SINGAPORE — Facing an increasingly ageing population of ordinary members and a long queue of Singaporeans waiting to join, the 147-year-old Tanglin Club is planning to increase its membership to 5,000, up 25 per cent from the current 4,000.

As it has surpassed the Singaporean quota of 51 per cent, the only way to bring in more locals is to increase membership size, club President Sim Yong Chan told TODAY.

The club currently has 2,200 Singaporean members, 160 above what its rules allow and raising total membership size will allow it to bring in an additional 350 Singaporeans, who will contribute some S$12.25 million in entrance fees and nearly S$500,000 annually in subscriptions. In a letter to members, Mr Sim said that the “greying” of its membership” is a serious challenge facing the club, noting that 34 per cent of members will be over 80 in 2032 if the trend is not reversed.

The club, located at Stevens Road, is therefore calling a special general meeting on Jan 14 to approve the membership increase and several other resolutions. The move will also allow the club to buy back membership, which currently costs S$35,000 each, from older members who want to exit.

Addressing some members’ concern on overcrowding, he said the membership ratio to seating facilities will, at 1:7.5, still be significantly less than 1:10 which an expert at the recent Raffles Town Club trial said was the maximum among premium clubs here. This compares with 1:10.5 at the American Club, 1:7.7 at the Singapore Cricket Club and 1:11.4 at the Singapore Recreation Club.

The club is also seeking approval to spend S$2.42 million to improve and extend some of its existing facilities. It also wants to restrict the current “carte blanche” indemnity rules on legal proceedings involving the club’s General Committee members. For instance, the club spent over S$300,000 earlier this year on an arbitration case involving the club’s former President Philip Beng and member Angela Loke.

The club further plans to establish a board comprising former club presidents to oversee a proposed compulsory scheme of conciliation, mediation and arbitration process to resolve disputes within the club.