The Straits Echo postbag (3)

Continuing with my reminiscences of the early days of the Penang Chess Association, here is a third letter from The Straits Echo postbag in the months following the association's founding. Chuan Keat is now the Executive Director and Tax Leader at Price Waterhouse-Coopers.

POSTBAG, 3 April 1972
SIR - As a regular subscriber of your esteemed daily. I have noted with great interest that several letters pertaining to Chess have been published in the Postbag. This undoubtedly reflects an increasing interest in the game exhibited by certain quarters of the public, particularly the students, and goes to show that Chess is fast acquiring popularity in this country.

All Chess authorities concerned should see to it that this suscitation of interest in Chess Is not permitted to wither away. Efforts should be organised to preserve this interest.

The recent formation of the Penang Chess Association is a tremendous boost to the game and it is hoped that the Association will be able to live up to its ideals and serve as a concrete body representing Chess interests in the State.

The activities of the PCA should not only be confined to its small circle of members but should, on the other hand, also cater for all Chess enthusiasts, irrespective of whether he or she is a member or not, in Penang as a whole.

The idea of the simultaneous display by the Malaysion Chess Champion, Mr Choo Min Wang was a terrific one, and it is my fervent hope that more projects of such nature will be conducted by the PCA in the near future to stimulate and promote greater interest in the game.

At long last, the Malaysian Government has finally bestowed upon chess the recognition which it rightly deserves. The Penang Inter-School Chess Championships organised last year by the Han Chiang Primary School on behalf of the Ministry of Education, was undeniably a remarkably good start (three cheers for the Ministry).

An equally befitting follow-up will be to issue circulars to all educational centres advocating the introduction of 'Inter-House Chess ChampionshIps' in their respective institutions (I am referring to those which have not taken the initiative to do so).

I sincerely hope that the Vice-President of the PCA and Deputy Chief Education Officer of Penang, Inche Hashim bin Mydin, will personally look into the feasibility of this suggestion, for I firmly believe that this will go long a way to raising the standard of play at school level. Other moves directed towards consolidating the image of Chess and enhancing its prestige, on the part of the Malaysian Government and/or Ministry of Education, will also be greatly welcomed.

Khoo Chuan Keat
Penang