KUALA LUMPUR – The Royal Selangor Club broke a 139-year-old tradition today when its members voted unanimously to allow women into the club’s Long Bar.
Since its establishment in 1884, the Long Bar was out of bounds to women as it was feared that men would start misbehaving after having one too many.
But as time went on women members started demanding changes to what they feel are sexist and outdated policies.
This decision was made during an extraordinary general meeting where club members took a stance, challenging a century-old rule.
This rule had, until that point, prohibited women as well as children under 18 from entering the bar, except on New Year’s Day.
Speaking to Scoop, club president Jayakumar R. Muniandy said the idea was mooted by the general committee less than a month ago in view of gender equality.
The club have 5,400 registered members, of which 680 are female.
“While some traditions can be continued, there are others that may not necessarily be retained.
“I and my committee are of the view that there must be gender equality. We felt that the female members of our club should also be accorded a similar status as being equal to other male members.
“Why should one member be restricted from entering a small portion of the club? We want to make sure that everyone has equal access to the entire club,” he said.
Jayakumar added that other agendas discussed during the EGM included improving the club facilities and upgrading the RSC Kiara Sports Annexe into a premier sports club. — October 22, 2023