Who We Are The National Press Club (NPC) was born on June 6, 1948 when a group of journalists met at an inaugural meeting at the Hotel Majestic, which is now the National Art Gallery. But the idea to have a club for journalists actually took shape during a chat among some journalists at the Seng Nam Bar and Restaurant - dubbed the Vatican by regulars - at the old market square (near the present Central Market). "It was the beginning of the Emergency and reporters, press photographers and foreign correspondents who had faced difficulties in covering the events felt that they should form a body to liaise with the authorities," founder member Mr. Tara Singh said in an interview with the Malay Mail in 1988. The club was then called the Press Club of Malaya and its first president was Mr. A.S. Rajah of the Malaya Tribune. Lifting through the pages of an old ledger kept by the secretaries of the club from its inaugural meeting till the last entry on June 29, 1960, it was clear that getting a clubhouse was a matter that was pursued vigorously by the various executive committees. Various options were considered, including asking the government for a piece of land, renting space at the Loke Yew Building, the British Council and building and sharing premises with the Selangor Recreation Club. Unfortunately, the club never did manage to get a clubhouse and meetings had to be held at various offices of newspapers while functions were organized at restaurants and hotels. The breakthrough came in 1985 when the club approached the then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and he was kind enough to let us have a two-storey mock-Tudor style building at Jalan Tangsi as a place of our own. The club's doors were opened on June 10, 1988 but unfortunately some management problems forced the club to close the clubhouse sometime in late 1992. Not wanting to let the government's generosity go to waste, the then executive committee of the club worked tirelessly to get the clubhouse up and running again just before Christmas Day, 1992 with a major facelift. In the late 90s, the exco resolved to find another building for the clubhouse to reflect the growing number of journalists and the NPC's own stature. A building fund was initiated. By 2003, however, the new exco decided to refurbish and maintain the existing clubhouse. Massive interior re-designing was undertaken, giving the old clubhouse a totally new look. The physical changes, notwithstanding, the NPC's goals and principles remain unchanged throughout these years. The objectives of the club are: • To promote professional, social, cultural and educational interest of members and provide a united voice to the practice of journalism and enhance its influence; • To encourage good fellowship and interchange of views and experience among members for mutual advantages; • To encourage and foster observance of high professional standards by members and to establish and prescribe such standards; • To act as a consultative body on matters affecting the interests, dignity, development and freedom of the Press; • To print and publish journals, newsletters, brochures or memoranda for the dissemination of information on any matter related to the objectives of the club and to establish a library; • To establish fraternal relations with national press clubs of other countries and international press associations or institutions having similar objectives; • To borrow or raise money for the purpose of the club on such terms and on such security as provided under the Constitution; and; • To invest funds of the club as deemed fit by the executive committee and in accordance with the club’s objectives subject to requirements of the law. Reproduction of material from any National Press Club pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. Copyright @ 2007 National Press Club, Malaysia, 84, jalan Tangsi, 50480 Kuala Lumpur. Powered by YellowAnt Communications