TIGER LANE IPOH 1958

THE MOVE TO

TIGER LANE IPOH

- 1958

We were very excited when we went back to School in January 1958. We had moved into our brand new school in

Tiger Lane

. The school was built in a 40 acre compound which was very big by any standard then and even now. The main buildings were a three storey classroom block, a two storey specialist block consisting of science laboratories, metalwork and woodwork workshops and a library. There was a big (at that time) dining hall and a modern kitchen attached to it. For our accommodation there were six hostel buildings. The School has a huge sports ground sufficient for rugby, soccer and hockey fields; badminton, volley ball, basket ball and tennis courts. We also have a big assembly hall. Any school in the country envied us.

For neighbours we had the Geological Survey Department, the Veterinary Research Department and the Heslet Scouts Camp and the Gurkha Army Camp.

There were five Form Two classes, four Form One classes and some Remove classes. We were divided into six Houses and each House was allocated a Hostel building with a resident Warden for each House. I was in White House and my Warden was Mr Michel Liau, with whom I got into trouble many a times. There was an incident I remember vividly. I was a keen Tennis player and saved some money to buy a Tennis racket. It was my most priced possession. One day he saw me carrying this pride of my possession to go and play Tennis. He asked to see my racket. Proudly I handed it to him. He said he was keeping my racket until I could buy a mosquito net! I thought he must be mad or envious of the fact that he did not get to play Tennis when he was a student! He only played table-tennis. But then so did I. Well I had to save more money to buy the mosquito net and get back my racket!

A new routine was introduced to our hostel life. Every Sunday morning there would be an inspection of the hostels by the Warden on duty. Sometimes the Headmaster himself the late Tun Hamdan would also accompany the Warden. The purpose was to see that the hostels are kept clean. And it is our responsibility to keep the dormitories, the toilets , the bathrooms and the compounds clean. As a matter of fact they have to be kept clean everyday. Although many of us did not like this but it was a very training. We must keep our environment clean at all time. It is sad to see even now that Malaysians generally do not keep their public property and facilities clean. It is probably because they did not go to good residential schools like STAR.

There was another practice introduced in

Tiger Lane

. Every evening some Prefects and representatives of each House will dine with the Warden on duty on High Table. The attraction was the food served on the High Table was a lot better than that served to the rest. The disadvantage or slight problem was that one has to dress properly to go High Table which means Malay suits complete with sampings, songkoks and shoes. This was not everyone’s cup of tea. So for those who declined this privilege they had to find substitutes. They are not difficult to find! In fact some would be just waiting at the entrance to the Dining Hall to replace those who could not make it to the High Table for one reason or another.

The event everyone was looking forward to was the official opening and renaming ceremony of the School which was scheduled to be held in May that year.

HAMPIR HAMPIR TIDAK JADI PEGUAM

Saya bernasib baik ditawarkan biasiswa Kerajaan Persekutuan untuk belajar di perengkat Universiti di United Kingdom (UK) dalam pertengahan tahun 1963. Masa itu saya masih lagi berada dalam Tingkatan Enam Atas di Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman Ipoh. Tawaran itu dibuat berdasarkan keputusan peperiksaan  Cambridge School Certificate (1961) dan keputusan ramalan peperiksaan Cambridge Higher School Certificate tahun itu. Saya juga telah ditemuduga oleh Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam. Tawaran biasiswa itu tertakluk kepada saya lulus peperiksaan HSC dengan baik dan diterima masuk ke sebuah Universiti di United Kingdom untuk pengajian ijazah serjana muda.

Saya pun membuat permohonan kebeberapa buah Universiti terkemuka di UK. Dengan bantuan Pejabat Penuntut Penuntut Malaysia di London dan British Council di Kuala Lumpur saya membuat permohonan untuk masuk ke King’s College University of London. Saya difahamkan bahawa saya tidak layak untuk memohon masuk ke Universiti Cambridge atau Oxford oleh sebab saya tidak mempunyai kelulusan dalam Bahasa Kelasik seperti Latin dan Greek. Universiti London adalah Universiti terbaik selepas Universiti Cambridge dan Oxford dalam bidang undang-undang. Satu perkara yang menarik ialah tawaran biasiswa itu tidak mensyaratkan mata pelajaran yang saya mesti ikuti di Universiti.Apa apa ijazah serjana muda dengan kepujian dibenarkan. Saya memang minat untuk mempelajari ilmu undang-undang dan saya kira saya mempunyai kelayakan dan perwatakan untuk menjadi seorang peguam. Saya mempunyai keputusan baik dalam kedua-dua bahasa Melayu dan Inggeris dan Metamatik. Saya suka berpidatu dan mewakili Sekolah dalam debat Melayu dan Inggeris. Saya berjaya dalam permohonan saya dan diberi tawaran masuk ke King’s College London untuk mengikuti pengajian Bachelor of Laws dengan syarat saya lulus dengan baik dalam peperiksaan HSC. Saya dikehendaki mendapat  sekurang-kurangnya pangkat   B dalam tiga mata pelajaran dalam peperiksaan tersebut. Alhamdulillah saya mendapat kelulusan yang lebih baik sedikit daripada itu.

Saya berangkat ke London dalam bulan September 1963 untuk memulakan pengajian saya dan mendaftar di King’s College. Setelah berada di London beberapa bulan saya mendapat tahu daripada rakan rakan yang mempelajari  Undng-undang bahawa rancangan saya belajar hingga keperingkat ijazah LL.B sahaja adalah tidak mencukupi untuk menjadi seorang peguam di Malaysia. Malahan ijazah tersebut tidak diiktiraf untuk memasuki profesyen undang-undang di Malaysia. Saya tiaklah begitu  terkejut. Saya  faham bahawa saya dihantar belajar ke Universiti ialah untuk mendapat ijazah dengan kepujian untuk melayakkan saya berkhidmat dengan Perkhidmatan Tadbir dan Diplomatik. Namun begitu saya dinasehatkan oleh rakan rakan untuk melengkapkan pengajian saya dengan mendaftar dengan salah sebuah “Inns of Court” di London dan mengambil peperiksaan “Bar Final “. Ada empat Inns of Court di London iaitu Lincoln’s Inn, Inner Temple, Middle Temple dan Gray’s Inn. Saya dengan perbelanjaan sendiri memasuki Lincoln’s Inn untuk mendapatkan kelulusan profeyenal undang-undang yang melayakkan seseorang untuk menjadi seorang peguam.

Saya lulus peperiksaan Universiti London dan diangerahi Bachelor of Laws (Hons. - Second Class Lower). Alhamdulillah. Pengajian di Inn’s of Court adalah lebih menarik dan berwarna warni. Mulai tahun dua di Universiti saya perlu pergi ka Lincolns Inn tiga malam dalam satu penggal untuk makan bersama-sama penuntut penuntut lain dan peguam peguam Inggeris dalam satu majlis makan malam formal. Semua yang hadzir mesti memakai ‘gown’ khas Inn tersebut. Selepas makan kadang kala ada ucapan berkenaan  undang-undang yang disampaikan oleh peguam peguam terkemuka. Ada kalanya Ketua Resmi Inn tersebut akan hadhir. Bagi Lincoln’s Inn beliau pada masa itu ialah Queen Mother. Ada juga “Benchers” Inn tersebut akan hadzir. “Benchers” adalah Hakim dan peguam kanan yang dilantik sebagai mnghormati kejayaan mereka dalam bidang undang-undang yang telah belajar di Inns tersebut. Keperluan menghadiri makan malam ini adalah diwajibkan. Untuk layak menduduki pepereksaan akhir  (Bar Final Examination) seseorang calun itu mestilah telah menghadiri makan malam sebanyak tiga kali  dalam satu penggal dan selama dua tahun. Tujuan makan malam ini ialah untuk membolehkan penuntut penuntut berkenalan dengan lebih rapat diantara satu sama lain dan mengenali peguam peguam yang sudah pun menjalankan ‘practice’ dan Hakim Hakim.

Apabila saya menerima ijazah LL.B (Hons.) satu masaalah besar timbul. Saya diminta pulang ke Malaysia dengan segera oleh sebab saya telah mencapai kelayakan yang diperlukan untuk berkhidmat dalam perkhidmatan kerajaan. Saya tidak perlu meneruskan pelajaran keperingkat Bar Final Examination.  Saya fakir- fikirkan dan memutuskaan untuk meneruskan pelajaran saya. Nasib saya agak baik juga kali ini. Pada masa itu Perdana Menteri  kita YAB Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra sedang menghadiri Mesyuarat Perdana Perdana Menteri Commonwealth di London. Saya beranikan hati saya untuk berjumpa beliau untuk merayu kepadanya. Saya pergi ke York House di London dimana beliau tinggal tetapi saya tidak dibenarkan berjumpa dengan beliau oleh sebab beliau sedang tidor!  Tetapi saya  dinasehatkan oleh Setiausaha Sulitnya Dato’ Nik Hassan untuk menulis surat kepada beliau. Saya pun tulis surat itu dan serahkan kepada Setiausahanya itu. Saya terpaksa berkerja sebelah siang untuk menyara hidup saya oleh sebab biasiswa saya sudah diberhentikan. Walaubagaiman pun tidak lama lepas itu saya menerima surat  daripada Setiausaha Sulit Tunku mengatakan bahawa Tunku yang juga Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kabinet berkenaan Biasiswa sangat simpatatik kepada rayuan saya itu dan membuat keputusan membenarkan rayuan saya apabila dia kembali ke Malaysia. Saya tunjukkan surat itu kepada Pengarah Jabatan Jabatan Penuntut Penuntut Malaysia di London, Encik Ng Cheng Hong. Dia mengatakan itu janji orang politik dan jangan dipercayai sangat. Selepas beberapa bulan, saya menerima panggilan  talipon daripada isteri saya yang berkerja di Jabatan Penuntut London bahawa Jabatan telah menerima telegram dari JPA di Kuala Lumpur meluluskan rayuan saya untuk meneruskan pelajaran saya keperengkat Bar Final Examination. Dengan kelulusan saya yang baik diperengkat LL.B. saya diberi pengecualian daripada menduduki peperiksaan Bahagian Satu dan Dua dan dibenerkan terus menduduki Peperiksaan Akhir Bar. Saya menduduki peperiksaan itu pada pertengahan tahun 1964 dan lulus. Sehingga hari ini saya sangat berterima kasih kepada arwah Tunku Abdul Rahman diatas pertolongan beliau yang membolehkan saya menjadi seorang peguam.

Dengan kelulusan Final Bar Examination saya menerima ijazah “Utter Barrister” dan diterima masuk sebagai peguam oleh Lincoln’s Inn. Dalam bahasa Inggeris “I was called to the Bar by  Lincoln’s Inn”. Dengan itu sempurnalah pengajian undang-undang saya.

ISLAMIC ONLINE UNIVERSITY

Saya bernasib baik telah dijemput oleh seorang kawan menghadziri satu ceramah oleh Dr Abu Ameenah Bilal Plillips bertajuk ‘Following The Salaf In The Time Of Fitnah’ di Darul Ta’lim di TTDI baru baru ini. Dr Phillips ialah seorang Muslim berbangsa Kanada yang berasal dari Jamaica. Dia mumpunyai ijazah BA dalam bidang Pengajian Islam dari Universiti Madinah, MA dari Riyadh dan PhD dalam bidang ‘Islamic Theology’ dari Univesity of Wales, UK.

Selepas ceramahnya itu dia memperkenalkan Islamic Online University yang mempunyai ibupejabat di Qatar. Dia ialah Pengasas dan Dekan Universiti ini. UniversitI ini menawarkan kursus Diploma dan BA in Islamic Studies. Kursus Ijazah ini memakan masa selama 4 tahun 9 (8 semesters). Tidak ada bayaran pengajian dikenakan tetapi yuran pendaftaran dan peperiksaan (untuk calun Malaysia) sebanyak US 80 satu semester dikenakan. Tiap tiap semester penuntut dikenakan mempelajari 6 kursus yang  mengandungi 3 syarahan online memakan masa 3 jam. Peperiksaan juga dibuat secara online. Kursus Diploma pula adalah percuma.

Diantara mata pelajaran yang ditawakan ialah

Tajweed, Aqeedah, Bahasa Arab, Computer Studies, English, Tafseer, Fiqh, Seerah, Hadith, Da’wah, Islamic Management, dan lain lain lagi.

Mereka yang berminat bolehlah melawat website Universiti itu http://www.islamiconlineuniversity.com/

Saya rasa inilah adalah satu peluang yang amat baik untuk yang berminat mendalami pengajian Islam yang terlepas peluang mengikuti kursus formal dimasa lepas. Kursus keseluruhanya disampaikan dalam Bahasa Inggeris.

         

Sambungan cerita Orang Boyan di Malaysia

Pagi tadi selepas solat subuh saya sempat bersembang dengan Penolong Imam kami. Namanya Redzuan. Dia meninggalkan Pulau Boyan semasa dia berumur 17 tahun pada tahun 1980.

Dia menceritakan sistem pendidikan di Boyan. Sistem pendidikan di Pulau Boyan bolehlah dikatakan pada keselurahannya sistem pesenteran. Katanya anak lelaki sejak umur 5 tahun lagi akan datang kesurau kampong itu yang juga menjadi bangunan pasenteran untuk solat berjemaah. Selepas solat mereka akan belajar membaca al Quraan dipimpin oleh pak kiyai. Selepas itu mereka akan mempelajari melalui membaca kitab kitab masyhor. Ini berjalan selama lebih kurang 4 jam. Kiyai ini tidak bergaji. Biasanya mereka agak kaya. Mereka mempunyai tanah sendiri yang mereka kejrakan untuk menanam padi dan bahan bahan makanan yang lain. Anak yang datang dari keluarga berada akan dihantar oleh keluarga mereka ke tanah besar Jawa seperti Surabaya untuk belajar dipasenteran yang lebih baik dan hingga keperengkat lebih tinggi daripada apa yang ada di Pulau Boyan. Anak yang tinggal ditempat yang jauh dari pasenteren boleh tinggal dipesenteren dan memasak makanan sendiri. Agaknya pasenteren ini hampir hampir sama dengan sekolah pondok di Malaysia tetapi lebih meluas lagi.

Selain daripada belajar dipesenteren yang hanya mengajar ilmu agama kanak kanak juga akan belajar di madrasah.Madrasah ini juga adalah institusi swasta yang diusahakan olih masyarakat setempat. Disinilah mereka belajar  mata pelajaran akedemik. Guru di madrasah ini didatangkan dari Pulau Jawa dan digaji oleh masyarakat. Saya bertanya tidak adakah sekolah kerajaan. Katanya ada tetapi hanya sebuah dua sahaja di kacamatan (daerah) nya. Juga katanya perbelanjaan pergi kesekolah kerajaan ini mahal.

Saya bertanya mengapa orang Boyan seperti juga orang Indonesia yang lain suka merantau ke Malaysia mahu pun Singapura. Jawabnya ialah untuk mengumpul wang. Di Boyan tidak ada kebuluran. Makanan melempah lempah katanya. Malah boleh dihantar kebahagian bahagian lain di Indonesia. Selain daripada bertani penduduk penduduk Boyan jua adalah nelayan untuk menambah sumber makanan. Walau bagaimana pun tidak ada peluang untuk mendapatkan pekerjaan yang boleh mendapatkan wang. Ramai juga yang merantau dengan tujuan berhijrah ke Malaysia  atau Singapura dan menjadi penduduk tatap atau warganegara negara negara tersebut. Ini adalah untuk tujuan mendapatkan kehidupan yang lebih baik.

Redzuan datang ke Malaysia pada awal tahun 1980an. Pada masa itu katanya senang dapat kad pengenalan merah dan dapat pekerjaan secara halal. Dia seperti juga pendatang pendatang Boyan yang lain berkerja sebagai buruh binaan di projek pembangunan Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Dia berkerja dengan sub kontaktor Cina. Majikannya itu kemudian terlibat dalam kerja “renovation” untuk Hong Leong Bank. Dia terus mengikut majikannya. Oleh sebab ketaatan dan kerajinannya majikannya menaikkan jawatannya kepada jawatan pemandu lori setelah dia berjaya mendapat “lesen besar”nya. Redzuan semasa menjalankan tugasnya sebagai pemandu van dan lori majikannya berkenalan dengan pegawai pegawai Bank.

Setelah berkerja dengan majikanya lebih 10 tahun majikannya itu memberitahunya bahawa dia ingin memberhentikan perniagaan kontrak binaan dan pengangkutanya dan akan memulakan perniagaan baharu yang lain. Majikannya menawarkan kepadanya vannya itu sebagai membalas ketaatan dan kejujuranya semasa berkidmat denagan majikan itu. Bila saya tanya mengapa dia bernasib begitu baik. Itu katanya mungkin balasan daripada Allah diatas kejujurannya kepada Allah. Dia berkata kalau kita beribadat dengan jujur kepada Allah dan jujur sesama manusia terutama kepada majikan insyaAllah Allah akan membalasnya.

Pegawai Bank yang kenal mutu perkhimatan dan kejujuran Redzuan menawarkan kepadanya perniagaan yang dulunya dijalankan oleh majikannya itu. Redzuan seolah olah tidak percaya oleh sebab dia bukan warganegara dan seorang Melayu. Tidak ada orang Melayu sendiri yang dapat tawaran memberi perkhidmatan pengangkutan kepada Bank itu sebelum ini. Pegawai Bank itu juga seorang Melayu berjanji menolongnya menjalankan perniagaan itu.  Dia menubuhkan sebuah syarikat dan menerima tawaran Bank itu untuk memberi perkhidmatan penjagaan setor dan pengangkutan. Katanya sekarang ini sudah hampit 10 tahun dia menjalankan perniaagaan itu. Dia berasa sangat selesa dengan perniagaannya ini.

Perkhidmatan yang ditawarkan oleh Syarikat Redzuan kepada Bank itu agak menarik. Dia diberi kontark menyelenggarakan sebuah setor kepunyaan Bank itu. Setor itu ialah untuk menyimpan rekod rekod dan dokumen dokumen yang tidak diperlukan Bank ketika itu. Untuk perkhimatan ini Redzuan dibayar bayaran tetap RM 1500 sebulan. Selain daripada itu dari masa kesemasa dia akan diminta mengambil barang barang dan dokumen dokumen dari satu cawangan dan dihantar kecawangan lain, atau dari Ibupejabat kecawangan. Atau dia diminta mengambil kotak kotak yang berisi barang barang dan dokumen dokumen dan disimpan di setornya. Kerja ini agak berat katanya. Untuk perkhidmatan ini dia dibayar pada kadar kadar tertentu. Pendapatanya agak lumayan. Dia boleh mendapat di antara RM 2000 hingga RM 10000 sebulan.

Sebagai menunjukkan kepercayaannya kepada pendidikan pasenteren dia menghantar empat orang anaknya belajar di pasenteren di negeri Jawa. Hanya anak bongsunya sahaja yang belajar di sekolah kebangsaan di sini.

Redzuan mengakui sekarang ini orang orang Boyan di negeri asal mereka dan juga di Malaysia terutama pemuda pemudi telah sedikit sebanyak dijangkiti oleh cara hidup Barat. Di Pulau Boyan mithalnya dahulu di majlis perkhwinan tidak ada permainan pancaragam dan tarian. Ini adalah pengaruh orang orang Jawa yang berhijrah ke Pulau Boyan. Begitu juga di majlis perkahwinan orang Boyan di Malaysia. Tuan rumah akan mengundang kumpulan pemuzik dan penari yang terdiri dari orang orang Jawa untuk membuat persembahan musik dan tari menari. Redzuan tidak merestui perkembangan ini. Tetapi apa boleh buat! Katanya mengeluh.

STAR ABOUT TO BE BORN

Sometime during the year (1957) we heard some news, ( originally   rumours) about some political development taking place that would affect our School and us. The politicians particularly the Malay School teachers were quite disappointed that Malay Secondary Schools like ours and the ones in Tanjung Malim and Durian Daun in Melaka (for the girls) were actually providing secondary education in English. There was a plan therefore that in the following year there would be established Malay medium secondary schools for selected pupils from Malay  primary schools. However the Malay secondary schools providing education through English medium would be continued. Parents would be given the option whether their children would go Malay medium or English medium secondary schools. Those who opted for English medium schools would first go to Remove Classes like we did. Those who decided on Malay medium schools would go straight to Form One. It must have been difficult for parents to make the choice. For nationalists the choice must be Malay medium education. However the English education has more economic value in terms of employability and opportunities for tertiary education. For us who have already embarked on English medium secondary education there was no option but to continue with English medium education. Personally I feel it was fortunate that I had English medium secondary education. I would not have been able at that time to subsequently study at King’s College, University of London no less, if I had Malay medium secondary education. I was then able to enter the legal profession. I think it was very much later that products of Malay medium schools were able to pursue University education abroad. Those students who had Malay medium education and went to local Universities during the early period found it difficult to obtain employment in the private sector. It was even worse for those who only had Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) through the Malay Medium schools.  The SPM was even mocked as Sijil Pengangguran Malaysia.   Thus most of them became teachers and the better ones joined the Civil Service.

This is  not meant to be a criticism of the decision to provide education through the Malay language. Of course it was a politically  correct decision.  However I do question whether there had been enough preparation before it was implemented. I remember in the early stages the Malay medium classes were placed in the English medium schools. They were “squatters” if you like. It was very much later that Schools like Sekolah Aminuddin Baki  and other schools were built. I am not sure if the teachers were ever trained to teach in Bahasa Malaysia. I remember when I was a temporary teacher in  Methodist English School, Tanjong Malim after finishing my Higher School Certificate there were Malay Medium classes attached (for a better word) to the School. This was in 1964. I could see that they did not have properly trained teachers. It was much later that a  proper school was built for that area. I think it was called Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Khir Johari. I would like to know from educationists whether the Razak Report which provided for secondary education for pupils from Malay Primary schools provides for English or Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction.

Perhaps our experience in deciding whether to opt for English Medium or Malay medium secondary education could have been used in the current controversy whether to use English or Malay in the teaching of Science and Mathematics in schools. Our experience shows that it was possible in the late 50s and early 60s to teach all subjects including Science and Mathematics in English to pupils who had very little knowledge of English and in that process the pupils’ knowledge of English also improved. When the idea of teaching Science and Mathematics in English in schools was proposed by Dr. Mahathir the then Prime Minister,  I am of the opinion that the idea was sound. I am of course not an educationist although I can also claim to be a nationalist. However I do question the haste in implementing it. And now we have to revert to using Bahasa Malaysia. Our experience proved that we were exposed to a much wider field of knowledge and opportunities by having English medium education. In my own case my English was definitely much better compared to those who had their education using the Malay language and I can also say with some pride that my command of Bahasa Malaysia is no worse that of the English language. I could not possibly have studied Law at that time without possessing a strong command of the English Language. When I was in law practice I was rather sad to observe that the young Malay  lawyers who came from Malay Medium schools and studied law in the local universities where I understand they had the choice of attending lectures and doing the examinations in English or Bahasa Malaysia, their knowledge of the law and command of English language was left much to be desired. They must have been severely handicapped not being able to read and understand books and reports which were mostly in English. The same thing may happen to the present children who are going to learn science and mathematics in Bahasa Malaysia. It is undeniable that there are very few books in science and mathematics at all levels of education Bahasa Malaysia. Translation is a very slow process and by the time books are translated they have become obsolete because development in science and technology is very fast. Perhaps giving the parents the option whether their children should be taught science and mathematics in English or Bahasa Malaysia is not a bad idea. In our time the parents had that option to decide whether their children should go to English or Malay medium secondary schools. It had worked quite well. Not to mention it is democratic too.

It was about this time also that it was proposed that the three existing Malay Secondary Schools should be renamed so that the irony that Malay secondary schools were actually teaching in English was not so apparent. It is a rebranding exercise if you like. So our School would be renamed Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman. Tuanku Abdul Rahman was the reigning Yang Di Pertuan Agung of the country. A lot of people mistook it and thought the School was named after the Prime Minister of that time Tunku Abdul Rahman (also known as Tengku Abdul Rahman). The Tanjung Malim School was renamed Sekolah Dato’ Abdul Razak  taking the name of the then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education. The girls’ school in Melaka was renamed Sekolah Tun Fatimah taking its name from a character in Sejarah Melayu.  I must ask my wife who came from that School to tell me who Tun Fatimah was, and tell you about it perhaps in the next article.

THE LATE TUN HAMDAN AND MR MARSHALL IN MEMORIUM. AND IN APPRECIATION OF MR MICHAEL LIAU

  In early  January1957 I received a letter from the Ministry of Education  that I was to report to the Malay Secondary School Ashby Road Ipoh. All by myself I took a train to Ipoh. A chartered bus with a teacher, whose name I later found out to be Mr Lau Hut Yee, took me with other boys to Ashby Road. Subsequently I found out four other friends from my class in Kuala Lumpur were also selected to join the School.  They were the 2 Abdul Razak Yahyas (one from Beranang and the other from Klang),  Hamid Mohd Nor ( who  had passed away a few years ago) and Supaat Simin.

 I was quite disappointed to find that School was a former British Military Detention Camp comprising of dilapidated wooden buildings with common bathrooms and toilets using the buckets system. Little did I know then that the School was to change my life. 

We were in Form One when we were in Malay Secondary School in 1957. It was a fantastic year as far as our education was concerned. Although our command of English was still very poor all lessons were done in English with the exception of Bahasa Malayu and Ugama. Our handicap in English was more than compensated by the group of very dedicated teachers we had. We must make mention of some of them. This group led by the Headmaster the late Tun Hamdan bin Sheikh Tahir consisted  of Messrs Lau Hut Yee, Anthony Marshall, Baskaran, Michael Liau Tet Loke, Sundrakarean, Mohammad Perdaus and and the late Encik Abdul Aziz Wok and Mr Choong Swee Chin. There were other equally good teachers but they did not teach us. I remember the late Encik Abdul Latif Shamsuddin, Encik Ruslan Ahmad and a few others. They taught the Remove classes. They spared nothing to make sure we had the best all round education.

The Headmaster introduced us to many new things. There was the Monday morning assembly. At these assemblies held in open air he would dress in his impressive academic University gown complete with cap and mortar and  mount the improvised wooden stage and without fail deliver  stirring speeches in his thundering voice urging us not to waste the opportunity of making good in life through education and hard work. Besides his attire his speeches cannot but inspire us.Then  the teacher on duty would report major events that had taken place the previous week. This is followed by a representative from every class making a short speech or reciting a poem in English. This is to give us the chance to learn to speak in public with confidence in Eglish.  I once recited a poem entitled “IF” by Rudyard Kipling. I still remember a few lines like;

          “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you

            If you can wait and not be tired of waiting

            If you can dream and not make dreams your master

            If you can……..walk with kings – not lose the common touch

            Yours is the Earth and everything in it

            And – which is more – you will be a Man my son

   The Headmaster insisted that every student took active parts in extra curricular activities like sports and the various societies that he asked to be formed e g  the English Literary and Debating Society, Historical Society and Geographical Society to name a few. Every student was to join a uniformed group like the Boys Scout, Red Cross Society and Saint John’s Ambulance Brigade. I became a Committee member of the Historical Society.  I was very active in the Red Cross Society. As the School was in a temporary premises and it did not have any sports facilities to speak of, the Headmaster personally organized the preparation of a sports ground and a Basketball court (the one game we were told that he was good at) on an empty piece of State land near the School. A padder tennis court was built behind the Dining Hall.  I was extremely pleased because I had played this game when I was in the primary school in my kampong. A notable player was Badli Awang Chik (Now Datuk) who had already played tennis in his home town Kuala Trengganu.  Badli was also the first Head Boy of the School, a very fitting appointment and he held the appointment until he left School in 1961. Another good player was Adzmi Abdul Wahab (now Tan Sri). They subsequently became School players. Adzmi and I later were brave enough to participate in the Malayan Youth National Championship and Malay Youth National Championship held in Kuala Lumpur. We were always kept busy with all sorts of activities. What we looked forward to were the excursions to various interesting places in Perak like the “Mengeluchur” (A water slide of some sort in a river somewhere in Kuala Kangsar) Chong Sam Tin Mine, Sam Bhun Thong Cave and Cameron Highlands Hydro Electric Dam.
He encouraged us to attend plays put up by other more established schools in Ipoh. We remember attending a Shakespearean play staged by the Anglo Chinese School. We think this led us to stage a Malay play entitled “Nyawa Di Hujung Pedang” written by Ahmad Murad Nasaruddin. I had a minor role in the play, a role I was not very proud of. I was asked to play the role of the mother of the heroine Juriah played by Mohammad Wahab. We even attended a Cello presentation in town. We also cannot forget marching to the town padang  to hear an American Red Indian named Tom Two Arrows speaking. We cannot remember what he spoke about. However we had the opportunity to see a Red Indian in person.

The Headmaster did not neglect our religious education. Although we did not have a fulltime ustaz a temporary part time one was engaged to teach us religious lessons. Every Friday we attended Friday prayers in Ipoh town. Ipoh at that time had two main mosques, one in the town itself and the other in Kampong Paloh. The Religious Department ruled both mosques cannot be used simultaneously. So each mosque took turn to be used for Friday prayers. We wondered if this was a right ruling. Why cannot they be used at the same time? There were enough worshippers for both mosques.

The Headmaster made sure that our health was looked after. If we were sick we would be sent to the Ipoh General Hospital for treatment. We were also sent for regular dental check-up at the Government Dental Clinic in town. Some of us enjoyed this trip to town for the dental check up. One got to ride in the Headmaster's Austain of Englad car and some time to roam in town. Mr Liau did not like his Mathematics class being interrupted by these trips and would announce the names of students going to dental clinic by saying, "the following boys with bad teeth please get lost from my class!" 

 I was particularly close to my Class teacher the late Mr. Anthony Marshall who also taught English and English Literature. It must have been his influence that I became quite proficient in English something that I  cherish and love to this day. Mr.I think Mr Marshall liked me and we developed a very special relationship. It was Mr. Marshall who picked me to be the  School Magazine's (Perintis) General Editor, a position I held until I left School. However although Mr. Marshall was a first class sportsman he failed to make me a sportsman. It is not that he did not try but I was just not the type who can be made a sportsman. However  Mr.  Marshall made me interested in sports. I could not play Cricket but I became the Scorer for the School team. I was a Touch Judge for rugby and I could umpire most games. It was Mr. Marshall too who instilled in me the finer points of public speaking. I was very proud that I delivered the welcoming speech when the last British High Commissioner Sir Donald MacGillivray  visited the School that year. The country was about to achieve independence on 31 August 1957 and Sir Donald was on a tour to bid farewell to the country. I was also active in the School English Literary and Debating Society. All these were the result of the influence Mr. Marshall had on me.

Mr. Michael Liau taught us mathematics. He was a very good and effective teacher. We cannot forget until today almost all he taught us.  I liked mathematics so much that I took Additional Mathematics at the School Certificate examination and took Mathematics at the Higher School Certificate examination although I was in the Arts Stream. We can still remember “phi” is the ratio of the circumference of a circle over its radius and is 22 over 7. He taught us how to remember certain things easier for examples the square root of 3 is “I promise may be” meaning 1.732 and that of 2 is “I wish I know” meaning 1.414. Although he taught mathematics he was a very well read man. In teaching what is "circumference" in mathematics he introduced us to Sir Christopher Wren the Architect of Saint Paul’s Cathedral London. He told us that the builders of the Cathedral wrote in the ceiling of the dome of the Cathedral “ Si monumentum requires, circumspice” (If you seek his monument, look about you). That is how he introduced the subject ‘circumference’. (I was very fortunate to have gone up to the dome of Saint Paul and saw for himself that Mr. Liau was absolutely right) Mr. Liau is now Dr Liau having obtained his doctorate in psychology from an Australian University. I am very pleased that Dr Liau and I are still in touch. He never failed to call me to wish me Selamat Hari Raya. His excuse for calling was that he did not agree trees should be cut down to make greeting cards!

REMEMBERING MSS ASHBY ROAD IPOH 1957

When we were in

Ashby Road

a few memorable events took place that we cannot forget. One of them was the Asian Flu which struck the School. The School almost closed down with many of the classrooms turned into sick bays. Teachers became part-time nurses. We remember Mr. Michael Liau coming round   announcing in not very good Bahasa Malaysia “Banggun Makan Ubat”. Fortunately no death was recorded.

During the year a batch of new students joined us. They were put in the Remove Class. They came from all parts of the country. They were very proud where they came from. One night we were in the classroom with Mr. Marshall helping us with our Prep work. We saw one small boy who had just joined the School coming from the dormitory walking towards the classroom block. He was called by the teacher and was asked where he came from. The teacher just wanted to know if he came from his dorm or the toilet because he should be in his classroom at that time. The boy said proudly “I come from Province Wellesley, Sir”. We all laughed at him. Mr Marshall. the wit he was asked “ did you walk all the way here?” Jaafar Kamin (Now Datuk) came from this second batch. So in I957 we had two classes, Remove Class (or Tingkat Khas) and Form One. I think the enrolment was 360 students. It is worth mentioning that we had a Siamese pupil by the name Chairon Nai Dam joining the School. He came from Kedah. He was to become a very successful student excelling in most academic subjects including Ugama Islam. He became a Police Officer and was killed in an aircraft accident while on duty as the Aid De Camp to Tan Sri Ghazali Shafie then a Cabinet Minister.

We remember that the teachers who came from the three races in Malaysia i.e. Malay Chinese and Indian were truly dedicated and if I may say so showed the true spirit of 1Malaysia well before the present Prime Minister introduced it. They did nothing less than their best to educate us. I may even go further and say that the Non Malay teachers were generally more dedicated and hardworking than the Malay teachers with the exception perhaps of the Headmaster and Cikgu Perdaus who was the Deputy HM and doubled up as the School Steward before Encik Abdul Hamid Arup was appointed to that position. Encik Hamid was the father of our illustrious Tun Ahmad Sarji bin Abdul Hamid, the former Chief Secretary of the Government. We remember seeing young  Ahmad Sarji living in STAR staff quarters (which was in front of White House where I lived) when he was still a student in the University of Malaya in Singapore. We have spoken of Mr. Marshall and Mr. M. Liau. The other notable teachers who taught us were none other than Mr. Lau Hut Yee, now affectionately known as Pak Lau, the late Mr. Choong Swee Chin and Mr. Baskaran. The fact that we were Malays and they were Chinese or Indians made not the slightest difference. They were simply devoted to their profession. They taught us in the classrooms, instructed us in sports and games, led us in our other extra curricula activities, supervised us during prep hours at nights, took us out on excursions, were with us during meals and saw to it that were safely in beds at the end of the day. I remember many a times Mr. Marshall would pass by my bed and said softly “Good night Damha Fossuy, which was my name spelt backwards)”. Mr. Marshall of course had many times lost his temper with our impertinence at times. He could whack you with a long ruler or chase you out of the class. If you did not play cricket well or as instructed he would say “You belacan fellows can never play cricket.” We of course did not mind. The same thing can be said of Mr. Lau. I saw him  getting very very  angry twice. We kept guinea pigs in the  Science Gardens and had a duty roster for attending to the animals after School. One day somebody when feeding the poor animals forgot to lock the door of animals’ house and they escaped. Mr. Lau’s face turned red and lectured us how useless and irresponsible we were. He was also in charge of the Red Cross Society. There was this competition to draw posters about the Red Cross. I cannot remember  what  the occasion for the competition was. On the day we were supposed to hand in our entries not many of us had completed our assignments. Oh my God! Mr. Lau just could not stand our “tidak apa” attitude. He would not listen to my defence, which I still maintain was a good one. I told Mr. Lau that the competition should be voluntary and I was not at all good in Art (after all it was taught by Mr. M. Liau  who was not trained to teach Art, his forte being Mathematics, and I always got an E in Art). Mr. Lau would not listen to such impertinence. I and other like minded boys were kept back after prep hours and told to finish the damned posters (excuse me) and it did not matter to him if we did not get to sleep after that. You are a great teacher Pak Lau. No wonder you won the Tokoh Guru Award.

I said a few of the Malay teachers were not on par with the non Malay teachers as far their dedication was concerned. There was this handsome Malay teacher who was supposed to teach us Bahasa Melayu. He practically taught us nothing.  He was very popular though. How could he not be? He would come to class and ask us if we would like to listen to him telling us a film he had just seen. Sometimes these Holywood films took a few lessons to finish. At other times he would come to class with Utusan Melayu and read patriotic stories. I vividly remember him reading a news item about a delegation of Chinese politicians led by one Mr. Lau Pak Kuan who had an audience with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in London petitioning her not to grant independence to Malaya. You can imagine our teacher was of course very angry with Lau Pak Kuan.