History of RACUTP

The Rotaract Club of Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS was chartered on the 26th day of June 2000 by the Rotary Club of Kinta during the presidency of Rtn Arthur Yeong and the governorship of Allahyarham Dato' (Dr) Jaffar Mohd Ali.

Sometime in mid 1998, an ex-Interactor from the Interact Club of SMK Methodist (ACS) Ipoh named Chee Wei Liang called on Rtn Arthur who was the Rotarian Advisor to his Interact Club from 1996 to 1997. Wei Liang had by then become an undergraduate of UTP. Together with a few like-minded friends who were former Interactors and Leos from other States, he had wanted to continue to do service to his community and the idea for a Rotaract Club was formed.

Rtn Arthur was then the Director of Community Service in RC Kinta. The idea of chartering a Rotaract Club was not well received by the Rotary Board of Directors. "We already have 4 Interact Clubs". "We have not much experience with Rotaract Clubs". "Our last Rotaract Club of Goon's Institute closed down (because the Institute closed down)". "Who is going to travel all the way to Tronoh for their Meetings?". "An institution-based Rotaract Club has no continuity". "The New Generations Director is not prepared to do it".

These were some of the objections raised. Even Rotarians from outside RC Kinta and one Past District Governor tried to dissuade the charter of a Rotaract Club Tronoh.

However it was impossible to deny the enthusiasm of Wei Liang and his friends and say "No" to 30 names, NRIC numbers, addresses, handphone numbers, matriculation numbers and course names neatly written on one side of an A4 paper. There was also no stopping an idea whose time had come.

After several tentative Meetings of pro tem Board of Directors, some of which were not attended by the pro tem Rotarian Advisor who as usual had lost his way or could not tell the difference between a Universiti Sains Malaysia block and a UTP one, the provisional Rotaract Club of UTP was formed and started to carry out projects such as recruitment drives, visits to the Old Folks' Home in Jelapang, International Understanding Night and so on.

Chee Wei Liang, who was instrumental in forming the Club, became the Vice-President of that first Board of Directors. The first President was Beh Wei Liang.