Plans to turn Singapore Recreation Club billiards room into co-working space headed for court trial
Two SRC members sued the club and its management committee to invalidate the resolution.
A High Court judge has approved a trial to settle a disagreement over a decision made by members of the Singapore Recreation Club (SRC) to transform the billiards room into a co-working space. The lawsuit, filed by Sean Kerwin Mathews and Mu Yee Shyong, questioned the validity of the resolution passed in an extraordinary general meeting (EGM).
They argued that the simple majority rule, which allowed the resolution to pass with 151 votes in favor out of 514 total votes, did not comply with the club's Constitution. The Constitution required a majority of the physically present voting members or at least 280 of the 559 attendees to approve the resolution. The judge found that there were indeed issues to consider, such as whether blank and spoilt votes could be seen as "no" votes.
The judge also noted that the management committee (MC) had structured the resolutions in a way that prevented members from voting against both options, potentially violating their voting rights. The MC had proposed a $16.6 million plan to relocate the billiards room and create a co-working space. However, when the relocation cost exceeded $4.9 million, the MC decided against the move.
The trial could potentially invalidate the resolution passed in the EGM, leading to a new vote on the matter. The Singapore Recreation Club is home to around 7,000 members.
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