Is Penang Turf Club Closing? Racing Status and Land Sale

Is Penang Turf Club closing? Yes, members voted to dissolve the club

Penang Turf Club, established in 1864 and the oldest horse racing club in Malaysia, is closing¹. The decision came in two stages. A resolution to dissolve the club was passed at a first special general meeting on June 10, 2024¹. That was then put to the membership again, and at a second special general meeting on April 20, 2025, 318 out of 320 ordinary members supported the club's closure, with two spoiled votes¹.

That second vote is the one that settled it. The margin was not close, and it was not a decision taken by a committee on the members' behalf. Ordinary members voted directly, and almost all of them backed closure.

The club's general manager and secretary confirmed the resolution and the dissolution process that follows it¹. If you are planning a trip around a Penang race day, the practical answer is that there is no Penang race day to plan around.

How long the dissolution takes

Closing a club is not the same as switching off the lights. The dissolution process is expected to take at least one to two years¹. That covers winding up the club's affairs, and it means the site does not change hands the week after a vote.

For anyone with a practical interest in the timeline, the sequence runs like this:

• June 10, 2024: resolution to dissolve passed at the first special general meeting¹
• April 20, 2025: members back the closure, 318 to 2¹
• 2025 onward: dissolution process, expected to take at least one to two years¹
• After that: the racecourse site returns to the government for redevelopment¹

The club's own records show it was still operating into 2025, with a stewards' report dated May 31, 2025⁶. Racing regulation in the region also records that Penang Turf Club ceased operations in 2025⁷.

Land sale: the racecourse site returns to the government

The racecourse land goes back to the government for redevelopment¹. That is the outcome members voted for, and it is the reason the closure is permanent rather than a pause.

This is a pattern across the region. Singapore Turf Club held its final races on the weekend of October 5, 2024, and the Kranji site is being returned to the government by March 2027 to make way for housing and other development¹. The same broad logic applies in Penang: a large, centrally located piece of land is worth more to a city as housing and public space than as a racecourse.

If you are looking for the land tender itself, note that the practical facts available cover the return of the site to the government, not the tender mechanics. What is clear is the direction of travel: the land leaves racing use.

What racing and facilities still operate

Malaysia is left with two turf clubs: Perak Turf Club, established in 1886, and Selangor Turf Club¹. Both continue to race and both take off-course bets.

Selangor Turf Club operates off-course betting on races conducted at the other racing clubs in Penang and Perak, including Wednesday night racing from Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Africa². Perak Turf Club runs off-course betting on races at the other Malaysian turf clubs in Penang and Selangor, plus overseas clubs in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore⁸.

That means the betting product did not disappear with the club. If you were used to following Malaysian racing, the meetings you can still bet on are Perak and Selangor fixtures, alongside the overseas cards those clubs take. For a wider picture of what is on where, see horse racing in Asia and the racing seasons guide.

Perak Turf Club publishes its race days, race cards and handicap weights, and its most recent listed fixture is dated 26 Sep (Sat)⁹. Its venue is at Racecourse, Jalan Raja Di Hilir, 30350 Ipoh, Perak¹⁰.

Entry prices, dress code and visitor rules

These are the rules as they stood when Penang Turf Club was racing. They are useful if you are comparing the club with Perak or Selangor, or if you are trying to work out what a Malaysian race day costs.

Entrance tickets were bought on the day at the Ticketing Booth in the Main Tote Hall. There was no advance purchase and no online booking³. Tickets were sold on a first-come, first-served basis⁴.

The dress code was strictly smart casual for all visitors³. Children under 18 were not admitted to the club³. Gambling while under the age of 18 was a criminal offense, and the club reserved the right to ask any customer for proof of age and to carry out checks to verify the information provided¹¹.

For comparison, Perak Turf Club lists an Open Gallery ticket at RM 9 and an air-conditioned lounge ticket at RM 15¹². If you are heading to a Malaysian racecourse now that Penang has closed, those are the numbers to work from.

A few practical points that applied at Penang and are worth knowing at any Malaysian club:

• Bring photo ID. Age checks were routine, and the club could verify what you told it¹¹
• Buy on the day. There was no online booking, so arrive with time to spare before the first race³
• Dress smart casual. This was enforced, not a suggestion³
• Leave the children at home. Under-18s were not admitted³
• Keep your ticket. Winning tickets were collected through a set process at the club¹³

Contact details and location

Penang Turf Club was located in Penang, Malaysia⁵. Its contact number was +604-238 5100¹⁴.

If you are trying to reach a Malaysian turf club now, the two that remain are the ones to call:

• Perak Turf Club: 605-254 8084, or 05-254-8084 / 254-0505, at Racecourse, Jalan Raja Di Hilir, 30350 Ipoh, Perak¹⁰
• Selangor Turf Club: 03-9058-3888¹⁶

Perak Turf Club publishes race-day information, race cards and handicap weights on its site, so that is the place to check before traveling⁹. Selangor Turf Club publishes its own race-day information, including the off-course meetings it takes².

What this means if you are planning a racing trip

If your plan was built around a Penang race day, it needs replacing. The club has ceased operations, and the site is headed back to the government for redevelopment¹.

The realistic alternatives inside Malaysia are Perak and Selangor¹. Both race, both take off-course bets, and both publish the information you need to plan a visit: race days, cards, weights and ticket prices².

If you are new to reading a local card, the racecard guide covers draw, weight, rating and form figures, and the bet types guide explains win, place, quinella, trifecta and the multi-race bets you will see on a Malaysian tote board. For the mechanics of betting into pools that include overseas races, see commingled pools and simulcast betting.

One thing to keep separate from the club closure: betting on offshore sites that take Malaysian racing is a different question from whether a Malaysian racecourse is open. If you want the rules on that, the offshore horse racing betting page covers it.