mhs66
connecting friends
Reflections
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Picture: BHES today. The badminton court
Tracing our time from Bandar Hilir English School to Malacca High School and beyond, the many faces who crossed our path, the friends who came into our lives, the classroom, the building, the teachers, the gardeners... as we look into the mirror of time to see the reflection of our days gone by. thh
I am starting this column on reflections of our childhood days. Please contribute. Who knows, Ann Mean may decide to put them into a book and we can all earn royalties. Here goes ......... (Seet Quee Leong)
1 Reflections - Chua Peng Imm, Gordon
I remember Peng Imm's dive. He ran up to the waterside, planted both feet at the edge, jumped and took a dive. I found it to be beautiful, elegant and of course stylo lah. This was because I didn't have the opportunity to go to any swimming pool. I learnt my swimming (mostly underwater before I learn to swim on the surface) at Tanjong Bidara, Tanjong Kling, Pantai Kundor, Bachang old pottery "lake".
So since then, I have tried to copy his stylo dive, especially when there are onlookers. Any interested onlookers?...QL
2 Reflections - Ng Joo Jin
Not able to afford the scouts' uniform, I did not join and so missed all the scouting fun. Joo Jin gave me my first camping experience by inviting me to go camping with him. As it turned out, all others could not get parental permission and there were only the two of us and Chew Eng Huan. We cycled to Tanjong Kling.
I was so green, inexperienced and a virgin at camping. I went with only my shorts (in those days, don't have long pants except pajama longs) and short sleeve top. Then came the night. It was soooooo COLD, I had not experienced anything that cold before. Joo Jin, the "experienced camper" was similarly underclothed. We hugged each other and shivered to sleep. The next morning, we forgot the cold and had great fun until the night came again. We had another huggy night.
So Joo Jin, when you feel cold at night, remember me. (To Mrs Joo Jin: I hugged your husband to sleep before you did, but don't worry, nothing happened.).......................QL
3 Reflections - Ong Cheng Kiat
Cheng Kiat didn't want to contribute to our camping trip and declined to join us. When we were there, he conveniently turned up. Since he didn't contribute he didn't share our food. The first evening, he and Chew Eng Huan went for a walk. They came back, it was dark and Cheng Kiat offered us his corn beef sandwiches. Corn beef, man, have never tasted something that expensive. But one bite into the sandwich and we had to pui it out. Cheng Kiat acted so innocently after that. Chew later confessed that Cheng Kiat had dropped them into the sand, could not eat them and offered them to us.
Cheng Kiat, you have to redeem yourself by offering us good proper mad-cow free corn beef sandwiches.............QL...
4 Reflections - Haron
We went on a school outing to Tanjong Bidara. Haron produced a giant lorry tyre tube. About five or six of us joined him and we had great fun holding on to the tube and kicking around in the sea. Before long, we discovered we were quite far out into the sea. Some of us could not swim. I certainly would not be able to make it back to shore if the tube was to spring a leak.
We made it back and didn't even realise the danger then. I do now and shudder to think of my actions were they to be that by my son. Were our parents non-caring or are we over protective? ...................QL
(Haron Ismail passed away in 2005. editor)
5 Reflections - Ho Choy Hing, Japanese
Choy Hing, aka Japanese, has always been a tough boy in school. Good to have him in our Albuquequer House. He would not take any nonsense from anybody or be bullied. He had some disagreement with some boys in school and they ganged up to wallop him one day. The next day, his father was with him after school. His father called on the gang to fight with Choy Hing in his presence, this time on a one-to-one basis. Needless to say, Choy Hing beat every single one of them. I can't remember who these boys were, can you?
Choy Hing, your father was like somebody out of the movie................................................QL.....
6 My earliest recollection of a school friend I made was before we started schooling. We were probably 5 or 6 years old then.
In those early years in the centre of Old Malacca, there was a small round-a-bout and an equally tiny triangular Island. Like the tentacles of an octopus the circle shot out Wolferstan Road, Mill Road, Bunga Raya. Riverside Street, Bandar Kaba and across the bridge to Pantai Street. There was a small field beside the bridge by the Malacca River. It was here riding the swings and see-saw and merry-go-round that I first came to know Siew Chow Fatt. We played there many a night, staying on from 7pm till 8 or 9. It was also during those early days that we had my first roti canai from the Indian shop called Madras Cafe. 5 cents a piece with sugar.
At the foot of the bridge, adjacent to the first shop on Bunga Raya, every night a Chinese man would sit behind a small wooden box telling Chinese folk lore. Listeners, mostly men, would squad around mystified by his eloquent sing song voice. The people, not all, would drop a copper coin or two into his tin can. I think he told his stories in Hokkian dialect. I recalled a huge Overtine billboard over the heads of the audience.
chased me round the playground I ran too close to the swing area and got hit on the back of my head. Aziz got very cross and confronted the poor little girl on the swing. But it was my fault for being careless.
When we were in form 3/4, Raja Gopalan and I used to go jogging very early in the morning when most of you were still in bed. I got out of bed at 5.00am and started cycling to Raja's house in Semabok. We then jogged from Raja's house down to the Semabok roundabout where Song Teck Chua used to live and then round Bukit China hill. We might have encountered a few ghosts on the way, but who cares. After the morning jog I had to cycle back home in
town centre, an early morning shower, breakfast and then got ready to go to school.
On reflection, I think I had a raw deal from Raja. In our future lives I have to make sure that Raja wakes up at 5.00am and come over to my house instead.
And on the subject of camping, I remember on one of the camping trips in Pantai Kundor Lee Wee Yong got badly stung by a jelly fish. There was a bit of panic in the camp as we didn't know what to do and our usual First Aider
(Soh Sim Boon) wasn't there. Fortunately the sting wasn't as bad as we feared it might be, or perhaps Wee Yong's pain threshold was higher than we thought. .................................ChowFatt....
Every so often, we had early release from school (BHES). On many such occassion, instead of going home, some of us would go to the top of St Paul's Hill to play - hide-and-seek, catching, etc. We really had great fun.
On one such occassion, we saw some inviting mangoes on the trees by the slope of the hill, the back of Bastion House perhaps. Silly us, we threw stones at the mangoes to make them drop and were enjoying ourselves. Of course the fruits didn't drop but instead the stones landed on the rooftops of the houses down below the slope. The house owners must have been very angry. Without any warning, they let loose their dogs on us, about three of them. We ran for our lives. Low Boon Long, Koh Kok Thye and another got bitten. The others including me escaped. After the dogs left, we were not angry, we were more scared and worried of being scolded by our parents. But even then we were good, we went to the hospital together with the injured to get the necessary injection and treatment.
The house owners were irresponsible. We were only kids and didn't even realise the nuisance we were causing. Did we go back to St Paul's Hill. You bet we did.................................QL
9.Reflections - Mr Low Cheng Kim, Teacher
Those of us in Form 1A will always remember this incident. We were new in High School. Our classroom was near the tuckshop by the school field. In one of the changes of period, our teacher in charge was late in turning up. We were noisy and creating a ruckus. Along came Mr Low Cheng Kim on his was to another class. He popped his head into our class, "So you boys want to make noise, I want all of you to stay back and wait for me after school."
He did come around after school. He made us carry our chairs on our heads, run round the school field in the hot 1pm sun, all the time shouting "hoo, hoo, haa, haa" at the top of our voices. "You want to make noise, now you can do it," he told us. We did more than two rounds before Tong Chiew came to our rescue. He fell or fainted. Mr Low must have been worried and stopped the punishment then.
Did we bear a grudge against Mr Low? Definitely no, he went on to be one of the more liked teachers. He took us for a poetry lesson outside the classroom, under the trees. He introduced us to rugby which was great fun in the wet soggy school field, especially when it rained...........................QL
10.Reflections - Miss Lucy Tan, Teacher
Miss Tan was a cute pretty little lady, albeit on the short side. As a teacher she was patient and nice. Ong Tiow Wah was one of her favourites in class. When she used to ask questions, all would just keep quiet, the "no-idea" look on our faces. Once, she zeroed in on Tiow Wah and call his name - TIOW Wah. The class burst out into spontaneous laughter and she was quite mystified. Tiow Wah would just smile embarassingly. Everytime she called his name, we would get all tickled. She was obviously not Hokkien and Yoon Kong had connected us to her pronounciation of poor Tiow Wah name to mean - "f--- me". I am not sure whether she did wise up eventually but she gave up calling for Tiow Wah.
Another episode involved Ong Cheng Kiat. In the midst of her lesson, Cheng Kiat interruped her to say that he thinks that she is a sporty person. She smiled, waited and Cheng Kiat said that he knows her sport. She smiled, waited and Cheng Kiat said that it must be football. We all laughed as Cheng Kiat had already told us what he was up to. She smiled and walked away. If you remember, she always wore long skirts but you can't help but notice her well developed calves.
Miss Tan was such a nice person and Cheng Kiat, you were not very nice to her. ....... QL......
As he could not make us run round the field anymore with the chairs over our heads, he made us arrange the chairs lying down in a row, tie our legs at the ankle with hankerchief and jump over the chairs. S. Palaniappan couldn't
jump high enough and fell. Along came Low Cheng Kim to check his legs. There was no blood, only a bruised ego. What happened? He told Low Cheng Kim "I will tell my father and he will sue you." .......................AnnMean....
(The Late Robert Seow in BHES)Memories keep flooding back...............
13) Yes EngHim, that's the name of that fella, Tay Tiau Kim. His family ran that corner samsu shop on Egarton Road. One heluva figher if there ever was one.Behind the market was where JinTong stayed, on the same row as Datuk Tan Cheng Swee's. Further up the road still stands ChinWoo Club. Directly opposite was the anchestral home of Richard and Eddie Loh. Richard was a year our senior in High School while Eddie, a year our junior, went to St David after BHES. Richard now resides in London while the younger Loh has taken up Swedish citizenship .......thh
13.1) HH,
You did not mention me staying where Jin Tong is staying, maybe you don't know me then or I am not that famous. And I can't remember any Richard or Eddie Loh although I am staying on the same road. What is his M'sian name?
Do you remember another schoolmate staying directly opposite Chin Woo Club? the late Ou Yong Choong. And another schoolmate staying behind Chin Woo Club - Tham Cheng Kiat....eng him
14) While in Std 1 BHES, every other recess time 1D led by No. 1 King, Tay Tiau Kim will have a ruler sword fighting session with 1D led by No. 2 King, Divakaran Nair! Small wonder the lines we draw in our exercise books were always crooked....AnnMean
14.1) Ops, its 1C vs 1D. 1C was the end class of the block parallel to Chan Koon Cheng Road while 1D is at the beginning of the next block parallel to the lane that leads to the school gate. We had to charge across the grassy patch to the other block where the "enemies" are and run back when we were defeated.
Much later during Std. 6, Hamzah Bacik and I were frequently put in charge of that school gate as prefects. He always ensured his black leather shoes sparkle (an early indication of a distinguished army career?) ...AnnMean
15)Reflections - Chua Jin Tong
When I think about our school football performance, I only have one picture in mind - that of Jin Tong doing a diving header and scoring a most memorable goal. Do you guys remember it?.....QL
16)Reflections - LIm Yeow Seng
It was during our Form 4 or 5 days, playing rugby for the school. It was getting quite rough, so it was likely against Gajah Berang. They had ousiders (gang members?) to support their team. During half time, Yeow Seng (two years our senior?), told us not to be afraid, he and his gang will back us up should the other gang give us any trouble. Was there any trouble after that? I don't know, I only played the game.....QL
17) Reflections - Loo Poh Lam
Poh Lam was the ever gentle guy, so soft and unhurried in his speaking manner - so Peranakan. Hamzah still misses him as he keeps mentioning Poh Lam.....QL
18) Reflections - Ahmad Faiz
Ahmad was gentle, soft spoken and really a nice guy, Aziz's neighbour in Kampong Morten. But did you know that we actually got into a physical fight in Std 5, during recess time. It got into a stage when we held each others' arms and were pushing each other, when I suddenly fell back and use his weight and momentum to push him high up in the air with my leg and backwards (I had just seen this silat manouvre done in a movie starring Ahmad Mahmud). Fortunately he was not hurt, only badly shaken. I was equally shocked at what I had done. The fight stopped immediately after that.
Kids copy what they see in the movies without realising the inherent potential danger. I was guilty of that. Ahmad and I did not talk for a few weeks after that. Thereafter everything was forgotten and things went back to normal. Ahmad, I did not say sorry then but if you are reading this, please accept my most sincere, belated and overdue apology.....QL
19) Reflections - Aziz Jaafar
We used to visit Aziz at his Kampong Morten house. I remember his red jambu ayer fruit tree. It was sweet. Sometimes when we were there, we had to wait for him to finish his ugama class. One day, when we went there, he was in a sarong and holding it up in front. He had just been circumcised - sunat . He did not show us how it looked like, raw and fresh.
.......QL
20) Reflections - Loh Chiow Fun
Chiow Fun was the one with the stylo mylo fancy red/pink bicycle, always neatly dressed with his long sleeve shirt sleeve folded half sized and three quarter way down the arm. On days that he does not want to cycle all the way home to Pokok Manga, he would use my house as his half way house. From Form 4 onwards, Chiow Fun, Chew, myself and occassionally Mun Kei and Hiong Yien (after they finish their study) wasted much time outside the five foot way of my home, watching the scenery go by. It was a wonder how we ever got through Form 5 and on to Form 6.
Chiow Fun was in our biology class in Form 6. We had a book (Plant and Animal Biology Vol 1, Vines and Rees) about 3 to 4 inches thick. Chiow Fun used to carry that book, fully exposed, in the front carrier of his bicycle to school, even on days when we don't have biology. It must have impressed some girls.
Sadly, I did not meet up much with him after school as I was away and I heard of his demise. 30) My brush with our former teachers during my stint with the MOE in the 80s and 90s..............AM Chan Clan Can Ann Mean, Ops, you are right Hian Teck. Of course I remember him. In fact you told me he lives in KL now. If my memory is right the backyard of his house in Bandar Hilir has steps right down to the sea! Now its all Melaka Raya..............AM 34) Tan Kim Siak 47) Reflections - SP Palaniapan .....we sit and watch as years go by 50) Reflections - Slapped in School I was slapped twice in school, each time when I join a new school. The first time was in Std 1A (afternoon, BHES). I was still running about after the bell had gone. This fat matrony Indian teacher caught me by the arm and gave me a real tight slap. It burned for quite a while. Can anybody remember this lady teacher? (Not Miss Manga who was my skinny class teacher.) The second time was in Form 1(HSM). We were kicking footballs about during PE. When we were supposed to have stopped, I accidentally kicked a ball which hit Palani. He shouted a whimpy complaint and Mr Peter Lim gave me a slap. (I got to know Peter Lim much better after that through athletics.)...............................QL 50.1) I have been slapped only once in my school career. It was delivered by our infamous SPS Pillay and in Form 4 mind you! He was kind actually, asked me to take off my spectacles first before giving me such a tight slap that I flew back on top of Quee Leong's desk behind. Such a mean character would have been given the boot if it were to happen in today's humanistic school. I hated Add. Maths after that, the only subject I almost failed in the MCE/SC exam. The consolation is that he loved to claim that he slapped so-and-so and today he is an engineer, a doctor, etc... no litigation lawyers! ............................AM 50.2) There were several incidents when Pillay slapped us. Shanti was slapped many times and I was slapped a few times too when I could not solve the problem written on the board. It was not because I didn't know the solution but it was hard to think when you're terrified! 60) Wow, its like down memory lane to speak to Ann Mean, Quee Leong and Chin Watt. 'Those Were The Days' when we were in BHES from 1956 to 1961 and now we are going to celebrate our 'sweet' 60th birthdays ! If I could turn back the clock, I would go to BHES again. Perhaps we can share our 'sweet and sour' memories with our grandkids (provided if are a datuk now) about our saintly and unsaintly action, outside the BHES school gates, at the Coronation Park or at the top of St Paul's Hill. Let me reveal my true indentity when I was in BHES, I was a 'paid informer' to Tay Tiow Kim's parents each time he had a fight with someone. For each information given I will be paid a handsome reward of 10 cents which was ample for me to buy 'ice ball' which was only 5 cents those days. Each week I would earn more than 30 cents from Tiow Kim's parents, it was a princely sum those days. Quee Leong, I am still as Malaccan as you, not being Aussiefied ! Perhaps 'aussie' (hakka dialect) under the dug hole toilet in Malacca........................William Koh Quite often when we were on our way to school, we would come across Kim Siong, in singlet, cycling furiously home. Did he manage tocome to school in time? Obviously not and he was often late. Apparently his day started much earlier than ours, he was helping out his family at the market, selling amongst other foodstuff, taugeh, thus his given nickname. Whilst we merely had to study and enjoy school, Kim Siong has had to work and study at such a young age. It would not have been easy for him and must have helped develop his sense of hardwork, toughness, responsibility and independence. Whatever happened to Kim Siong after school, anybody in touch with him? ....QL ........and as I wonder I thought that the F Station was at Kubu at some stage? By 'F'' I hope you meant 'Fire'. The Kubu Fire Station came up much later, early 70s. ....ed. The story goes that once a cherry tree The boy looked into her eyes, it was a sight to enthrall And that is why the poets always write The name cheap mattinee may not exist now. Don't worry all senior citizens. CH, you are right. The Southern Bank building in Wolferston Rd. is not taken over by Public Bank. But I see now the signboard says CIMB Bank. In a short 7 days we had 31 messages on one subject. 31 in 7. A dubious record of some sort. And how it started so simply with Hamzah wondering the whereabout of his Melayu friends. From Yacob we went back 50 years to fire brigade, to Sun Cinema. Along the way we picked up tit bits here and there and somehow we got ourselves tangled with Rose and her pretty pink cherry. What a week it was........... and we still have no idea what happened to Rosie's lovable pet?
Many have asked the question. Indeed when I met Siew Ik's mother in Malacca some time last year, she asked, "Why do you call my son, Pussycat?" She was not smiling, so I wondered whether it was a reprimand.
I remember we were in Std 2E. Ong Tiow Wah and I were class monitors. Shanti was still the mischievous boy. Lim Kok Keng was my best friend. And Siew Ik had a running nose with mucus all over his cheeks one day. With dirty hands to wipe the mucus away from his nose and mouth, the mucus soon dried to show black dirty marks on his cheeks, like the cat's whiskers - thus Pussycat. The nickname has endured and stuck all these years. And Siew Ik's brother, Siew Chuen, became known as Pussydog.....QL
25) Reflections - Koon Cheng Road "Gang"
In Std 2, I had some arguement with, perhaps, Koh Chee Hui and a few others threatened me. I told my big brother, in Std 6 and he came to my rescue and scolded them. Just as we were leaving school one day, at the back gate of BHES, opposite Chee Hui's house, my brother and I were surrounded by the Koon Cheng Road "Gang" - Chee Hui, Goh Hock Beng, LIm Yeow Seng, Koh Gah Hui .......... They didn't do anything, only eyeballed us to intimidate and we walked sheepishly away......QL
26) Reflections - Wong Kim Siong, Teacher
Mr Wong was our Form 3A class teacher. After our tests, he organised our std 3 classes to visit various places, including the F&N factory at Bukit China. He had to do a lot of hard work, cycling his high bicycle all over town and came back to school totally drenched to organise such programmes for us.....QL
After BHES Mr. Wong Kim Siong went to University Malaya to get a degree and then became a teacher at Gajah Berang. He became an expert in school librarianship helping to start school libraries, writing books on cataloguing,etc, training librarians and so on. He retired as Deputy Director of the Wilayah Persekutuan Education Department (equivalent to Deputy CEO during our time). Was also a Director of the IASL (International Association of School Librarians). He is teaching part-time including at HELP University College in KL. I met him last month (Dec '06) during the wedding of one of his Gajah Berang's former student's daughter in Universiti Industri Selangor in Batang Berjuntai. Mr. Wong is still tall and lanky and healthy and wearing thick spectacles. He does not cycle anymore, I think, as he was driving a Proton Wira with a Wilayah number plate.....AnnMean
27)Reflections - Introduction to Table Tennis
Mr Wong Kim Siong was also in charge of table tennis and we were introduced to the game then. Ong Tiow Wah was one of the first to have a fast ball serve which many could not survive. Tan Kee Chye had the advantage of height as most of us were only a head over the then "high" table in the BHES tuck shop.....QL
Chin Lai Ping bought a one way ticket to Heaven a few years ago....ChinWatt
According to Yoon Kong (this man does not get online anymore after suffering cervical spondolysis due to staring too long at the computer screen checking out share prices) Chin Lai Ping passed away a few years ago...........AM
30.1) Mr. Teja Singh Dhaliwal - Was a Resource Person for training History teachers in Malacca on the new KBSR curriculum between 1977-80. I was a curriculum officer with the Curriculum Development Centre and we were responsible for training all resource persons nationwide. Always serious and red-eyed.
30.2) Mr. Jabbar Ali - Attended a course on educational planning and innovation in Quezon City in 1982. I was a training specialist then with SEAMEO-INNOTECH Centre responsible for training educational personnel in South East Asia. He didn't bring along a cane.
30.3) Ms. Alice Wee Siew Eng - Attended a course for school principals at Genting Highlands in1989. I was then a senior lecturer at Aminuddin Baki Institute. She gave me a bear hug!
30.4) Mr. Oh Kong Lum - also attended the course for school principals at IAB, Genting Highlands in 1990. He played tennis everyday while there. Looks young as ever.
It was an honour teaching your own teachers. I was a bit apprehensive but they kindly said they are proud of me and that they must have done a good job teaching me in MHS!
Other teachers I met were Mr. Goh Keat Seng, Mr. Cheong Koon Hoe, Mr. Khong Kah Yeong, all of whom were with the MOE and Mr. R. Subramaniam and Mr. Stephen Chee in UM.................Annmean
Looks like our teachers are all into something in their senior years. Mr. Wong Kim Siong is very active in church work. .........................AnnMean
Chan Hian Teck commented the other day that there are so many Chans in mhs66: Chan Hood Poh, Chan Peng Wah, Chan Thye Hock, Chan Hiong Yien, Chan Kuen Wah, Chan Ying Lock, Chan Leong Ong, Chan g Wai Loong, Chan Ma Lee Chan, Ada Lagi Chan?.................................AnnMean
I think you left out another "Chan". He is Chan Hean Toh,do you all remember him?
.................................Hian Teck.
I did know one Tan Kim Siak. If he was the same Kim Siak, he and his family were staying in the apartment directly opposite and we were neighbours when I was staying above the Merican Dispensary, opposite Kg. Morten during my
secondary school-days.
I was quite besotted with his sister (and so was Lim Pang Heng) and experienced the first rejection of infatuation rather badly (Pang Heng didn't do any better).
As for Kim Siak all I could remember about him was that he was quite vain (combing his hair constantly) and wasn't interested in studying. I saw him many times playing snooker behind the Federal Cinema.......................CheeWeng
35) Ou Yong Choong
We were great pals together during our secondary school days. He influenced me to become a Jehovah's Witness and we used to preach from house-to-house on Sundays and attended bi-weekly Bible lessons. Sadly, he disassociated
from me when I decided to leave the JWs. and the last I heard was that he passed away from prostate cancer. ,,,............................CheeWeng
36) Tay Tiau Kim (or was it Tay Tiow Kim?)
He was the one we called Tarzan and bullied me when I was in Std. 1C. Physically I was late in development and could not take his tauntings well. He called me "Little little Ham Chin Pan". I cried often but did not dare to tell my parents. One day, I had enough and I fought back, and the bullying stopped.
However, this bad experience left a scar. I never liked school, especially primary school days, it was so boring and I used to day-dream during classes...................................CheeWeng
37) Yoon Mun Chong
Mun Chong and I did not quite get along even though we stayed on the same street, Bunga Raya Road. There were a few occasions when we nearly came to blows. By the time I reached lower secondary school, I was more physically
developed and, worse of all, had a quick and nasty temper.
The last I heard about him was several years ago. The poor chap had kidney failure and was on haemolysis. ................................CheeWeng
Teachers
38) Mr. Subramaniam was our form teacher when I was in Std. 3C. He taught us English and I remembered him reading stories of Sherlock Holmes to us in class. I enjoyed his class because I liked literature.................CheeWeng
39) Mrs. Owen Liu
Our form teacher who made me draw maps on the board during the geography lessons. As a reward she would loan me her geography books so that I could copy the maps and notes at home.
The rascals (you know who there were) in our class seemed to be dropping things on the floor and had to bend down to pick them up ever so often. Mrs. Liu wore tight skirts, and what little they could see was amplified by their fertile imagination.....................................CheeWeng
40) Miss Lucy Tan
She taught me English Literature and Geography in the Sixth Form. One of the dedicated teachers who took her teaching seriously. I had a few discussions with her on Christianity after school and found her to be a devout Christian. .....................................CheeWeng
41) Mr. Michael Chin
My Art Teacher in Form 3, and one of my favourite teachers because he was gentle and kind..................CheeWeng
There were only a few teachers who made an impression on me. I did not enjoy my school days because I was quite a loner. I preferred to jog on Bkt. Cina during the evenings alone and to take long hikes at Batu Berendam or cycled to Tg. Kling & Tg. Bidara during the weekends all by myself. I did not participate in most games because of my poor eyesight although I was active in Chess, English & Photography clubs.
Those days seemed so far away and lost in memory.
Yeoh Chee Weng
42) Zakaria Ahmad
Active in scout and literary movement in MHS. No recollection of him in primary school (maybe he is not from BHES, from Alor Gajah?) Joined PTD (was in MOE for a while and gave me some good advice). Became famous as QCC head honcho in INTAN. Met him on and off and last heard is a consultant after retirement............................AM
43) Rosnan Sulaiman
Was a cute chubby faced boy in BHES. Used to cycle to school with him. Lived in Bukit Palah. Another old boy who joined the PTD. Was Secretary to the Cabinet and by now retired as a consultant somewhere?.......................AM
44) Ong Tiow Wah
Used to cycle from Lorong Bukit China area to my house in Pengkalan Rama (now Jalan Taming Sari) and tinkled with battery run motors salvaged from toys. We fixed propellers to the motors. Another early indication of interest in his flying career................................AM
45) B K Vijayan
Another cycling partner. Passes my house, a bakery actually (as he lives in Jalan Durian Daun with his aunt, a much feared Miss Madhavan who taught at MGHS) and we cycled to school together. Once as we cycled two abreast in Jalan Bunga Raya, I was stopped by a cop. Vijayan was cycling "inside". He cabutted and left me alone to face the "black feet" (a term of endearment). He is much braver now I am sure having to face all those women in UK....................AM
46) Mr. Lee Kin Lin
It was Std 5 in BHES. He was the class teacher. One day he sat on my desk with one leg up. I was day dreaming. I pulled the hair on his shin for reasons unknown. He was taken aback and put his leg down. It's no figment of my imagination. Quee Leong will attest to this incident. I think his wife was also a teacher in our school, a Miss Chan and he drove a Volkswagen. Used to drop into our bakery to buy pound loaves. I will cabut if I see him coming....AM
Ops, its not Quee Leong who remembered this incident. Its Yoke Meng. Apologies, sometimes the memory is a little shaky, like the rest of the body...............................AM
Shanti saved himself from all the slappings by attending Pillay's tuition class but been too poor to afford tuition I had to suffer a few more slappings.
Pillay may be good in mathematics but he was an insensitive bully and I would love to meet him in person now to give him a tongue lashing.
I waited many years to confront another teacher during the HSM 100th Anniversary celebration to tell him off and he took me aside to try to explain his callous behaviour.
These were the 2 teachers which I harboured anger against for many years, but not Low Cheng Kim because he did not single out anyone for punishment.
Its time to move on and reflect that there was something positive I learned from these unpleasant incidents - to be a more sensitive and kinder person and not to behave like bullying brutes......................................CheeWeng
There were 4 of us from MHS at Victoria University of Wellington
James Lee Wee Yong - Popular guy. Acquired genetic expertise at cooking Hainanese Chicken Rice. Always invited to cook that particular dish at Malaysian student parties. What else is there to do besides studying?
Phillip Low Kong Wah - Quiet but always there. Suffered leg pain during his first few days in windy hilly Wellington. The university is at the top of the hill and he wasn't used to so much climbing and being blown by the wind as well.
Arthur Chan Heng Chye - Was from GBSS but came to MHS for 6th Form. "Cicak kering" was his nick-name. Married a Maori girl, an untypically cute chubby short one. Wonder where he is now.........................................AM
61) Reflections - Lee Kim Siong aka Taugeh
Ratam & Yacob. Unfortunately I can't remember their full names but Ratam was
a good footballer and hockey player who used to live in the Police Barracks
in Garden City. Yacob was a sprinter who represented BHES in the relay team. ...................... Chow Fatt62.8) I am not sure of your facts about the Fire Station being in Wolferstan Rd. It is located at Banda Kaba opposite the Police Barracks than. Yes you are right about the PWD stores and offices being what is today Public Bank. The firemen though were quartered behind "Sun" infront of your shop. Melaka only had 4 fire engines to service the whole of Melaka. The best part was the firemen were put on duty during film shows and of course yours truly really enjoyed that little benefit even it means sitting on milk boxes to watch a movie.
Can someone continue on this "cheap mattinee" shows.......40sen bah............and 65sen for circle seats......... ..........................HamzahIf I remember correctly (what a familiar opening qualifier nowadays!) it's the Savoy. Sun is the cheap cinema near Rex in Bunga Raya Road. ...................AnnMean From: Col Hamzah Bachek Sent: 4/12/2007 8:10 AM Ann Mean,
You are right brother Savoy From: haiheng Sent: 4/12/2007 9:10 AM From: Zing San Sent: 4/12/2007 9:20 AM
APPLE BLOSSOM WHITE which is best played on a trumpet. By the way, the
mansion you mentioned if I'm not mistaken was owned by a rich Chan family
whose granddaughter was my pupil in form sixth, High Sch Melaka. It was
bought over by Southern Bank and was never taken over by Public Bank or vice
versa. Correct me if Im wrong. ..................................Choe Hin.
When your true lover comes your way
It's cherry pink and apple blossom white
The poets say
Beside an apple tree did grow
And there a boy once met his bride to be
Long long ago
The breezes joined in their sighs, the blossoms started to fall
And as they gently carressed, the lovers looked up to find
The branches of the two trees were intertwined,
If there's a new moon bright above
It's cherry pink and apple blossom white
When you're in love...............................................HH
RepinOkay, after all the talk about how pink the cherry was, and apple white and apple pie...please see attachment. That could answer some of the wonders ! Cherry Pink.doc
You can still get cheap prices ranging from RM4/- if you chose to watch
movies any day except Sat, Sun and public holidays, so long it is before
2.00 pm with terms and conditions ie if there is NO 'free listing suspended'
notice hanging on the ticket counter. This is particularly true for theatres
in Mahkota Parade. But i'm sure it is applicable to all cinemas througout
Malaysia. Anyway, I have been given this senior citizens' right on several
occasions anyway. ...........................................................,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Choe Hin.
So many details on the song, Cherry Pink & ABW, but does anyone have the MP3 or the site listing the song. The tune really brings back memories - not of the singer but the infamous RC & the trumpeter.
Lastly anybody know what happen to the python? Or does anybody care what happen to the python?............eng him
You think you knew your classmate
Have you ever been guilty of looking at others your own age and thinking, "surely I can't look that old?"
I was sitting in the waiting room for my first appointment with a new dentist. I noticed his DDS diploma, which bore his full name. Suddenly, I remembered a tall, handsome, dark-haired boy with the same name had been in my high school class some 40-odd years ago.
Could he be the same guy from way back then?? Upon seeing him, however, I quickly discarded any such thought. This balding gray-haired man with the deeply lined face was way too old to have been my classmate.
Hmmm,...or could he???
After he examined my teeth, I asked him if he had attended Malacca High School.
"Yes, I did. I'm a Minto," he gleamed with pride.
"When did you graduate?" I asked.
He answered, "in 1966. Why do you ask?"
"You were in my class!" I exclaimed.
He looked at me closely. Then, that ugly, old, wrinkled bastard asked, "what subject were you teaching?"
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