The Straits Echo postbag (6)

Okay, okay ... this will be the last of the letters in The Straits Echo. No idea who this Richard is but obviously, he seemed aligned to my line of thinking. Anyway, it was all for chess in Penang during the good old days.

POSTBAG, 7 November 1972
SIR - The Penang Chess Association is already nine months old but not much has been done to achieve its aims.

The PCA was able to provide its members with regular meetings on Sundays at the Penang Library and on Tuesdays at Mrs Ng Sui Cam's residence. Unfortunately, these meetings have long ceased to be a reality.

Up to now no mention has been made of any competitive matches and tournaments in Penang.

I am sure nine months is long enough for the Association to hold even its internal competitions.

In April, the President of the International Chess Federation, Professor Max Euwe was in Kuala Lumpur, and five students from Penang were selected to participate in a simultaneous match against him. However, it is seen that the PCA did not wholly have a hand in the selection of the students. The collaboration of the Ministry of Education, and even that of the Chess Association of Malaysia was needed.

The PCA also needs to look into the situations in some schools where chess is still not officially recognised as a game.

Nine months should also be long enough to incorporate student representatives in the management committee of the PCA. Recently, there has been a suggestion in the Straits Echo (Postbag of Oct 18) to the officer-in-charge of chess in the Pesta Games and Sports sub-committee, and to the President of the PCA to look into the feasibility of organising a Penang Open Inter-Team Chess Tournament. So far, no response has been received from either party.

The sports bodies of the many commercial firms can send in their own teams; the school year has just been completed and as such the students would be able to spend their holidays participating in this tournament.

As I understand it, many schools can even field a staff team. Why, even the PCA can send in a team for this tournament! I am sure that given the correct publicity, this tournament will be a great success, and thus set a precedent for others to be organised.

RICHARD
Penang