MB gives up club post after members overturn beer ban

Aminuddin Harun, menteri besar of Negeri Sembilan, is automatically president of Seremban International Golf Club. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Seremban International Golf Club president Aminuddin Harun, who is menteri besar of Negeri Sembilan, is giving up the club position a day after members voted to overturn a ban on beer sales that he imposed.

“I have resigned in principle, and I will submit the letter in the near future,” he told reporters in Seremban today. Aminuddin had previously said he would step down as president if the club continued to sell alcoholic beverages.

He said he respected the members’ decision at an extraordinary general meeting yesterday. “I have no issue. It is in their constitution,” he said.

The club had served beer prior to August last year. However, a ban came into effect in August after Aminuddin took office.

Members argued that the decision to stop beer sales had been made unilaterally, and went against the club’s constitution and a 63-year practice of selling and serving beer. It was also against the will of the majority of the members.

Aminuddin had previously said that the sale of beer did not take into account local sensitivities as the club was surrounded by mosques and housing estates where the majority of the residents were Muslims.

The state government owns the 18-hole golf course, but the 1,500 members own the clubhouse and other sports facilities. Club members are mostly civil servants, pensioners and private sector employees.

Since 1991, the menteri besar and the state secretary have automatically been elected as president and deputy president. The menteri besar also appoints the secretary, treasurer, club captain and five committee members. - FMT