Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates.
A recent price list for Kelab Golf Negara Subang’s (KGNS) 2024 membership sales has sparked concerns over potential racial discrimination, but a closer look reveals a more complex picture.
On the surface, the data shows stark differences in membership prices based on ethnicity.
Prices for Malay members range from RM31,000 to RM38,000 and above, while Chinese members pay RM55,000 to RM60,000 and above.
The Indian membership category tops out at RM68,000 and above.
These disparities have raised eyebrows and accusations of racism, especially after a Facebook post highlighting the differences went viral with a caption that insinuated unfairness and racial discrimination.
KGNS Defends Racial Quota As A Diversity Tool
However, in 2012, then-KGNS president Tan Sri Megat Najmuddin Megat Khas already provided a different perspective.
We have long practised racial quotas to promote a better mix of races, but we have never set a price list that was separate for each ethnic group.
Due to the racial quota system, members can only sell their membership to another person of the same race, but at any price they wish.
Megat Najmuddin adds that the notice rates could reflect supply and demand among the different racial groups, suggesting that price variations may result from market dynamics rather than deliberate discrimination.
Megat Najmuddin further said that KGNS has historically been known for its commitment to diversity.
We are the most multi-racial club in Malaysia. If you go to other clubs, you see it dominated by one race or the other.
While the pricing structure may raise eyebrows, the club’s leadership maintains that their focus on promoting a diverse membership through racial quotas is a noble and inclusive practice, not a sinister attempt at discrimination.
Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Threads.
