Early setbacks.

It was in 1958 I was in Standard 5 English Standard primary school Bidor. I was staying with my grandparents in the kampong and travelled to the nearest town Primary school. I was the only Malay Boy shortlisted in the school to apply for a Federal scholarship of RM 14 per month. Only filling of form but the reply came I was unsuccessful. I was disappointed and frustrated for a while but I did not go demonstrating.

I did very well on my Standard 6 Exam, an entrance Exam to Form 1 secondary education. After the results was announced late 1959, I was called for an interview to pursue my secondary education at Malay College Kuala Kangsar. It was held at Ipoh State Secretariat Building in Ipoh and my father accompanied me. That was the first interview in my life. I still remember the Interviewer who knew my father told him that if I am successful my father would have three sons studying at Malay College simultaneously. At that time brother Jamaludin was in Form 5 and brother Salleh was in Form 3. Somehow I was eliminated and did not get chosen as one of the seven students from Perak. Maybe my two elder brothers were already there. It hit me very hard and I was utterly disappointed. That was the starting point I hate the establishment.

I began to go astray, fed up, hibernating in the kampong and had to travel daily from my kampong to the Secondary School in Tapah. The journey by bus itself was tiring and I only reached home at 3 in the afternoon. My father was worried and he quickly arranged that I accommodated at the school Hostel. I stayed in Hostel until the end of Form 3.

After the Lower certificate Exam in 1962 I personally applied without the knowledge of my father for a place in Technical Institute in Penang. At the same time without me knowing, my father applied for a place in Form 4 at Malay College. My application to Technical Institute was successful and I convinced my father that I wanted to study in a boarding school. My father agreed and off I went to the City, the Pearl of the Orient. During the first term semester break, my father told me his application on my behalf for Malay College Form 4 was successful but he politely turned it down because I had started at Technical Institute and money had been spent. Regret? Yes, I did but there was nothing I could do. I continued to complete my Senior Cambridge Exam and the rest was history.

Allah is great for the Almighty had chartered my destiny. Those setbacks had its blessings or hikmah. From the technical education I had, I was employed by Esso Malaysia in 1966, worked my way up, acquired as much experiences possible, jumped ship and finally retired as Senior Manager at Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd on 31 December 2000. If I got into Malay College, probably I became a Government Administrator or PTD Officers and finally get caught for corruption. You don’t have to attend an elite school to be successful.