Malaysia sungguh berbangga dengan perhormatan yang diberi kepadanya menjadi tuanrumah untuk Kejohanan Catur Asia yang Pertama ini. Sepanjang yang saya ingat, permainan catur hanya mendapat sambutan dan perhatian di kalangan negara-negara Barat sahaja tetapi pada masa akhir-akhir ini nampak minat yang semakin meluas di negara-negara sebelah sini, terutama dikalangan jenerasi muda yang mengikuti pertandingan juara-juara catur Amerika-Soviet tidak lama dulu.

Saya mengucapkan tahniah kepada Persekutuan Catur Malaysia atas inisiatifnya mengelolakan Kejohanan Catur Asian yang Pertama ini, yang mana akan disertai juga oleh pemain-pemain dari Australia dan New Zealand. Sudah tentu sekali dengan adanya perlawanan seperti ini minat terhadap permainan catur akan meningkat dan begitu juga mutu serta kehandalan pemain-pemain kita sendiri untuk menyalangi juara-juara antarabangsa.

Disamping mengalu-alukan peserta-peserta dari luar negeri yang akan menghadiri pertandingan kejohanan ini, saya ingin merakamkan tahniah penghargaan kepada FIDE sempena ulangtahun ke 50 Pertubuhan Catur Sedunia itu.

Selamat bertanding.

Initiatif Persekutuan Catur Malaysia pada menganjurkan kejohanan Catur Asia yang pertama di Malaysia mulai 7hb hingga 21hb Disember, 1974 ini sudah pasti akan meletakkan negara kita pada tempat yang terkemuka dalam bidang permainan catur yang mempunyai nilai intelek itu. Saya mengucapkan tahniah kepada Persekutuan Catur Malaysia atas usahanya itu sambil mengucapkan terima kasih diatas kehormatan yang diberikan kepada saya menjadi Penaong Persekutuan ini.

2. Hasil dari kejohanan ini sudah pasti akan menggalakkan lagi rakyat Malaysia dari semua bangsa khasnya murid-murid sekolah meminati permainan ini. Dengan itu juga saya yakin mutu permainan kita akan bertambah tinggi setanding dengan taraf permainan dinegara-negara maju.

3. Saya mengucapkan selamat bersidang kepada Persekutuan Catur Sedunia (FIDE) yang mengadakan mesyuaratnya disini dan mengucapkan tahniah kerana merayakan jubli FIDE yang ke 50 disamping dan juga ahli terkemuka dalam bidang catur. Saya berharap persidangan ini akan berjaya pada mencapai tujuannya.

4. Sempena kejohanan ini, saya berharap peminat-peminat catur khususnya dari Malaysia akan mempelajari teknik-teknik permainan dari juara-juara Asia bagi menambah pengetahuan dan pengalaman mereka.

Selamat bertanding.

The holding of the first Asian Chess Championships in Penang is a very important step towards our promotion of Chess in Malaysia.

It assumes world-wide significance because the championships held coincide with the 50th Anniversary of F.I.D.E. This means that the participants from nine Asian countries representing the best chess players in Asia will be competing in the championships.

I congratulate the Malaysian Chess Federation for having been bold enough to undertake the organisation of these championships in the light of the significance of this occasion and I am sure that your enthusiasm and zeal as well as your capability in organising these championships will stimulate more Malaysians to take up chess as well as to put malaysia on the Chess World Map.

The holding of these championships has been made possible by the initiative of the Malaysian Chess Federation and the support given by the Federal and State Governments and I hope that more of our people in the State who have already shown some interest in chess will join the Malaysian Chess Federation and help to develop the game.

The first Asian Chess Championships held in Penang will give us an opportunity to meet the best chess players in the Asian countries and therefore provide us an opportunity to measure our own development in this game as well as to provide the participants with an occasion whereby through chess they will make new friends, renew friendships and therefore contribute towards the spirit of international sportsmanship.

I wish every one participating in these championships, either as competitors, organisers or supporters, every success and I hope that you will all have an enjoyable time in our State. I hope also that the organisers will give the participants some time off to relax and to visit some of the places of interest in Penang.

The Malaysian Chess Federation extends a very warm welcome to all participants to the various Chess events to be held in Penang between 9th and 21st December, 1974 to mark the end of the 50th Anniversary Celebrations of F.I.D.E.

We are greatly honoured to have been entrusted with the responsibility of hosting this first ever Asian Chess Team Championship. In the very limited time available to us, the Organising Committee has done its utmost to ensure that all participants will find their stay here hospitable, enjoyable and memorable. However, should there be any shortcomings, kindly accommodate us.

With the introduction of the Asian Chess Team Championship yet another avenue is open to further strengthen the bonds of friendship existing among Austral Asian nations. I am confident it will also help to further promote the game of Chess in this region, the popularity of which I regret to say is well behind that in the Western countries. It is our hope that Malaysians particularly will use this opportunity to derive the maximum benefit and improve their standard of play.

In conclusion, I thank all participating Federations for their support and wish all competitors every success.

Although the game of chess is far more advanced in the western world than in Asia where the game originated, it is rapidly gaining in popularity in Asian countries.

It is therefore most appropriate that the World Chess Federation should inaugurate an Asian Team Tournament to commemorate its Golden Jubilee.

For the honour of holding this event we are indebted to the imaginative and vigorous initiative of my predecessor, Mr HM Hasan who had practically settled all issues before I took office in June, 1974. He is now a member of the FIDE Bureau which benefit from his creative insight.

Concurrently with the Team Tournament, the FIDE Bureau will be meeting to conduct its regular business as well as to perform the closing ceremony of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations. There will also be a seminar on chess promotion for the benfit of officials of Asian chess federations.

On behalf of the participants, I thank the Malaysian Chess Federation for organising all these events as a chess festival, and the Malaysian Federal Government and Penang State Government for supporting it.

Our special thanks go to Tun Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia, who has donated a Challenge Cup for the Team Tournament as well as agreeing to be Patron of the festival.

I wish all participants success in their undertakings in the spirit of our motto, "Gens Una Sumus".

FIDE is happy that the Malaysian Chess Federation hosts the closing ceremonies of the Golden Jubilee of our World Chess Federation.

We appreciate the initiative to institute the Asian Team Championship: a new leaf on the tree of Chess in Asia.

May Asia, the cradle of chess, remain a shining example for other chess centers.

GENS UNA SUMUS

PERSEKUTUAN CATUR MALAYSIA
MALAYSIAN CHESS FEDERATION

HON PATRON

YAB Tun Haji Abdul Razak b Hussein, SMN

PATRONS

YAB Datuk Hussein Onn, SPDK, SPMJ
YAB Dr Lim Chong Eu

PRESIDENT

Encik Tan Chin Nam

VICE-PRESIDENTS

Encik Fang Ewe Churh
Encik Azmy Ariff

HON SECRETARY

Encik Victor Vijiarungam

HON TREASURER

Encik JJ Singam

COUNCIL MEMBERS

Encik Atan Ahmad
Encik Gong Wooi Mau
Encik Ang Eng Chuan

AFFILIATES

Penang Chess Association
Chess Association of Selangor
Johor Chess Club
Kelantan Chess Club

PERSATUAN CATUR PULAU PINANG
PENANG CHESS ASSOCIATION

PATRONS

The Honorable Dr Lim Chong Eu,
Chief Minister of Penang
Mr Low Hooi Siah, JP

PRESIDENT

Mr Fang Ewe Churh

VICE-PRESIDENT

Mr Hashim b Mydin, PJK

SECRETARY

Mr Joseph Michael Doss

TREASURER

Mr Anthony Thomas Samy

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Mr Koo Hock Song
Mr Tan Yam San
Mr Sarjeet Singh Pada
Mr Tan Beng Thiam
Mr Gong Wooi Mau

FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DES ECHECS
FIDE

GENS UNA SUMUS

PRESIDENT

Prof Dr Max Euwe

DEPUTY PRESIDENTS

Mr F Campomanes
Mr B Kazic
Mr JG Prentice

SECRETARY GENERAL

Miss Ineke Bakker

TREASURER

Mr P Smit

MEMBERS

Mr EB Edmondson
A Heintze
Mr HM Hasan
Mr B Rodionov

YB Encik Mohamed b Yeop Abdul Raof - Chairman
Encik Fang Ewe Churh - Vice-Chairman
Encik Hashim b Mydin - Vice-Chairman
Encik Victor Vijiarungam - Secretary
Encik Joseph Michael Doss - Secretary
Encik Leong Sit Chew
Encik Othman bin Mohd Said
encik Hussein Hassan
Encik Koo Hock Song
Encik Mohamed Ali bin Hj Mohamed

Encik Koo Hock Song - Chairman
Puan Mary Jayadeva
Encik Lee Kam Fook
Encik Foo Yeow Tat
Cik Jerry Khoo
Che Rohani Ibrahim
Encik Chee Kay Hin

YB Encik Mohamed bin Yeop Abdul Raof - Chairman
Encik Wong Pak Sun
Encik Fang Ewe Churh
Encik S Nadarajah
Mrs Mary Jayadeva

Encik Hashim bin Mydin, PJK - Chairman
Tuan Syed Azizuddin b S Hussain
Encik Jismi bin Mohd Salleh, PJM
Encik Zainal Abidin Manaf, PJM
Encik Ong Leng Gin
Encik Ang Guan Eng
Puan CL Tan
Encik Ahmad bin Abdul Ghani

Encik Mohamed Ali bin Hj Mohamed - Chairman
Encik Othman b Mohd Said
Encik Koo Hock Song
Encik Khoo Peng Siew
Encik Lye Tong Hoong
Encik Ghazali b Ismail
Encik Ibrahim b Hassan
Encik Bakshish Singh
Dr Mehar Singh Gill

Encik Fang Ewe Churh - Chairman
Encik Gong Wooi Mau
Encik Cornelius Simoons
Encik Joseph Michael Doss
Encik Anthony Thomas Samy
Encik Tan Beng Thiam
Encik Khoo Peng Sun
Encik Lim Heng Pin
Encik Ng Moon Lean
Encik Teoh Kim Leng

Encik Leong Sit Chew - Chairman
Tuan Syed Mohamed Hyder
Encik Lee Kum Fook
Encik Robert Tan Jin Hock

Encik Othman bin Mohd Said - Chairman
Encik Chong Soon Lee
Encik Tan Beng Theam
Encik Ismail Jah
Encik Loo Kok Choong
Encik Khoo Boo Choo

Encik Mohd Hussain bin Mohd Hassan - Chairman
Encik Mokhtar bin Ibrahim
Puan Mary Jayadeva
Encik A Annamalai
Encik Sarjit Singh Pada
Tuan Syed Mohamed bin Syed Hyder