My Teen Years - 1978

Class 5 Science 3. Me, mid-row, standing 7th from right.

1978, the final year I was in school. We entered our Fifth Form year with the same registered students as when we were in Form Four. My class was 5 Science 3 and our Class Master was Mr Lim Eng Kiat, our Physics teacher. All the teachers were the same as those who taught us the previous year.

I was looking forward to collect the School Yearbook of 1977 (yes, dear readers. Due to manual setting of the printing press in those days, we could only receive our Yearbook in the following year). Why so? This was because I wanted to see the article I had contributed in the School’s Essay Contest (Bahasa Malaysia) in 1977. I was excited and happy because the article I wrote won the second prize. What was the prize you might ask? It was not of something very valuable, just a story book. Nevertheless, I was proud to see my writing in print.

The four Form Five Science classes were housed at the A Block while the two Form Five Arts classes were located at the Administration Block. The morning session assembly area was located between the two blocks.

How was life in the Fifth Form? Lessons were more intensive to prepare us for the MCE examinations. I attended Mathematics and Add Mathematics tuition held at St Louis Institution. As for the Science subjects, I enjoyed the practical experiments during our time in the laboratories. All students were to pick a lab partner. I was “picked’ by a chap named Jajahan. Jajahan was a transfer student from the Thompson Road school. Our Chemistry teacher, Mr Yow, nicknamed him OBJ (as in Orang Besar Jajahan). He was my lab partner since Form Four. I still remember what he said, “Muz, you do the experiments. I be the observer”.

1978 School Band. Me, sitting, 5th from left.

Senior Scouts 1978. Me, from top, third row standing, 3rd from left.

As for co-curriculum, I divided my time between the School Band practices and the Scouts meeting. In March, the Scout Master, Mr Nadesamy invited anyone who would be interested to attend the Fourth Malaysia Scouts National Jamboree to be held in Kuching, Sarawak in June that year. I quickly got a form and submitted it with my mom’s permission. Those who applied were called for an interview held at St George’s Institution. The interview was led by the Chief Contingent, En Mokhtar. Six boys from my school (myself included) were selected to join the Perak Scouts Contingent for the Jamboree. A total of 40 boys were selected from various schools in Perak. I remember and befriended several of them who were from the Malay College, Clifford School and few others from Batu Kurau, Sitiawan, Kampar and Ipoh. We were required to attend weekend training camps that began in April. The training “camp” was held near En Mokhtar’s house. The housing area where he stayed was newly opened and there were several houses yet to be occupied. We were housed in one or two of the houses as temporary hostels (with permission from their owners). Some 16 of us were chosen to perform a traditional performance called “Tarian Dabus”. Some of the other scouts who I could still remember were – Mahfuz, Zubir, John Boscoe, Rasul, Henry Leong and Mark.

The Jamboree was one of the most memorable events I had experienced in that year. We assembled at Ipoh and boarded the train to Johore Bharu. After an overnight stay at a school, we boarded one of the two Navy’s LST (Landing Ship Tank) that was assigned to transport all the scouts from West Malaysia to Kuching. The two ships were KD Raja Jarom and KD Sri Langkawi. After two nights, we arrived at Kuching Port and were transported by several buses to the Jamboree site at Petra Jaya. On the opening ceremony day, I was proud to be chosen to raise the Perak state flag. We were in Kuching for over one week. Scouts from all contingents were to participate in community work (gotong-royong), cultural shows and some sports events. I remember I went to Kampung Gersik near Kuching to help build a wooden bridge and paint the community hall. Afterwards, we were feted by the kampong folks in a khenduri.

Another memorable event was the School’s Open Day. For the Open Day, the students were to showcase their various skills whether in the aspect of education or co-curriculum activities. Our Biology teacher, Mr Lee Yoke Beng, had asked me to participate in a Biology experiment. I was asked to purchase some materials and assemble my own team of 4 people. The experiment required two fish aquariums, two pairs of fish (at least) and other materials such as coloured paper and cellophane tape. As for my team, I managed to get Jajahan (my lab partner) and  Kuan Kah Soon (who contributed the two aquariums). Kah Soon was also the one who had a driver’s license to transport the aquariums to school. The experiment was to showcase that fish could change their colour to adapt to the environment.

My seventeenth birthday was again a quiet affair. No big parties other than a greeting card from my mom and her gift of RM50.

The important Malaysian Certificate of Education examinations came in November 1978. Most of us sat for the exams in the School Hall. Science practical examinations were held in the Science Labs. The exams were spread over three weeks. After our final paper, I joined a group of boys to celebrate at the “bubur cha-cha” stall near Taiping Bus Station (Larut-Matang Supermarket building). Amongst the boys were, Rajisvaran, Shentilnathan, Hoo Choon Huat, Karunamurthy and Tan Chew Yen.

Thus, we came to the end of my school life. Memories of school life are still quite fresh in mind, as if I had just left school just a few years ago. In fact, it has been over 30 years that I had left school. I will cherish those good memories forever.

In Scout uniform with the 4th National Jamboree badge.