Showdown at Tanglin Club sees new rival slate elected to general committee

[SINGAPORE] The incumbent general committee of Tanglin Club has been overthrown by a rival slate, as the club contends with alleged lapses in governance and spending oversight.

Members at the club’s annual general meeting (AGM) on Thursday (May 21) elected its general committee for the 2026/2027 term.

The results of the election, as well as other outcomes from the AGM, were disseminated to members in a Friday e-mail seen by The Business Times.

The challenge came from a group of members displeased with a purported lack of consultation before major capital expenditure projects, including a recent increase in monthly subscription fees.

Among the issues in contention are plans to spend S$7 million for Green Mark certification – Singapore’s green building rating system – and another S$5 million on pickleball court construction.

A source told BT that some members believed such plans should have been preceded by broader consultation.

Founded in 1865, Tanglin Club is one of the oldest and most prominent private members’ clubs in Singapore, with more than 4,000 members from 70 countries.

A spokesperson told BT on Saturday that the club “regularly updates” members on operational, financial and infrastructure matters via governance and member communication channels – which include the AGM and members’ townhall sessions.

The club will “not be commenting on individual nominations, election matters or internal deliberations beyond formal communications” with its members, the spokesperson added.

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“Team TC2026” comes into power

Members of the rival slate, known as “Team TC2026”, who have been appointed as the new general committee for 2026/27 are:

• Chong Zhi Cheng, president;
• Kelvin Kaw Jon Wua, vice-president;
• Peter Tan Chor Leng, honorary treasurer;
• Felix Chen Seong Kit, member;
• Eugenia Shueue Mei Da Luz Campos, member;
• Michael Quomund Youen, member;
• Kelvin Seah Kam Weng, member;
• Catherine Cheung Kuan Swan, member; and
• Frederick Christopher Ong Shanwei, member.

Chen, who was elected as a committee member, is captain of the A380 fleet at Singapore Airlines. He was a member of Tanglin Club’s general committee for the 2024/2025 term.

Before the latest election, the club’s general committee included:

• Kevin Gin, president;
• Miles Fenley, vice-president;
• Puneet Chadha, honorary treasurer;
• Paul Dorai Raj, convenor for membership and rules, and deputy convenor for procurement; and
• Eugene Lim, convenor for sports, deputy convenor for F&B and events, and deputy convenor for recreation.

Outgoing president Gin garnered 310 votes in the latest election, while Chong secured 341 votes.

Gin is the founder and principal of Alpha Capital and was the head of Greater China property research with Yuanta Securities (Hong Kong).

He took over as president of Tanglin Club in 2025 from Chong, who held the role from 2022 to 2024.

Sources who declined to be named said that the new general committee will seek to implement proper approval processes for the development of pickleball, padel and indoor tennis facilities at the club.

This would also entail deeper consultation, the sources said, adding that the aim is to present a proposal to members for a vote in eight to 10 months.

At Thursday’s AGM, members passed a resolution to raise the club’s term membership entrance fee to S$10,500 annually.

A proposal by Yeoh En Lai – also a former Tanglin Club president – and Grace Chng, which called for the building of “at least two pickleball courts by end-2027, including acquiring or renting external premises if necessary, and (forming) a special committee to oversee the project” – did not receive a majority vote.