Page 15 - 54th UM-NUS INTER-UNIVERSITY TUNKU CHANCELLOR GOLF TOURNAMENT PHOTO BOOK

The First Match
By late 1968, invitations were sent to the University of Singapore Academic
Staff Association. The inaugural match would be played in Kuala Lumpur.
On the Singapore side, Professor Yeoh led the team, with the ever-
organised Professor Malcolm J. Wicks — a mathematician with a talent for
bringing people together — handling arrangements. Malaysia’s side was
captained by Tan Sri Abdul Kadir bin Shamsuddin, a Queen’s Scholar and
respected administrator who would later become Chief Secretary to the
Government of Malaysia.
The venue was fitting: the newly opened Subang National Golf Club, a club
with origins tied to Tunku Abdul Rahman himself, and the only golf club in
Malaysia founded by an Act of Parliament. Many UM staff and alumni were
among its earliest members.
Fifty pairs from each university teed off in that historic game. Singapore
triumphed, winning four matches to one.

The Trophy with a Story

After that first match, Dr. Chatar Singh approached the Tunku with a
request — a trophy worthy of this new tradition. The Tunku responded
with enthusiasm, commissioning a masterpiece from Selangor Pewter:
three golf clubs gracefully cradling a golf ball, a design as distinctive as
the rivalry it would represent. Selangor Pewter, later Royal Selangor, had
been synonymous with craftsmanship since 1885, and the trophy would
become one of the most recognisable in the region.
In his own words, Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Sultan Azlan
Muhibbuddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Yussuff Izzuddin Shah
Ghafarullahu-Lah wrote:

“Tunku Abdul Rahman Putera Al-Haj was a man
of vision. Recognizing the powerful influence
of sport, he donated a trophy for a golfing
event between graduates of the same alma
mater to encourage friendly rivalry. Despite
the Causeway, there has always been a unique
relationship between the academic staff of the
University of Malaya and National University
of Singapore as a result of their common
heritage. This tournament was envisioned
to be a platform for keeping in touch among
former colleagues and indeed, over the years,
this annual golfing get-together has grown in
stature and prestige.”
The trophy was first formally presented at the second match on 9
November 1969 at the Singapore Island Country Club — and once again,
Singapore claimed victory.

Memorabilia from the early years

54th UM-NUS Inter-University Tunku Chancellor Golf Tournament 13