It was 1974. My posting to Alor Setar presented me with the opportunity to increase my circle of friends. I met many new friends who had never stepped out of Alor Setar. One of them was D. S. Maniam who passed away just recently, he was a gem of a person who would assist any new comers to Alor Setar.
I was in a new place with plenty of time at my disposal. My many new friends gave me an insight into community problems which appeared to skip the attention of the locals.
After work we used to assemble at a hockey field to watch a handful of guys playing hockey. The field had been given to the Kedah Indian Association for the local Indian community for recreational purposes by the Colonial Administration. The Association was a legacy from the British Administrators who felt each community should have their own recreation facilities that will prevent them from from fighting with each other. Likewise the Malay Community had their own clubhouse while the Chinese too had their own.
The community leaders had previously put up a club house consisting of a timber structure where community members used to gather. As the land was in a strategic location facing the main gateway to the town it became a popular meeting place, but there was no one to manage it or run any social events.
The Indians were lucky as their clubhouse was on the main road with
a good road frontage. As traffic was picking up in the town there was a need for petrol stations. An oil Company from Kuala Lumpur indicated interest in leasing a piece of the land. So the Association was able to earn a handsome rental each month. However the office bearers were old and did not have any foresight to improve the facilities. Overtime because of inactivities and failure to send annual returns and reports the Club was given notice of de - registration by the Registrar of Societies. Even at this juncture the Office bearers did not realize the seriousness of this.
I gathered a group of like minded young men and we decided to do something to revive social and sports activities amongst the Indian community in Alor Setar. Together, we formed a small Committee where I assumed the post of Secretary. Our purpose was to revive the club house and have an active club servicing the local Indian community.
As secretary, I decided to explore some means to formalize our organisation.
I went down to the Ministry of Home Affairs which housed the Registrar of Societies, and learnt that the Kedah Indian Association (which had not been active for a long long time) was to be deregistered for failing to file annual reports, failure to hold annual general meetings and failure to respond to letters sent by the Registrar of Societies.
I appealed to the Registrar to give us some time as a new Committee has just taken control of the affairs of the Association and further informed him that we were now known as the Kedah Indian Association 1974. The Registrar agreed to give us sometime to set things in order.
While my friends and I were busy organizing the affairs of the new organization, another group with members from the old defunct organization suddenly turned up. They set up a rival organization calling themselves Kedah Indian Organization 1975 and also made a claim to be registered. Having two applications from rival organizations, the Registrar advised both groups to invite their members to a meeting at the Clubhouse.
A date was fixed for the meeting. Both camps sent out invitations to the members about the meeting. On the appointed date those invited by both camps arrived for the meeting. The representative from the Registrar of Societies then welcomed the members of both factions and informed them that since there were two groups - members will elect the group that would represent the Organization by a show of hands. The Registrar would then liaise with the winning group to take the Association forward. My team had done our homework, and had visited the homes of members and briefed them about the purpose of the meeting and sought their support at the proposed meeting.
On the date of the meeting my team obtained the support of the majority of the members. I was appointed the Hon Secretary.
We were able to replace its wooden building with a brick building equipped with badminton courts that could be rented out bringing in revenue for the Association. I was transferred out of Alor Setar at the end of 1974.
I’m happy to say that the club which I had helped form in 1974 still stands to this day serving the Indian Community in Alor Setar. Though I am far removed from the Association in Alor Setar the Club officers have not forgotten my contributions. They used to send me invitations for their Annual General Meetings.
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