Residents in the area, which has since been renamed Kuala Ampang, continue to use the club up to this day.

UKRC Club's Founder : Suppiah Kannan

One of the club’s founders and first presidents, Suppiah Kannan, 87, said prior to Independence, the area was a melting pot of immigrants who had just arrived, those who moved from other squatter areas to escape the Communists and those who preferred the hilly and cool area.

"I moved there with my late wife Sulochana and four young children in 1956 and I was then working as a research assistant with the Rubber Research Institute.

"My immediate neighbours, the late Yap Seong Lim and the late Aw Teng Keong, were friendly but we realised that the other residents hardly talked or knew each other.

"That was when we decided to establish a club to create an opportunity for social interactions and for youngsters to meet for recreation and games," he said.

The first venue of the club was the Ulu Kelang Private School, which was also the home of another committee member, Yap Seong Lim.

"At the outset, many were reluctant to join the club, preferring to mind their own business. Then it became a place for meetings to discuss residents’ issues such as water, cleanliness of the area, road conditions and clearing of drains," said Suppiah.

Soon, everybody knew everybody.

During Merdeka, there was a sense of excitement and Suppiah said the residents were also in a celebratory mood, even building a 30-metre arch proclaiming "Happy Merdeka".

When the club moved to its bigger present location in 1960, more people came to take part in its activities since there was a football field, a badminton court and opportunity to play table-tennis.

Weddings, social dances and festivals were also regularly held there.

Among the guests who visited the club were Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman with his deputy Tun Abdul Razak Hussein and cabinet ministers Tun Omar Ong Yoke Lin and Tan Sri V. Manickavasagam.

A Solidarity Rally was also held during the "confrontation days" with Indonesia, aimed at uniting the people.

Over the years, the late Mokhtar Dahari, Santokh Singh, Soh Chin Aun and Khalid Ali were among the football greats who came to play matches at the club, drawing crowds and thus making it more popular.

Former president Ten Foong Keong, 40, and current president Andrew Gopal, 44, got to know each other when they met at the club 30 years ago.

"We played football often," said Gopal whose parents were immigrants from Kerala, while Ten’s parents moved to the area from Cheras.

The club has also had its share of problems.