Flap over potential 'devaluing' of SRC women memberships

The Singapore Recreation Club (SRC) is offering its women members the option of converting their lady memberships to the same ordinary membership as male members, which would grant them equal voting rights and other privileges.

But women members are upset at the prospect, which they say has diluted the value of their lady memberships, historically worth more on the open market because of their scarcity.

Several told The Straits Times that they felt they were given no choice in having to fork out the money for a conversion to an ordinary membership, and to pay more monthly membership fees, even as they watch their membership value diminish.

Madam Tang Whai Yih, 73, a financial services manager who has been a member of the club for 45 years, said: "There will be no market for the lady membership any more in the future. Generally, lady memberships can get at least a 20 per cent premium compared with the ordinary membership. Why should we be penalised?"

According to members, lady memberships could fetch about $9,000 on the market in July before the club's announcement, while ordinary memberships were worth $8,000 to $8,500.

The SRC has about 4,000 ordinary male members and 777 women with lady memberships.

The move, which ordinary and corporate members voted on in April last year, aims to give women members the same rights and privileges as male members.

Under old rules, women had no voting rights and could not have supplementary memberships for their spouse and children under 21.

The monthly subscription fee for women members is $50 before goods and services tax, while ordinary members pay $85.

Women members were on July 29 given the option - until next January - to pay a $100 conversion fee, and receive $100 in food and beverage (F&B) credits as well as $35 monthly F&B credits for up to a year. The conversion fee will increase in stages from February next year, and will not come with subsidies in the form of credits.

SRC member Constance Tan, a business owner in her 60s, feels that women have been ridden roughshod over. When the club voted to renew its lease at the Padang last year, women had to pay $2,500 - the same as male members - to fund the lease renewal. "So, we should be treated on a par with them," she said.

An SRC spokesman said buyers of lady memberships would be required to pay the conversion fee to convert them into ordinary memberships.

SRC president Chang Yeh Hong added: "If we keep antiquated rules without being relevant to attract the younger ladies who want a voice and voting in club affairs, the old rules will prohibit the entry of new female members."

In a survey that the club sent out to women members last year, the majority of respondents disagreed with having equal rights as ordinary members, the conversion fee and the increase in subscription fee.

Madam Tang said 150 women have signed a petition to object to the conversion exercise as occurring without their consent.

She said: "It was the men who voted on this issue when we didn't ask for it, and we have to deal with the consequences."

As at last Friday, 28 women had applied to convert their lady memberships to ordinary ones.