The early grouping; the 18 potential 11 year old derived from Malay Schools from around the vast Malay Reserve in the Lower Perak District was the pioneer group of a Special Malay Class 1 for the newly formed Government English School, in Hutan Melintang in 1952. Coming from various kampongs the first week in the GES saw us as total strangers. We were like alien from nowhere, dumb and too scared to break the school law, and being punished for talking in ‘our mother tongue’ – The Malay Language. So either in the classrooms, during recess at the tuck shop or in the school compounds at the beginning and end of school hours each choose to be by himself.
It was this boy from the Malay School next-door that broke the ice. He was tall, slender and had a fair complexion. His sleepy eyes, one could easily mistake him for a Chinese. We repeatedly asked ourselves; how on earth a Chinese lad in our midst We were in the quandary with the notion of having a Chinese in our newly formed Special Malay Class until we had the first opportunity of being on our own in the playground on the 3rd day of schooling. As the teachers were too busy with meetings and administering the newly formed school, we (all the 18 odd boys) were given a football and were allowed to use the adjacent Malay School padang (football field). That was when we found out his true colour. He was a Malay lad after all. Very talkative and played football well.
As he was from the same Malay School, Yusof seems to be in control of most things. First he assured us that in the playing field we won’t be caught by our school teachers and fined for speaking Malay. The school authority would not be around for some times, as they were busy with their chores. He also indicated there would be more students joining us from other towns the coming weeks. He suggested that we the Village lads should form our very own playmates, before those town snobs arrived. Ardently we accepted his leadership. As we were in the school Padang for most of the day, the esprit de corps soon prevails amongst us the Village Lads. Later that week we turned the adjacent vacant secondary forest into our war-game zone, playing our favorite Perang Korea (Korean War) or Kombat Perang Jepun (wwii combat). It was he who initiated the war games. He formulated the rules and designed the moves. Hungary for high adventures playing as aggressors or defenders, the war-game zone in that secondary forest soon became our favorite jaunt during recess or after school. We made him the Captain of our football team and the Combat General in our war games. And sooner Yusof was loved by most. He was the popular figure to all of us, although our class teacher loathes some of his cunning antics.
In school Yusoff positioned himself as an all rounder in sports and games. He captained our Football and Hockey teams in the interschool games and won. In no time the teachers acknowledged his potentials and started to harness him as school player. Winning interschool games meant a lot to most school administrators. Soon Yusof became the favorite for the district cluster schools, in inter-district tournaments. At times we saw less of Yusoff in the class room. Either he was sent for a special training sessions in the school Padang or engaged in district tournaments somewhere else.
Alas, the special attention given to him had a toll on his education. He dropped out after LCE after 6 years playing hero for our school and the district sport circuits.
The first LCE - Lower Certificate Examination 1957 public exam attended by us as the school pioneer group saw a 100% pass but without Yusof on the list to be transferred to the town schools for our upper secondary education. Reluctantly we left our Combat General and School Football & Hockey Captain behind in our pursuit for better education. Later we heard that he got employment in a Kuala Lumpur bank, and we were happy for him.
While most of us went for College and Varsity Education and post-graduate studies we heard that Yusof had a brush with the law and served time. The School Captain & The Combat General slowly vanishes from our mind.
As I came from the same village, I often inquired about his well beings from close associates. I got sketchy reports about him. I was told by his close cousin that after finishing time he was on odd jobs at Taxi Stands and Bus Stations. He later got married, settled down and tried his hand in small business to support his family. The last I heard of him was as an operator of a school canteen.
The only time we met him as a group was at an event at GES Sungai Sumun some years ago. One of our classmates was appointed as The Minister of Education in the Tun Dr.Mahadhir Mohammad’s Cabinet. The alumni decided to accompany the new Yang Berhormat on his official tour of our alma- mater. In the group was also our beloved class teacher Mr. PH Nesaratnam. Along the way, we recounted lots of nostalgic events of our early school days in the GES. In one way or the other, we ‘scaled’ the successes and life achievements of most to the delight of Mr. Nesa. Hardly had we touched on Yusuf’s. The only things that lingered in our mind then, was that he once had a brush with the law and served times.
To our surprised we were received by Yusuf as we followed the Yang Berhormat’s entourage entering the school compound. We had a nice reunion and promised to meet again on the school’s 50th Anniversary on January 2002. The plan never materialized.
The last I met Yusuf, was January last year at Surau Ahmadiah, Parit 25 Baruh, Tanjung Bayan. It was my family’s event celebrating Aidil Adha open house and ibadah korban. Out of the blue he popped in driving his new Proton, in red long sleeves and white pants. His smiles and sense of humor added ambience to the events. We hugged each other. But soon he asked for his leave, as he had other urgent matters to attend to. We promised to meet again.
That was the last time I met our GES School Captain and our Combat General.
His demise on the early Friday morning 11th January 08 (2nd Day Muharram) was a shock to me. I hurriedly drove back to Hutan Melintang for his funeral, only to be told by my nephew that the cortege has left for the funeral grounds. I was flustered for not being able to attend the funeral.
Before the Friday prayer I sms the sad news to few GES colleagues listed in my cell phone simcard.An immediate respond came from Nordin Sabran: ‘TERIMA KASIH ZIZ. BERITA YANG MENYEDIHKAN. ALLAH MENGASIHI NYA. BULAN, HARI DAN MASA YANG BAIK. SAMOGA DI MAAFKAN DOSA-DOSANYA DAN ROHNYA DI RAHMATI.” Other immediate responds came from Dato’ Idris Haji Wahid ex CPO, and Dato’ Zubir Yahya ex MCS. The rest may have not received my SMS or had a vague remembrance of our once Captain and Combat General at the (then) GES.
Alfatihah.
It was this boy from the Malay School next-door that broke the ice. He was tall, slender and had a fair complexion. His sleepy eyes, one could easily mistake him for a Chinese. We repeatedly asked ourselves; how on earth a Chinese lad in our midst We were in the quandary with the notion of having a Chinese in our newly formed Special Malay Class until we had the first opportunity of being on our own in the playground on the 3rd day of schooling. As the teachers were too busy with meetings and administering the newly formed school, we (all the 18 odd boys) were given a football and were allowed to use the adjacent Malay School padang (football field). That was when we found out his true colour. He was a Malay lad after all. Very talkative and played football well.
As he was from the same Malay School, Yusof seems to be in control of most things. First he assured us that in the playing field we won’t be caught by our school teachers and fined for speaking Malay. The school authority would not be around for some times, as they were busy with their chores. He also indicated there would be more students joining us from other towns the coming weeks. He suggested that we the Village lads should form our very own playmates, before those town snobs arrived. Ardently we accepted his leadership. As we were in the school Padang for most of the day, the esprit de corps soon prevails amongst us the Village Lads. Later that week we turned the adjacent vacant secondary forest into our war-game zone, playing our favorite Perang Korea (Korean War) or Kombat Perang Jepun (wwii combat). It was he who initiated the war games. He formulated the rules and designed the moves. Hungary for high adventures playing as aggressors or defenders, the war-game zone in that secondary forest soon became our favorite jaunt during recess or after school. We made him the Captain of our football team and the Combat General in our war games. And sooner Yusof was loved by most. He was the popular figure to all of us, although our class teacher loathes some of his cunning antics.
In school Yusoff positioned himself as an all rounder in sports and games. He captained our Football and Hockey teams in the interschool games and won. In no time the teachers acknowledged his potentials and started to harness him as school player. Winning interschool games meant a lot to most school administrators. Soon Yusof became the favorite for the district cluster schools, in inter-district tournaments. At times we saw less of Yusoff in the class room. Either he was sent for a special training sessions in the school Padang or engaged in district tournaments somewhere else.
Alas, the special attention given to him had a toll on his education. He dropped out after LCE after 6 years playing hero for our school and the district sport circuits.
The first LCE - Lower Certificate Examination 1957 public exam attended by us as the school pioneer group saw a 100% pass but without Yusof on the list to be transferred to the town schools for our upper secondary education. Reluctantly we left our Combat General and School Football & Hockey Captain behind in our pursuit for better education. Later we heard that he got employment in a Kuala Lumpur bank, and we were happy for him.
While most of us went for College and Varsity Education and post-graduate studies we heard that Yusof had a brush with the law and served time. The School Captain & The Combat General slowly vanishes from our mind.
As I came from the same village, I often inquired about his well beings from close associates. I got sketchy reports about him. I was told by his close cousin that after finishing time he was on odd jobs at Taxi Stands and Bus Stations. He later got married, settled down and tried his hand in small business to support his family. The last I heard of him was as an operator of a school canteen.
The only time we met him as a group was at an event at GES Sungai Sumun some years ago. One of our classmates was appointed as The Minister of Education in the Tun Dr.Mahadhir Mohammad’s Cabinet. The alumni decided to accompany the new Yang Berhormat on his official tour of our alma- mater. In the group was also our beloved class teacher Mr. PH Nesaratnam. Along the way, we recounted lots of nostalgic events of our early school days in the GES. In one way or the other, we ‘scaled’ the successes and life achievements of most to the delight of Mr. Nesa. Hardly had we touched on Yusuf’s. The only things that lingered in our mind then, was that he once had a brush with the law and served times.
To our surprised we were received by Yusuf as we followed the Yang Berhormat’s entourage entering the school compound. We had a nice reunion and promised to meet again on the school’s 50th Anniversary on January 2002. The plan never materialized.
The last I met Yusuf, was January last year at Surau Ahmadiah, Parit 25 Baruh, Tanjung Bayan. It was my family’s event celebrating Aidil Adha open house and ibadah korban. Out of the blue he popped in driving his new Proton, in red long sleeves and white pants. His smiles and sense of humor added ambience to the events. We hugged each other. But soon he asked for his leave, as he had other urgent matters to attend to. We promised to meet again.
That was the last time I met our GES School Captain and our Combat General.
His demise on the early Friday morning 11th January 08 (2nd Day Muharram) was a shock to me. I hurriedly drove back to Hutan Melintang for his funeral, only to be told by my nephew that the cortege has left for the funeral grounds. I was flustered for not being able to attend the funeral.
Before the Friday prayer I sms the sad news to few GES colleagues listed in my cell phone simcard.An immediate respond came from Nordin Sabran: ‘TERIMA KASIH ZIZ. BERITA YANG MENYEDIHKAN. ALLAH MENGASIHI NYA. BULAN, HARI DAN MASA YANG BAIK. SAMOGA DI MAAFKAN DOSA-DOSANYA DAN ROHNYA DI RAHMATI.” Other immediate responds came from Dato’ Idris Haji Wahid ex CPO, and Dato’ Zubir Yahya ex MCS. The rest may have not received my SMS or had a vague remembrance of our once Captain and Combat General at the (then) GES.
Alfatihah.
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3 comments:
SMS respond from Ismail Shaari ex GES collegue: SAYA INGAT SANGAT PERGAULAN BERSAMANYA YANG BERWARNA WARNI SEMASA DI GES.
SMS respond from Nordin Sabran 18th January 08: ZIZ TK 4 UR BLOG. KELUAR HUTAN BARU SAYA BACA. INTERESTING NOSTALGIA. U MISS PENGEMBALA 'ANAK ARNAB'. HE WAS GREAT. TK SEKALI LAGI.
SMS respond from Nordin Sabran 18th January 08: ZIZ TK 4 UR BLOG. KELUAR HUTAN BARU SAYA BACA. INTERESTING NOSTALGIA. U MISS PENGEMBALA 'ANAK ARNAB'. HE WAS GREAT. TK SEKALI LAGI.
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