The Get Together.

The Get Together.

Tapah Mosque.

The famous iron bridge across the Batang Padang River.

Prof Dr Datin Jamilah Ariffin and Mr. Tambiah.

L to R: Unidentified, Alma Mustaffa,Datin Maimun,Me, Dr Rohana, Alina Mustaffa,Prof Arshad Zainuddin.

Before the Hi Tea.

Hi Tea.

Mr.Tambiah.

Manan Buyung (with songkok) and Jefrul Tarikh.

Me with Mr.Tambiah.

Mr.Tambiah delivering his speech.

The Sponsor - YBhg Datin Jamilah.

Alina Mustaffa.

Datin Maimun.

Group after Hi Tea with Mr.Tambiah.

Whole group photograph.

Auld Lang Sine and see you all sometimes.

Function: Hi Tea Gathering of “X” Government English Secondary School Tapah.

Venue: Tapah Rest House.

Date: 27 April 2012.

The short message by Manan Buyong was most welcome and not a bad idea to walk back memory lane in Tapah to see the alma mater especially the Hostel where I was a boarder from 1960 to 1962. Simultaneously it would be a great to rendezvous with old school mates, classmates and Teachers. Personalities that I  had not met since half a century ago.

I departed home base Port Klang at mid morning heading for the PLUS Highway. Exit at Bukit Beruntong to pick up Hostel mates, Amran Din. We arrived at the town of Tapah around noon and had our lunch in front of the very familiar Tapah Mosque. It was Friday noon and when the call of solat Jumaat azan filled the air, we just walked across to the Mosque where I used to perform the routine Friday prayers during the Hostel days. It brought back nostalgic memories where every Friday afternoon, the Hostel boarders would march from the Hostel, across town and headed for the Mosque. For a moment, the memory flashed back to the good old days where several of the Prefects that escorted ensuring our marching to perfection had been summoned by the Creator Allah, namely Fadzli Tajuddin, Baniyamin, Salam, Syed Tajul and Syed Zainal. Among us those that had joined them were Mohd Abdullah, Zahari Yahya, Sulaiman, Hamzah De Souza, Jamaluddin Tajuddin and Ngah Wahab.

After the Friday prayers I drove to the school main entrance and was surprised that the single row of six (6) classes building was missing and replaced by triple storey structure. The landscape was totally changed. I enthusiastically wanted to revisit the Hostel and this time I was even more surprised and disappointed. The compound is out of bound as it is now turned to a Girls Hostel. The Hostel compound is fence up and the Pak Guard prevented us from entry. I wanted badly to revisit the dorm, the washroom, dining Hall and the study hall which I considered home in the early 60s. I was utterly disappointed.

Backtracking the Hostel entrance and headed straight for the Rest House. The Rest House look very much different but still at the same spot.

At the Rest House, we were greeted by Dr. Yusuf Hashim, Jefrul Tarikh and Desa Hamid who arrived earlier and was having their lunch. The guests started to stream in and the most prominent was Mr. Tambiah, the former Hostel Master cum Science Teacher. He and his wife was the Guest of Honor for the Hi Tea and the Get Together. I was shocked to see Mr Tambiah an 84 year old man still walking tall, fit as a fiddle but slimmer than I last saw him in January 1963.

This special Get Together event was sponsored by Professor Dr. Datin Jamilah Ariffin the wife of Menteri Besar of Johore who was in town an ex student of the School from 1961 to 1965.

My batch of 1960 that presence was Amran Din, Dr. Yusuf Hashim, Abbas Ali, Mohanan, Chua Poe Sim and yours truly. Chua Poe Sim and yours truly came a long way since Primary School days in Bidor. Mohanan came all the way from Dublin Ireland. The rest were either my seniors or juniors. To mention names that were familiar - Prof. Dr Datin Jamilah, Prof. Dr Rohana Ariffin, Datin Maimun Tamby, Prof. Arshad Zainuddin, Alma Mustafa, Alina Mustafa, Shahrome, Munusamay, Ekambaram, Manan Buyung, Chua Ah Lian, Jefrul Tarikh, Manan Buyung and Desa Hamid.

The Master of Ceremony was Madam Alma Mustafa and Manan. Manan was supposed to round up the Hostel boarders but due to the short notice, not many of the ex boarders could make to the function. Mr Tambiah related his secret of keeping healthy – go to bed with a smile and do everything moderately. I whispered to Amran Din, smoke moderately. Amran Din and I are currently 66 with silvery hair and Senior Citizens status but due respect to a Teacher we searched for hidden corner to puff away as we dare not smoke in front of our Teacher, Mr. Tambiah. Respect and discipline still within us that was taught by him. Mr. Tambiah suggested that we should meet and organize similar function at a yearly basis. I agree, Sir.

Alina Mustafa who was in Form One in 1961, my junior and the classmate of Prof Dr Jamilah is now an “Opah” (Grandma) of eleven (11) grandchildren. I was shocked when I have none at all. I asked her whether her teeth are still intact and she was glad to show that it was. From browsing my Blog she was skeptical that I did perform the umrah as during my young school days I was a little bit of a rascal. I did not wish to elaborate on this matter. Everybody had a story to tell to each other and inquired the where about of those who had gone missing.

Few of us exhibited their singing talent at the karaoke set. Manan started the ball rolling. Some however tried their best and majority went off key. Pitching drifted off along the nearby Batang Padang River. Never mind…..everybody understood as we were all above 60s. I persuaded Datin Maimun to have a go since she was good at singing during her young days. She obliged but her rendition was never the same anymore. Dr Yusof my Hostel mate was once a timid innocent young boy during the hostel days but now he really had guts to render several songs. I never heard him singing when we were kids, then.        

Towards the end we were each presented and autographed by Prof Dr Datin Jamilah Ariffin a book entitle “Readings on Women and Development in Malaysia. A Sequel Tracing Four Decades of Change”. The book is a project initiated and coordinated by her.

Finally we had a group photograph taken and we all together sang, Auld Lang Sine before departed. I had forgotten the lyric and just blasted along. It was sad and memorable finale. Hope we can meet again sometimes, God willing.

Thank you, Prof Datin Dr. Jamilah Ariffin for the sponsorship.

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Special Note to Mr.Paul Raj, my Form 3 English Teacher, in case he happen to read this Blog.

Dear Sir………..how about my English? I still remember, if I passed my English subject during LCE, you wanted to give me your watch. (That was very long time ago, in 1962). I knew you were joking.

Sir….I heard you are not well. Have a good rest and get well soon.

signed: Mustapa bin Abdul Hamid.