KUALA LUMPUR:  Apr 22, 2013

Just two weeks after the MRA announced the cancellation of six race days for Selangor Turf Club (SLTC) along with two for Perak and one for Penang, SLTC surprised many by announcing the staging of two novelty meeting in May.

One of the race dates is the one cancelled earlier — May 11. The other is May 18, the eve of the Singapore Airlines International Cup and KrisFlyer International Sprint in Singapore. For the past several years, this day has been a non race day in Malaysia as racing personalities around the world and from Malaysia as well attend the big meeting in Singapore.

The novelty races are for Sungei Besi based horses.

This development is a clear sign that all is not well with racing in Malaysia with reports that the three Malaysian clubs are at odds on how to move forward now that the funding from Pan Malaysian Pools Sdn Bhd, the totalisator operator appointed by the Totalisator Board of Malaysia, has stopped.

The horse population in Malaysia has dwindled alarmingly, resulting the cancellation of six race days by the Selangor and Perak Turf Club.

Penang Turf Club has also cancelled their races on May 5 but that is because it falls on polling day (13th general election) in Malaysia.