing for the sum to be increased for the loss of facilities during the closure, including the nine-hole golf course which lies within the turf club area. PTC is the oldest of the three horse-racing clubs in Malaysia. It was initially given a free land grant on Macalister Road for its first racecourse, with the buildings constructed from wood and attap. It then moved to its current location next to the upscale Taman Jesselton Heights in 1939. PTC's closure follows the other turf clubs in the region, which had also ceased horse-racing activities due to declining interest in the sport as well as post-pandemic financial challenges. The Singapore Turf Club held its final race last October, closing a 180-year-old chapter, while Macau Jockey Club shut its doors in April last year. Malaysia is now left with two turf clubs that still offer horse-racing – Perak Turf Club, founded in 1886, and Selangor Turf Club, founded in 1896.
The Star
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Char koay teow cooks set to battle for glory
War of the woks: Every cook will try to cook up a storm for their own version of char koay teow. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star GEORGE TOWN: The search for the gold standard of char koay teow is set to begin in what will surely be a heated showdown. Come Sunday, 30 hawkers will be firing up their woks to fight for the title of Penang char koay teow champion. The rice noodle dish was once described by BBC as 'Malaysia's most famous street food' and that 'the best char koay teow can be found in Penang'. The action will kick off at 11am in front of Toi Shan Ningyang Wui Kwon, a clan temple in King Street. Each contender will whip up 40 plates of the iconic stir-fried dish. Koay Ee Teng, the vice-chairman of the Jalan Transfer/Jalan Argyll village community management council (MPKK) which is one of the joint organisers, said the competition would surely dish out 'heated' action and the use of 'secret' recipes and techniques. 'When it comes to flavour, every cook has their own secret weapon, so all of them will bring their own sauces and wok,' she said. 'Ingredients like prawns, eggs, bean sprouts and noodles will be provided along with a toque, apron and gas supply.' The top three winners will walk away with RM388, RM288 and RM188 respectively. There will also be two consolation prizes of RM88 each. Winners will also get certificates of recognition as a badge of honour to be displayed at their stalls. 'The real prize isn't the money. What the cooks really want is prestige,' said Koay. She added that participants in the 2023 competition saw a surge in their business afterwards. The 2023 edition saw Koh Gee How of Penang Auntie (Big Prawn) Char Koay Teow in Bukit Mertajam take the crown, with Por Leong Teik (Chulia Street) and Low Ping Kean (KK 99 Cafe, Tanjung Bungah) securing the second and third spots. This Sunday's battle is the second time that such a contest is being held. The competition is jointly organised by the MPKK of Padang Kota and Jalan Transfer/Jalan Argyll, and Toi Shan Ningyang Association, and promoted by Kwangtung and Tengchow Association Penang. Koay said the public is welcome to savour the food and enjoy the experience. 'It is a celebration of one of Penang's most iconic and beloved street foods,' she added.
The Star
6 days ago
- Automotive
- The Star
On-demand van service cheap but not speedy
MY ATTEMPT to ride Penang's Rapid On-Demand (ROD) van from Pulau Tikus to Cecil Street Market was a failure. I was initially intrigued by Penang's latest first-mile-last-mile public transport service. I gave it a try because the app showed the van service could pick me up right in front of my apartment and drop me at the market's food court entrance, about 4.7km away. I've longed for the old-school hawker food there but haven't visited in over three years because of the difficulty in finding parking space there. The service operates within zones, with overlap at the edges, meaning I would change vans at the zone boundaries to continue on towards Cecil Street Market. My first stop was to be at Pangkor Road near Gleneagles Hospital, 1.6km away, but this took 30 minutes due to the roundabout route to pick up and drop off passengers. When I arrived at Pangkor Road, it was already time for me to make my way back to work, so I didn't get to complete my journey to Cecil Street. Using the app was a breeze, and the van arrived within six minutes. It was also clean and air-conditioned, along with a friendly driver. At RM1 for one ride, the pricing was tempting. The Rapid Penang On-Demand service serves as a good way to travel within neighbourhoods. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star But as the saying goes: what's cheap and good isn't fast; what's fast and good isn't cheap. If I had chosen to drive, the journey would have taken me three to five minutes while walking would have taken about 20 minutes. But that short van ride at 10.30am on a Saturday took too long as the driver had to circle to drop off and pick up passengers. During my ride, two passengers were dropped off and four others picked up along the way. When I asked if people used the vans to get to work, the driver said yes, but advised against it. 'If your work requires you to arrive punctually, this service might not get you there on time because we drive around in circles within a small zone to pick up and drop off many passengers,' he explained. The service, however, is great for short trips within neighbourhoods and I did notice a few passengers with bags of groceries getting picked up near Pulau Tikus market to go home. Perhaps I was pushing it by trying to use it for a cross-town food run. Penang island, now the country's second most densely populated place after Kuala Lumpur, is more congested than ever and any new public transport service is welcome here. But my fantasy of paying RM2 to reach a cross-town food haven while skipping the parking hassle was wishful thinking. Save time or save money; it was too much for me to expect to save both.
The Star
26-05-2025
- Health
- The Star
No clean bill of health for B40 due to financial woes
Most valuable asset: Families going for health check-ups at the Dharma Health carnival at SJKT Azad, Jln Kebun Bunga in George Town. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star GEORGE TOWN: A sense of disappointment hung over medical professionals running free health checks for mainly the B40 group at a health carnival here, and it is nothing new for them. Once again, most of those who turned up showed signs they were dealing with at least one non-communicable disease. 'Four to five out of every 10 who came showed signs of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, chronic lung ailments or hypertension. It is common. 'This is largely due to their socioeconomic struggles. They're too busy making ends meet to prioritise their health. 'Many had sleep deprivation, poor diets, lacked exercise and did not go for regular check-ups due to financial or time constraints,' said Dr S. Jeyashree, who is the Mitta For Life Cancer Counselling Centre chairman. She was the coordinator of the Dharma Health Carnival at SJKT Azad in Jalan Kebun Bunga yesterday. Organised by the Malaysia Hindudharma Mamandram Penang branch, the carnival offered basic medical screenings alongside a variety of other health services, including pap smears, breast examinations, vision and cataract tests, physiotherapy and consultations on nutrition and mental health. The four-hour event, which aimed to attract 180 visitors, saw more than 200 people from diverse backgrounds turn up within the first hour alone. Meanwhile, retired civil servant Jerry Chen, 65, reflects on his early years with deep regret as he now battles declining health. Chen, who was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 31 in 1991, attributes his condition to unhealthy lifestyle choices and poor dietary habits. School senior assistant D. Jayah, 62, is recovering from a stroke she believes was brought on by stress. 'During the Covid-19 lockdown, many of us were confined at home and I had to conduct online classes for students with special needs. 'The movement control order period was overwhelming and I neglected my own well-being. 'One morning, I felt numbness on the left side of my body and after seeking medical help, I was diagnosed with a stroke. 'Fortunately, it was mild. I maintained a positive mindset by going outdoors more often to stay active,' said Jayah, who is now on the road to recovery.
The Star
18-05-2025
- The Star
RM2.1mil drugs seized from solo dealer
Hidden danger: Comm Hamzah (third from left) showing some of the drugs seized at a press conference. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star GEORGE TOWN: For almost six months, a 41-year-old man had been discreetly trafficking drugs in the country via courier. The suspect, said to be operating alone, would disguise the drugs as valuable items. Some of the drugs were even concealed in tea packaging to further evade scrutiny. The man's luck finally ran out on Thursday when police arrested him at the parking lot of an apartment block in Butterworth. Police also raided a rented apartment where drugs worth RM2.1mil were stashed. The suspect's clientele was built purely through word of mouth, with buyers reaching out directly to place orders. Penang police chief Comm Datuk Hamzah Ahmad said they seized 12.32kg of MDMA powder, 384g of ketamine, 500 Erimin pills and 150 Ecstasy pills. 'We also seized equipment believed to have been used for packaging the drugs. There were different labels of courier companies on the boxes. 'The drugs could have been used to feed the habit of 400,000 addicts,' he said in a press conference at the state police headquarters yesterday. Police also seized a car worth RM130,000, three gold chains valued at RM28,582 and four gold rings worth RM11,250. Comm Hamzah said the suspect tested positive for methamphetamine, amphetamine and ketamine. The suspect has been remanded until May 22 for investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
