The hashpaedia

In-depth

Malaysia

Back to Index

A B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  XYZ

Introduction

Britain’s presence (we really mean interference) in Malaya began when the British East India Company leased the island of Penang in 1786. One thing led to another and by the 1930’s Malaya was part of an Empire on which the sun never set! Ex-pat Brits introduced their strange sports (hockey, badminton, cricket and soccer are extremely popular in modern Malaysia) and paper chase clubs emerged in Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Malacca and Ipoh. 

     ‘G’ Gispert, ‘Horse’ Thompson, and ‘Torch’ Bennett had all run with one or another of these groups and once gathered in KL were joined by the likes of Cecil Lee, Eric Galvin and H.M. Doig to found what would become Mother Hash. This group had clocked up just over 100 runs before WW2 intervened.  See Mother Hash for further details 

     The Hash survivors reassembled after the war and resumed hashing in August 1946. Surprisingly perhaps, hashing remained a KL oddity until 1963 when the hash rash spread to Kuching - considered the third oldest hash in the world - signalling the start of a  slow outwards expansion. Sandakan began hashing in 1963, Kota Kinabalu (formally Jessleton) and Ipoh in 1964 and Penang and Malacca in 1965.

It should be noted that, while all Hashes can trace their roots back to KL, many Malaysian Hashes, particularly those on the geographic periphery of the country, were actually founded by Hashers from Singapore or Brunei who were importing Hashing back to its origins.

Today there are around 120 Hashes in Malaysia. For a guide to all Malaysian hash see the Malaysian Directory 

	Hash Classic Kluang Hash Number 1 - 23rd February1967 With thanks to Mountain Rescue

State by State:

Klang Valley (Federal Territory and Selangor)

Kula Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, sits within its own Federal Territory, which in turn lies within the modern, developed and industrial state of Selangor. However in Hash terms it is probably more practical to think in terms of the Klang Valley, the hilly land cut by the Klang River, with its numerous communities.

    Apart from Mother Hash the most notable Hashes are those based in the satellite town of Petaling Jaya. Petaling Jaya Hash House Animals was founded in 1976 to cater for male chauvinists.  Petaling Jaya Harriettes followed before the end of the year and have always been a mixed run. Petaling H3, another mixed Hash, came along a year later. Mixed runs proved so popular that even senior Mother Hashers, such as John Duncan, would come out to Petaling Jaya to run.

Legends of the early years including running through the lobby of the Hilton Hotel, beer parties and torchlight relays.

    Damansara H3 was formed from people on the Petaling Harriettes waiting list, but Friday evenings proved very popular and they became known as the ‘rebels’ because they stole so many hashers from other groups.

Returning to KL it is worth mentioning the Harriettes, founded in 1974.Although the old Hash House was demolished in the fifties the memories lived on and in 1991 the new bar in the Selangor Club was named ‘The Hash Bar’. By then Mother Hash was forced further out to find quality Hashing countryside, so it was decided there would a city run. This led to the founding of the Royal Selangor H3 who run from the steps of the Hash Bar on Fridays.

Moving south:

Negeri Sembilan

Negeri Sembilan is the neighbouring state to Selangor and Seremban H3 is the senior Hash, founded by Anthony Hassell (ex Brunei) in 1967. Today there are nine Hashes in the state with the mixed Port Dickson H3 (1979) and Klana H3 (1979) having passed their 25^th anniversaries

.

Malacca/Melaka

Malacca is a small state by Malaysian standards and Malaaca H3 is the senior Hash being founded by the Irishman, Raymond Quinn, in 1975.

Johor Bahru

Johor Bahru (JB) is Malaysia's most southerly state, connected to Singapore by two causeways. Hashing came here via Singapore in 1967, when A. Lammen founded Johor Bahru H3, and via Brunei, when the legendary Mountain Rescue founded Kluang H3. Kluang in those days was a mixture of plantation management and military personnel and probably quite typical of Malaysian Hashes at the time. There are now around 24 Hashes in Johor.

North of KL:

Perak

Ipoh H3 is the 8^th oldest Hash in Hashdom, being founded by David ‘Mad Dog’ Denning (ex KL) and others in 1965. Wan Sai Pun was GM for at least the first 15 years. The Ipoh Harriettes founded in 1967, is the second oldest women’s Hash in Hashdom. 

The second half of the seventies saw a rapid growth in new kennels including Balu Gajal H3, Kampar H3, Taiping H3 and Teluk Intan H3.

Kedah

Kedah is a large state, whose traditional agricultural based economy has now expanded into industry. Hashing arrived here in the mid seventies, starting with Baling H3 (1975), followed by Alor Star H3 and Sungai Petani in 1977.

Alor Star’s history is the best documented and the kennel was started by the staff of the Alor Star Hospital. Interest faded after a bright start but they widened their recruitment beyond the traditional hospital community and by the eighties the Hash was prospering once again. This was probably partly due to more Malaysians taking an interest in fitness, but the enthusiasm of GM Dharam Singh Jasal was also influential.

Alor Star passed its 1000^th run in 1996 and hosted Nash Hash in 1999, when they catered for 600 visitors.

     Langkawi Island H3 began in 1988 and there was a rapid growth of Hashes in the 1990’s so that today there are 16 kennels listed in the state.

Penang

The holiday island has suffered a bit at the hands of developers but still has enough countryside to offer good Hashing.

Penang H3 began in 1965 and was the 9^th Hash in the world. Nick ‘Superturd’ Greta is a legend of the early days and claimed to be the longest serving GM in the world. They are an all male group who take pride in their gentlemanly behaviour and they stage regular joint runs with the Harriettes

There are several other kennels on the island, while Butterworth, on the mainland, has a Harriers, a Harriettes and Hazards Hashes.

Penang made an unsuccessfully bid for InterHash 2008.

Perlis

This tiny northern state has a population of around 200,000 and is something of a Hash backwater. Indeed Hashing did not arrive here until 1986 when Bob ‘SOS’ Brigginshaw and Sungei Petani founded Kangar H3.

The East:

Pahang

The East Coast is generally less developed than the rest of the country and this is certainly true for Hashing. Pahang is a big state but only the capital, Kuantan, has any Hash tradition. Kuantan H3 was founded in 1976, quite late by Malaysian standards, and then it required a kick-start by workers brought in for the port project.  As ex-pats left locals took over and in 1978, T.K. Lee became the 1^st Malay GM. There is also a Harriettes group and a Kuantan City Hash running on Saturday.

Terengganu

Terengganu lies north of Pahang and despite a growing petroleum industry is still a Hash wilderness. Kuala Terengganu H3 was not established until 1988 and there are still only 2 Hashes listed.

Kelantan

Kelantan forms the central mountainous backbone of Malaysia, a land of jungle and rice fields. There are three Hashes listed with Kota Bahru (1979) the oldest and most active.

Borneo:

Sarawak  Updated

The Island of Borneo is divided between Brunei, Indonesia and the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak. Kuching H3 was founded in 1963, making it one of the third oldest chapter in world and the second oldest in Malaysia. Harry Howell, ex Singapore, is considered the founding father with help from Tony Simmons and Douggie Clark. The first run attracted a pack of 13, probably 12 of who were ex-pats and the first Hashtrash still exists. Dated 21st May, it gave mention to the hashes in Singapore and KL and pointed out that 'we are not catering for would be Roger Bannisters - far more for the panting Douggie Clark's of this world'. Douggie, presumably, was a  member of the local ex-pat community noted for his lack of exercise.

Rumours the Russians and or Indonesians had interest in the region brought a military contingent that included Ray Thornton, Mike Dudderidge and Bill Mark and this added numbers and experince to the young kennel.

 The great legend of the group is Stephen Kueh, probably the first Hasher in the world to reach 1000 runs with one kennel. It must have been a close run thing however, because founder George Ang had been the first past 900 in 1985.  

Kuching have staged Borneo Nash Hash in 1987and 2001, Pan Asia in  1995 and 2005 and will host Interhash in 2010.

There are plenty of other opportunities to Hash in Sarawak, which claims nine Hashes.

Sabah

Sandakan H3 was founded in 1963 and Kota Kinabalu H3 (original Jesselton H3) in 1964 (by George Will and Jim Ambler). This means that at this point in time, 4 of the 7 Hashes then in existence were on the island of Borneo.

Kota Kinabalu remains one of the great Hashes and have come a long way from the first run when just 13 (all ex-pats) turned up. They have a noted social life, including hikes up Mount Kinabalu. This is the group who, when they couldn’t get near the stage at Rotorua, hired their own strippers to perform in their room.

One of the latest kennels, a mixed Hash, has revived the old Jesselton H3 name.