Missionary schools model for 1 Malaysia, says PM
By Neville Spykerman
KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 — A visit to his Christian alma mater was used today by Datuk Seri Najib Razak to drive home his vision of 1 Malaysia which was officially launched at Dataran Merdeka earlier this morning.
The prime minister, who officiated the opening of the Conference of Christian Mission Schools in Malaysia at the St John’s Institution here, paid tribute to mission schools and their role in nation building.
He said mission schools had a special ethos which promote unity, very much like his vision of 1 Malaysia.
“The ethos of mission schools shaped the values and beliefs of students which is in line with 1 Malaysia.”
He said that part and parcel of the concept of 1 Malaysia was to accept diversity and a plural society as a heritage and strength instead of a source of problems.
“1 Malaysia goes beyond tolerance but accepts diversity,” he said, adding that it would be achieved if Malaysians could look beyond race, colour and religions.
“I am convinced it we continue on this path Malaysia can be stronger.”
Najib said that St John's had provided him the sound grounding which eventually made him the prime minister of Malaysia.
He said that returning to the school had brought back special memories, including the times he walked up the hill (Jalan Bukit Nanas) to the school with his heavy bag and playing pranks with his friends.
He also joked that his father gave him a promotion, enrolling him straight into Standard Two at St John’s Primary School, where he spent five years, and a further three years at St John’s Secondary.
He paid tribute to the former and present teachers of the school and even called out to a La Salle Christian Brother in the crowd, who was his former teacher.
Najib also took the occasion to have a swipe at Victoria Institution, the traditional rivals of St John’s.
“We are even better than the ‘other school’ in KL,” he joked.
He closed his speech with a special announcement, saying that he would officially declare his old school a National Heritage Site on July 12.
Showing posts with label heritage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heritage. Show all posts
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
VI wins the right to represent Malaysia at MUFC regional finals
Thursday June 4, 2009
VI wins the right to represent Malaysia at MUFC regional finals
By Y.P. SIVAM
VICTORIA INSTITUTION (VI) earned the right to represent Malaysia in the Regional Finals when they emerged as the champions in the Malaysian Final of the Manchester United Football Club (MUFC) competition at the National Sports Council (MSN) Training Centre in Bukit Jalil recently.
VI put up a gallant display, with Muhamad Hadin Azman playing an inspiring role in attack, and defeated a depleted Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) 3-1 in a keenly contested final.
BJSS were without their regular goalkeeper – Mohamad Firdaus Muhammad – and defender Mohd Izdihan Qaedi Jidi took over the position.
BJSS took the lead in the seventh minute through Muhamad Nazmir Faiz but VI fought back with grit and equalised through Muhamad Hadin in the 19th minute.
It’s ours: The VI players and officials celebrate with the MUFC Cup Challenge Trophy.
In the second half, it was VI all the way and they scored through Hazir Fikri Hussein and Mohamad Aidil Zainal Abidin.
Muhamad Hadin was named as the man of the match.
As the champions, VI, coached by Zulkarnain Yaakob, will be taking part in the Regional Finals in Bali, Indonesia. Zulkarnain was excited with the win and disclosed that it was the fourth title the team had won in May.
The first was the Under-18 title in the Kuala Lumpur Schools Sports School (MSSKL) championships, then they were champions in the Sultan Azlan Shah and also the Inter-Residential Schools football competition.
Zulkarnain said they were looking forward to an impressive outing in the Regional Finals.
“The players are in good form. They are eager to become the champions in the Regional Finals. They have been training for the past two months. May has been indeed a good month for the VI football team,’’ said Zulkarnain.
BJSS coach Richard Scully, a former international goalkeeper, who had featured for Kelantan and Penang in the M-league, said it was unfortunate that they had to have a defender as the goalkeeper.
“I would say that the boys did quite well and he was brave to take the responsibility. Under the circumstances, we cannot complain,’’ said Richard.
The two-day tournament was a culmination of a zone level competition. Besides VI and BJSS, six other schools- SMK Tabuan Jaya (Sarawak), SMK Mergong (Penang); MSS Kedah; SMK Putra(Kuantan); SMK Mutiara Impian A (Johor Baru) and Bandar Penawar Sports School (Johor Baru) - were involved in the competition.
VI wins the right to represent Malaysia at MUFC regional finals
By Y.P. SIVAM
VICTORIA INSTITUTION (VI) earned the right to represent Malaysia in the Regional Finals when they emerged as the champions in the Malaysian Final of the Manchester United Football Club (MUFC) competition at the National Sports Council (MSN) Training Centre in Bukit Jalil recently.
VI put up a gallant display, with Muhamad Hadin Azman playing an inspiring role in attack, and defeated a depleted Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) 3-1 in a keenly contested final.
BJSS were without their regular goalkeeper – Mohamad Firdaus Muhammad – and defender Mohd Izdihan Qaedi Jidi took over the position.
BJSS took the lead in the seventh minute through Muhamad Nazmir Faiz but VI fought back with grit and equalised through Muhamad Hadin in the 19th minute.
It’s ours: The VI players and officials celebrate with the MUFC Cup Challenge Trophy.
In the second half, it was VI all the way and they scored through Hazir Fikri Hussein and Mohamad Aidil Zainal Abidin.
Muhamad Hadin was named as the man of the match.
As the champions, VI, coached by Zulkarnain Yaakob, will be taking part in the Regional Finals in Bali, Indonesia. Zulkarnain was excited with the win and disclosed that it was the fourth title the team had won in May.
The first was the Under-18 title in the Kuala Lumpur Schools Sports School (MSSKL) championships, then they were champions in the Sultan Azlan Shah and also the Inter-Residential Schools football competition.
Zulkarnain said they were looking forward to an impressive outing in the Regional Finals.
“The players are in good form. They are eager to become the champions in the Regional Finals. They have been training for the past two months. May has been indeed a good month for the VI football team,’’ said Zulkarnain.
BJSS coach Richard Scully, a former international goalkeeper, who had featured for Kelantan and Penang in the M-league, said it was unfortunate that they had to have a defender as the goalkeeper.
“I would say that the boys did quite well and he was brave to take the responsibility. Under the circumstances, we cannot complain,’’ said Richard.
The two-day tournament was a culmination of a zone level competition. Besides VI and BJSS, six other schools- SMK Tabuan Jaya (Sarawak), SMK Mergong (Penang); MSS Kedah; SMK Putra(Kuantan); SMK Mutiara Impian A (Johor Baru) and Bandar Penawar Sports School (Johor Baru) - were involved in the competition.
Traditions die hard
Tuesday July 21, 2009
Traditions die hard
By S. INDRAMALAR
Old students of Bukit Bintang Girls School talk about what the school means to them as they get set for a ‘historic’ reunion.
SCHOOL reunions are as much about sizing up former schoolmates (especially the ones who made your life a living hell) as they are about catching up with long-lost friends. You want to see who got fat, who got hot, who went for botox shots or a boob job just as much as you want to find out what your ex-best friend has been up to. And, you have to get a fabulous outfit – one that brings out the best of the post-school you.
That’s what most school reunions are all about.
But not the upcoming reunion of the old girls of (the now non-existent) Bukit Bintang Girls School (BBGS) at the Pavilion KL, the upmarket mall that was constructed on the school’s former premises along Jalan Bukit Bintang.
The get-together on Aug 4 has little to do with frivolous conceit. Sure, there probably will be women in pretty dresses and coiffures but the 1,000 or so former students and teachers have loftier goals, hatchets to bury and legacies to bring to life.
The highlight of the “historic” reunion, as the old girls term it, will be the launch of an education fund in honour of one of the school’s pioneering heads, Elena Cooke.
Cooke was the first Malaysian to serve as principal at BBGS from 1958 to 1977. She is remembered as a headmistress of the highest calibre who demanded nothing but the best from her teachers and students.
She set very high standards for behaviour, decorum and academic excellence and was a disciplinarian and perfectionist, an educationist who is best remembered for her dedicated and committed service, her sharp eye for detail and intolerance for rudeness and laziness.
“Everyone would sit up straight and check to see if their desks were straight and their hair was tidy when we heard the clickety-clack of Miss Cooke’s shoes,” recalls current BBGS Old Girls’ Association president Phang Sow Yoong.
The Elena Cooke Education Fund also marks a revival of sorts of the association which has been dormant since 2001, the year the then 100-year-old school building was demolished.
The destruction of the school’s edifice was, at the time, an outrage for the old girls who went to great lengths – starting petitions, writing letters of protests, etc – to try for a better outcome. Unsuccessful, many decided as a sign of protest to stay away from Pavilion KL, despite the lure of its ritzy shops and eateries.
While individual groups of old girls have orchestrated small-scale reunions amongst themselves, the association itself has been inactive.
“In fact, some old girls would joke that those BBGSians who shopped at Pavilion were traitors,” says Phang.
Explains old girl and former BBGS school captain (1984) Lim Yuet Suan: “Like many others, I felt a sense of outrage that an entity which had helped produce so many fine outstanding Malaysians was being ‘trampled’ to the ground, its contributions negated and forgotten, in place of financial gain.
“I felt the Government should have given our school the same preferential treatment it accorded to schools like St John’s, Convent Bukit Nanas or Victoria Institution which were not demolished.
“I do not go to that side of town if I can help it as it brings back a lot of memories which I prefer to cherish, rather than look at some garish mall in the place of what used to be there.”
Phang explains: “A lot of us were upset and disheartened (after the school building was demolished). We were left without a school, you see.
“But I think we’ve all woken up now. We’ve decided to move forward as we don’t really want to sound like a broken record. Besides, even though the school is not physically there anymore, the wonderful values we learnt at BBGS are still alive.
“We want to pass down these values to our children and their children. We want to assure Miss Cooke that she did not invest in bricks and mortar but in the lives of people who were fortunate to be at BBGS.”
Proof that the girls have moved on is that the association is now partnering with Pavilion KL to host the two events.
Phang set the ball in motion by sending out e-mail and putting updates on Facebook to revive the association and reunite the BBGS alumni – students, staff, general workers, canteen operators, etc.
“We want to locate even our former jagas and canteen operators. We want everyone to come together again,” says Phang who was school captain in 1972.
Her e-mail and online posts received immediate response and the BBGS spirit was revived.
“Everyone was enthusiastic. People wrote back and we got things going,” says Phang, who enrolled in BBGS right from her kindergarten years.
Through the the Internet, Phang reconnected with many of her schoolmates. One of them was Joanna Yeoh, also a former school captain (1987) who started a BBGS blog (www.back2bbgs.blogspot.com) to share memories and stories about “the good old school years” at BBGS in 2007.
“I was in a hotel room in 2007 and surfing for websites on BBGS and I was disappointed to find there weren’t many ... certainly not of BBGS quality. So I started one and mailed the link to six people and it took on a life of its own from there.
“The stories just poured in from ex-students who wrote in from all over the world. There was a Pulitzer Prize winner, a UNHCR director, a few Miss Malaysias, a PR guru ... many others who shared their memories and stories of BBGS and what the school has meant to them.
“What really struck was that many were mothers who wrote about how they wanted to pass down our BBGS values to their children,” says Yeoh, who calls herself a “multi-generation BBGSian” as her mother, aunts and cousins were all products of BBGS.
Yeoh’s blog has now become the main conduit to gather and disseminate information for the BBGS community.
“Aug 4 will mark another milestone for BBGS,” says Phang with almost schoolgirlish enthusiasm.
“We want to play a more significant role in society. BBGS was a pioneer of women’s education and was founded over a hundred years ago for the education of the women in this country, especially those who could not afford it. We follow that same ethos and help provide education for those who cannot afford to do so,” says Phang.
The fund is named after Cooke, she explains, not only because Cooke is the last of the pioneering headmistresses still around today but also as the 86-year-old embodies the values and spirit of BBGS.
These days, Cooke spends her time tending to her garden, looking after her cats and participating in church activities as much as she can.
“She made a lasting impact as a teacher, headmistress, mentor, advisor and role model, even after she retired. She gave her life to the school and its children. We want to continue her legacy,” says Phang.
The Elena Cooke Education Fund will be established as a Trust under the auspices of the Old Girls’ Association for Malaysian schoolchildren who are in financial need. Priority will be for children and kin of ex-BBGS and Sri Bintang Utara students, with no preference for race or religion.
(Sri Bintang Utara is the school set up after the closure of BBGS.)
The association hopes to be able to launch the fund with RM500,000 through various fundraising activities in the next two to three years.
Miss Elena Cooke, one of the founding principals of BBGS and the first Malaysian to become the head of the school.
The first will be the charity dinner on Aug 4, of course – proceeds from ticket sales for the event will go directly to the fund.
Many of us have fond memories of school and school reunions are quite common, especially with the advent of online networking sites like Facebook. But the gusto of the BBGS alumni, though not unique, certainly stands apart. What is it about the school that has inspired such passion, fervour and to a large extent, devotion?
“I think it is more the relationships that we cherish,” says Phang. “Our relationships with each other and also with our teachers and heads. For example, I am still in touch with my primary school headmistress who is now living in Australia. When I visited Australia some time back, I got in touch with her and she remembered me!
“There is definitely something magical about the school.”
For prominent songwriter/composer Datin Saidah Rastam, the pull is the schools’ teachers and its discipline.
“The BBGS teachers went out of their way to nurture and counsel their girls. With their high standards and codes of conduct, they were heroes and role models for us. I remember particularly our steely Maths teacher Miss Moey: she never raised her voice but we admired her cheery dynamism so much that our Maths homework was tip-top.
“Despite her no-nonsense exterior, it was known that after school, if you were in trouble or needed help, Miss Moey’s office was open, and many girls, including myself, spent time in there working through problems ... and I don’t mean Maths problems.
“Everyone needs heroes, and amongst the BBGS teachers there were plenty,” she says.
Though Saidah admits to not being a perfect student – she remembers having to stand on her chair in class and on stage during assembly for various infringements – she now looks back in gratitude at the strict discipline at BBGS.
“What do I love best about BBGS? Oddly enough, it is the rules. Miss Cooke as a headmistress was very strict, but very fair, and consistent. It made me feel safe, I knew exactly where I stood.
“Only later, looking back, did I appreciate other things, like the lack of racial division and the lack of religious hypersensitivity. I remember playing piano for the Christian Union, for example, and race was not an issue at all.
“Today, a Malay girl playing piano for the Christian Union would be inconceivable, heads would be bouncing off walls. Maybe that was a sign of the times generally, not just in BBGS, I don’t know,” she says.
Childhood experiences shape our lives and as school days take up a large chunk of our childhood, it goes without saying that our school years make us who we are.
Says old girl Lim Wei Meng, currently Deputy Director for the UNHCR based in New York: “What we learnt at school was so much more than book knowledge. BBGS was a very conservative school and there was a strong sense of values and community. Discipline was very important ... what we wore, how we wore our uniforms, how we tied our hair ... it taught us to be very careful. We did not look at it as a burden though we may have joked about how strict the rules were. It was just something we had to do.
“It’s only when we leave school and start living our lives that we appreciate and value the education we got at school. We really got a good base at BBGS. I remember when my sister left school and went abroad to study, she commented about how all the discipline helped her look at things and set parameters.”
Working and living abroad, Lim hasn’t been able to be a part of the association as some of her other “die-hard” BBGSians. Though she does meet up with her friends from her school years every time she is back (which is once every two years or so), she has a high regard for those who actively organise events for the association.
“Most of us are caught up with our work and our families and some of us aren’t around to actually be a part of the association. That’s too bad for us really because I think it’s great to meet up with people who meant so much to you and were a part of your life when you were growing up. It reminds us of where we came from and of our foundation.
“It’s all voluntary and I think those who are active ... well, so much the better for them,” she says.
In the words of acclaimed TV journalist Tom Brokaw: “It’s easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make a difference.”
Looks like the BBGS old girls have got it right.
The launch of the Elena Cooke Education Fund will be held at Pavilion KL on Aug 4 at 11am; the Cocktail Gala will be at 7.30pm, also on Aug 4, at the same venue. For details or tickets, call Khim Goh at 017-871 9357 or e-mail back2bbgs@gmail.com.
Related Story:
Brief history of BBGS
Traditions die hard
By S. INDRAMALAR
Old students of Bukit Bintang Girls School talk about what the school means to them as they get set for a ‘historic’ reunion.
SCHOOL reunions are as much about sizing up former schoolmates (especially the ones who made your life a living hell) as they are about catching up with long-lost friends. You want to see who got fat, who got hot, who went for botox shots or a boob job just as much as you want to find out what your ex-best friend has been up to. And, you have to get a fabulous outfit – one that brings out the best of the post-school you.
That’s what most school reunions are all about.
But not the upcoming reunion of the old girls of (the now non-existent) Bukit Bintang Girls School (BBGS) at the Pavilion KL, the upmarket mall that was constructed on the school’s former premises along Jalan Bukit Bintang.
The get-together on Aug 4 has little to do with frivolous conceit. Sure, there probably will be women in pretty dresses and coiffures but the 1,000 or so former students and teachers have loftier goals, hatchets to bury and legacies to bring to life.
The highlight of the “historic” reunion, as the old girls term it, will be the launch of an education fund in honour of one of the school’s pioneering heads, Elena Cooke.
Cooke was the first Malaysian to serve as principal at BBGS from 1958 to 1977. She is remembered as a headmistress of the highest calibre who demanded nothing but the best from her teachers and students.
She set very high standards for behaviour, decorum and academic excellence and was a disciplinarian and perfectionist, an educationist who is best remembered for her dedicated and committed service, her sharp eye for detail and intolerance for rudeness and laziness.
“Everyone would sit up straight and check to see if their desks were straight and their hair was tidy when we heard the clickety-clack of Miss Cooke’s shoes,” recalls current BBGS Old Girls’ Association president Phang Sow Yoong.
The Elena Cooke Education Fund also marks a revival of sorts of the association which has been dormant since 2001, the year the then 100-year-old school building was demolished.
The destruction of the school’s edifice was, at the time, an outrage for the old girls who went to great lengths – starting petitions, writing letters of protests, etc – to try for a better outcome. Unsuccessful, many decided as a sign of protest to stay away from Pavilion KL, despite the lure of its ritzy shops and eateries.
While individual groups of old girls have orchestrated small-scale reunions amongst themselves, the association itself has been inactive.
“In fact, some old girls would joke that those BBGSians who shopped at Pavilion were traitors,” says Phang.
Explains old girl and former BBGS school captain (1984) Lim Yuet Suan: “Like many others, I felt a sense of outrage that an entity which had helped produce so many fine outstanding Malaysians was being ‘trampled’ to the ground, its contributions negated and forgotten, in place of financial gain.
“I felt the Government should have given our school the same preferential treatment it accorded to schools like St John’s, Convent Bukit Nanas or Victoria Institution which were not demolished.
“I do not go to that side of town if I can help it as it brings back a lot of memories which I prefer to cherish, rather than look at some garish mall in the place of what used to be there.”
Phang explains: “A lot of us were upset and disheartened (after the school building was demolished). We were left without a school, you see.
“But I think we’ve all woken up now. We’ve decided to move forward as we don’t really want to sound like a broken record. Besides, even though the school is not physically there anymore, the wonderful values we learnt at BBGS are still alive.
“We want to pass down these values to our children and their children. We want to assure Miss Cooke that she did not invest in bricks and mortar but in the lives of people who were fortunate to be at BBGS.”
Proof that the girls have moved on is that the association is now partnering with Pavilion KL to host the two events.
Phang set the ball in motion by sending out e-mail and putting updates on Facebook to revive the association and reunite the BBGS alumni – students, staff, general workers, canteen operators, etc.
“We want to locate even our former jagas and canteen operators. We want everyone to come together again,” says Phang who was school captain in 1972.
Her e-mail and online posts received immediate response and the BBGS spirit was revived.
“Everyone was enthusiastic. People wrote back and we got things going,” says Phang, who enrolled in BBGS right from her kindergarten years.
Through the the Internet, Phang reconnected with many of her schoolmates. One of them was Joanna Yeoh, also a former school captain (1987) who started a BBGS blog (www.back2bbgs.blogspot.com) to share memories and stories about “the good old school years” at BBGS in 2007.
“I was in a hotel room in 2007 and surfing for websites on BBGS and I was disappointed to find there weren’t many ... certainly not of BBGS quality. So I started one and mailed the link to six people and it took on a life of its own from there.
“The stories just poured in from ex-students who wrote in from all over the world. There was a Pulitzer Prize winner, a UNHCR director, a few Miss Malaysias, a PR guru ... many others who shared their memories and stories of BBGS and what the school has meant to them.
“What really struck was that many were mothers who wrote about how they wanted to pass down our BBGS values to their children,” says Yeoh, who calls herself a “multi-generation BBGSian” as her mother, aunts and cousins were all products of BBGS.
Yeoh’s blog has now become the main conduit to gather and disseminate information for the BBGS community.
“Aug 4 will mark another milestone for BBGS,” says Phang with almost schoolgirlish enthusiasm.
“We want to play a more significant role in society. BBGS was a pioneer of women’s education and was founded over a hundred years ago for the education of the women in this country, especially those who could not afford it. We follow that same ethos and help provide education for those who cannot afford to do so,” says Phang.
The fund is named after Cooke, she explains, not only because Cooke is the last of the pioneering headmistresses still around today but also as the 86-year-old embodies the values and spirit of BBGS.
These days, Cooke spends her time tending to her garden, looking after her cats and participating in church activities as much as she can.
“She made a lasting impact as a teacher, headmistress, mentor, advisor and role model, even after she retired. She gave her life to the school and its children. We want to continue her legacy,” says Phang.
The Elena Cooke Education Fund will be established as a Trust under the auspices of the Old Girls’ Association for Malaysian schoolchildren who are in financial need. Priority will be for children and kin of ex-BBGS and Sri Bintang Utara students, with no preference for race or religion.
(Sri Bintang Utara is the school set up after the closure of BBGS.)
The association hopes to be able to launch the fund with RM500,000 through various fundraising activities in the next two to three years.
Miss Elena Cooke, one of the founding principals of BBGS and the first Malaysian to become the head of the school.
The first will be the charity dinner on Aug 4, of course – proceeds from ticket sales for the event will go directly to the fund.
Many of us have fond memories of school and school reunions are quite common, especially with the advent of online networking sites like Facebook. But the gusto of the BBGS alumni, though not unique, certainly stands apart. What is it about the school that has inspired such passion, fervour and to a large extent, devotion?
“I think it is more the relationships that we cherish,” says Phang. “Our relationships with each other and also with our teachers and heads. For example, I am still in touch with my primary school headmistress who is now living in Australia. When I visited Australia some time back, I got in touch with her and she remembered me!
“There is definitely something magical about the school.”
For prominent songwriter/composer Datin Saidah Rastam, the pull is the schools’ teachers and its discipline.
“The BBGS teachers went out of their way to nurture and counsel their girls. With their high standards and codes of conduct, they were heroes and role models for us. I remember particularly our steely Maths teacher Miss Moey: she never raised her voice but we admired her cheery dynamism so much that our Maths homework was tip-top.
“Despite her no-nonsense exterior, it was known that after school, if you were in trouble or needed help, Miss Moey’s office was open, and many girls, including myself, spent time in there working through problems ... and I don’t mean Maths problems.
“Everyone needs heroes, and amongst the BBGS teachers there were plenty,” she says.
Though Saidah admits to not being a perfect student – she remembers having to stand on her chair in class and on stage during assembly for various infringements – she now looks back in gratitude at the strict discipline at BBGS.
“What do I love best about BBGS? Oddly enough, it is the rules. Miss Cooke as a headmistress was very strict, but very fair, and consistent. It made me feel safe, I knew exactly where I stood.
“Only later, looking back, did I appreciate other things, like the lack of racial division and the lack of religious hypersensitivity. I remember playing piano for the Christian Union, for example, and race was not an issue at all.
“Today, a Malay girl playing piano for the Christian Union would be inconceivable, heads would be bouncing off walls. Maybe that was a sign of the times generally, not just in BBGS, I don’t know,” she says.
Childhood experiences shape our lives and as school days take up a large chunk of our childhood, it goes without saying that our school years make us who we are.
Says old girl Lim Wei Meng, currently Deputy Director for the UNHCR based in New York: “What we learnt at school was so much more than book knowledge. BBGS was a very conservative school and there was a strong sense of values and community. Discipline was very important ... what we wore, how we wore our uniforms, how we tied our hair ... it taught us to be very careful. We did not look at it as a burden though we may have joked about how strict the rules were. It was just something we had to do.
“It’s only when we leave school and start living our lives that we appreciate and value the education we got at school. We really got a good base at BBGS. I remember when my sister left school and went abroad to study, she commented about how all the discipline helped her look at things and set parameters.”
Working and living abroad, Lim hasn’t been able to be a part of the association as some of her other “die-hard” BBGSians. Though she does meet up with her friends from her school years every time she is back (which is once every two years or so), she has a high regard for those who actively organise events for the association.
“Most of us are caught up with our work and our families and some of us aren’t around to actually be a part of the association. That’s too bad for us really because I think it’s great to meet up with people who meant so much to you and were a part of your life when you were growing up. It reminds us of where we came from and of our foundation.
“It’s all voluntary and I think those who are active ... well, so much the better for them,” she says.
In the words of acclaimed TV journalist Tom Brokaw: “It’s easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make a difference.”
Looks like the BBGS old girls have got it right.
The launch of the Elena Cooke Education Fund will be held at Pavilion KL on Aug 4 at 11am; the Cocktail Gala will be at 7.30pm, also on Aug 4, at the same venue. For details or tickets, call Khim Goh at 017-871 9357 or e-mail back2bbgs@gmail.com.
Related Story:
Brief history of BBGS
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Hang Tuah
Hang Tuah
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hang Tuah is a legendary warrior/hero who lived during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah of the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century. He was the greatest of all the laksamana, or sultan's admirals, and was known to be a ferocious fighter. Hang Tuah is held in the highest regard, even in present-day Malaysian Malay culture, and is arguably the most well-known and illustrious warrior figure in Malaysian history and literature.
Hang Tuah's Career
Hang Tuah's illustrious career as an admiral or laksamana includes tales of his absolute and unfaltering loyalty to his Sultan, some of which are chronicled in Sejarah Melayu (the semi-historical Malay Annals)[1] and Hikayat Hang Tuah (a romantic collection of tales involving Hang Tuah).
Hang Tuah became the Sultan's constant aide, accompanying the King on official visits to foreign countries. On one such visit to Majapahit, Taming Sari, a famous Majapahit warrior, challenged Hang Tuah to a duel. After a brutal fight, Hang Tuah emerged as winner and the ruler of Majapahit bestowed upon him Taming Sari’s kris or weapon. The Taming Sari kris was named after its original owner, and was purported to be magical, empowering its owner with invincibility. It is said to be the source of Hang Tuah’s alleged supernatural abilities.
Hang Tuah also acted as the Sultan's ambassador, travelling on his Sultan's behalf to allied countries. Another story concerning Hang Tuah's legendary loyalty to the Sultan is found in the Hikayat Hang Tuah, and involves his visit to Inderaputra or Pahang during one such voyage. The Sultan sent Hang Tuah to Pahang with the task of persuading the princess Tun Teja, who was already engaged, to become the Sultan's companion. Tun Teja fell under the impression that Hang Tuah had come to persuade her to marry him, not the Sultan, and agreed to elope with him to Melaka. It was only during the voyage home that Hang Tuah revealed his deception to Tun Teja.
The Hikayat Hang Tuah and Sejarah Melayu each carry different accounts of this incident, however. The Hikayat records that it was Hang Tuah who persuaded Tun Teja to elope with him, thus deceiving her. Sejarah Melayu, however, claims that it was another warrior, Hang Nadim, who deceived Tun Teja.
Perhaps the most famous story in which Hang Tuah is involved is his fight with his closest childhood companion, Hang Jebat. Hang Tuah's deep loyalty to and popularity with the Sultan led to rumours being circulated that Hang Tuah was having an illicit affair with one of the Sultan's stewardess dayang. The Sultan sentenced Hang Tuah to death without trial for the alleged offense. The death sentence was never carried out, however, because Hang Tuah's executioner, the Bendahara, went against the Sultan’s orders and hid Hang Tuah in a remote region of Melaka.
Believing that Hang Tuah was dead, murdered unjustly by the Sultan he served, Hang Jebat avenged his friend's death. Hang Jebat's revenge allegedly became a palace killing spree or furious rebellion against the Sultan (sources differ as to what actually occurred). It remains consistent, however, that Hang Jebat wreaked havoc onto the royal court, and the Sultan was unable to stop him, as none of the Sultan's warriors dared to challenge the more ferocious and skilled Hang Jebat. The Bendahara then informed the Sultan that the only man able to stop Hang Jebat, Hang Tuah, was still alive. The Bendahara recalled Hang Tuah from his hiding place and the warrior was given full amnesty by the Sultan and instructed to kill Hang Jebat. After seven gruelling days of fighting, Hang Tuah was able to kill Hang Jebat.
It is notable that the two main sources of Hang Tuah's life differ yet again on the details of his life. According the Hikayat Hang Tuah, it was Hang Jebat who avenged his friend's death, only to be killed by the same friend, but according to Sejarah Melayu, it was Hang Kasturi. The Sejarah Melayu or the Malay Annals are unique in that they constitute the only available account of the history of the Malay Sultanate in the fifteenth and early sixteenth century[2], but the Hang Jebat story, as the more romantic tale, remains more popular.
Hang Tuah continued to serve Malacca after the death of Hang Jebat. Later in his life, as Hang Tuah progressed in his years, the warrior was ordered by the successive Malaccan Sultan to court a legendary princess on the Sultan's behalf. The Puteri Gunung Ledang (Princess of Mount Ledang) was so named because she resided on Mount Ledang at the Melaka-Johor border. According to legend, the Princess met with Hang Tuah, and only agreed to marry the Sultan if he satisfied a list of requirements, or pre-wedding gifts. The list included a golden bridge linking Melaka with the top of Gunung Ledang, seven trays of mosquito livers, seven jars of virgins' tears and a bowl of the Sultan's first born son's blood. Hang Tuah knew the tasks would not be fulfilled, and was said to be so overwhelmed that he failed his Sultan that he flung his kris into a river and vowed only to return to Melaka if it resurfaced, which it never did. It was also said that he then vanished into thin air. According to other sources, however, Hang Tuah lived until old age, and his body is said to be have been buried in Tanjung Kling in Melaka, where his tomb can still be seen today.
Hang Tuah the Legend
Hang Tuah is famous for quoting the words "Takkan Melayu Hilang di Dunia" which literally means "Malays will never vanish from the face of the earth" or "Never shall the Malay(s) (race) vanish from the face of the earth". The quote is a famous rallying cry for Malay nationalism.
He remains an extremely popular Malay legend, embodying the values of Malay culture at the time, when allegiance and loyalty were paramount above all else. The Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat story, whether completely true or not, represents a paradox in the Malay psyche about loyalty and justice, and remains a point of debate among students of Malay history and literature.
Hang Tuah in Media
Hang Tuah is a prominent legendary figure in Malaysia's popular culture and his story has been adapted into several movies. The more famous of these movies include Hang Tuah, starring the late P. Ramlee in the titular role, and Puteri Gunung Ledang, which starred M. Nasir as Hang Tuah. In 1995, XX Ray 2, a film by Aziz M. Osman was made and tells about modern scientists were sent back in Hang Tuah's era. In the film, Hang Tuah (played by Jalaluddin Hassan) got the quote Takkan Melayu Hilang Di Dunia from one of the scientists from future (played by Aziz M. Osman).TUAH film, which starred (Jamal Abdillah)
Hang Tuah Hypothesis Research & Facts
What really came into accounts of researchers and historian are the name 'Hang' itself. There no such name present for a Malay from that time until today. Even the culture did not describe the meaning of 'Hang'. The name 'Hang' actually descends from China. It was believed that an entourage from China sent by its Emperor to settle down in Melaka as a sign of diplomatic friendship. To tie the strong bond between these two kingdoms, a princess from China, 'Hang Li Poo' were ordered to marry the Sultan. The Sultan placed the princess up on a hill and later named 'Bukit Cina' or Chinese Hill. Few men from the entourage were actually warriors and bodyguards for the princess. Some of these men or their descendants were believed to be :
1. Hang Too Ah
2. Hang Jee Fatt
3. Hang Lee Ker
4. Hang Lee Kiew ,the warriors said the be in the Legend. The name 'Hang' was a surname from China and still today. Chinese names normally carries in 3 words. How it combined into a 2 words name were because the Malay culture in naming after conversion to Islam and at the same time remaining their names. These warriors blended in the Malay culture and proclaimed by the Sultan as the protected ones even they were converted or not. But how about Hang Kasturi? It should be 'Hang Kar Tu Ree' in Chinese. Notice that it had over 3 words that differed from a Chinese name. The answer could be because Hang Kasturi was actually their Malay friend who was very close and they grew up together. So to honor their friendship, the surname 'Hang' was awarded to him. Thus, the name 'Hang Kasturi' existed in the legend. There were few names which gave rise to the history of Melaka that carries the surname 'Hang'. Which were Hang Nadim and Hang Biajin (Hang Tuah's son). Both were also warriors. Their chronicles were too insufficient to be placed among the icons.
This hypothesis research was carried out by Department Of History, National University Of Malaysia (UKM).
Places and things named after Hang Tuah
In Malaysia
• Four roads in Malaysia are named after Hang Tuah: Jalan Hang Tuah in Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Malacca, and in Taman Khalidi Bharu, Muar, Johor
• The Royal Malaysian Navy has a frigate named KD Hang Tuah.
• A strip along Jalan Hang Tuah has been renamed Hang Tuah Mall and popularised as a tourist attraction.
In Indonesia
• Streets : Jalan Hang Tuah in Medan, Pekanbaru, and Jakarta
• University of Hang Tuah in Surabaya, Indonesia
• The Indonesian Navy also has a frigate named KRI Hang Tuah.
Further reading
• Richard O. Winstedt, A History of Malaya.
See also
• Hang Jebat
• Hang Li Po
• Puteri Gunung Ledang (film)
• Puteri Gunung Ledang (musical)
Reference
1. ^ Britannica CD - Sejarah Melayu
2. ^ Sejarah Melayu (The Malay Annals)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hang Tuah is a legendary warrior/hero who lived during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah of the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century. He was the greatest of all the laksamana, or sultan's admirals, and was known to be a ferocious fighter. Hang Tuah is held in the highest regard, even in present-day Malaysian Malay culture, and is arguably the most well-known and illustrious warrior figure in Malaysian history and literature.
Hang Tuah's Career
Hang Tuah's illustrious career as an admiral or laksamana includes tales of his absolute and unfaltering loyalty to his Sultan, some of which are chronicled in Sejarah Melayu (the semi-historical Malay Annals)[1] and Hikayat Hang Tuah (a romantic collection of tales involving Hang Tuah).
Hang Tuah became the Sultan's constant aide, accompanying the King on official visits to foreign countries. On one such visit to Majapahit, Taming Sari, a famous Majapahit warrior, challenged Hang Tuah to a duel. After a brutal fight, Hang Tuah emerged as winner and the ruler of Majapahit bestowed upon him Taming Sari’s kris or weapon. The Taming Sari kris was named after its original owner, and was purported to be magical, empowering its owner with invincibility. It is said to be the source of Hang Tuah’s alleged supernatural abilities.
Hang Tuah also acted as the Sultan's ambassador, travelling on his Sultan's behalf to allied countries. Another story concerning Hang Tuah's legendary loyalty to the Sultan is found in the Hikayat Hang Tuah, and involves his visit to Inderaputra or Pahang during one such voyage. The Sultan sent Hang Tuah to Pahang with the task of persuading the princess Tun Teja, who was already engaged, to become the Sultan's companion. Tun Teja fell under the impression that Hang Tuah had come to persuade her to marry him, not the Sultan, and agreed to elope with him to Melaka. It was only during the voyage home that Hang Tuah revealed his deception to Tun Teja.
The Hikayat Hang Tuah and Sejarah Melayu each carry different accounts of this incident, however. The Hikayat records that it was Hang Tuah who persuaded Tun Teja to elope with him, thus deceiving her. Sejarah Melayu, however, claims that it was another warrior, Hang Nadim, who deceived Tun Teja.
Perhaps the most famous story in which Hang Tuah is involved is his fight with his closest childhood companion, Hang Jebat. Hang Tuah's deep loyalty to and popularity with the Sultan led to rumours being circulated that Hang Tuah was having an illicit affair with one of the Sultan's stewardess dayang. The Sultan sentenced Hang Tuah to death without trial for the alleged offense. The death sentence was never carried out, however, because Hang Tuah's executioner, the Bendahara, went against the Sultan’s orders and hid Hang Tuah in a remote region of Melaka.
Believing that Hang Tuah was dead, murdered unjustly by the Sultan he served, Hang Jebat avenged his friend's death. Hang Jebat's revenge allegedly became a palace killing spree or furious rebellion against the Sultan (sources differ as to what actually occurred). It remains consistent, however, that Hang Jebat wreaked havoc onto the royal court, and the Sultan was unable to stop him, as none of the Sultan's warriors dared to challenge the more ferocious and skilled Hang Jebat. The Bendahara then informed the Sultan that the only man able to stop Hang Jebat, Hang Tuah, was still alive. The Bendahara recalled Hang Tuah from his hiding place and the warrior was given full amnesty by the Sultan and instructed to kill Hang Jebat. After seven gruelling days of fighting, Hang Tuah was able to kill Hang Jebat.
It is notable that the two main sources of Hang Tuah's life differ yet again on the details of his life. According the Hikayat Hang Tuah, it was Hang Jebat who avenged his friend's death, only to be killed by the same friend, but according to Sejarah Melayu, it was Hang Kasturi. The Sejarah Melayu or the Malay Annals are unique in that they constitute the only available account of the history of the Malay Sultanate in the fifteenth and early sixteenth century[2], but the Hang Jebat story, as the more romantic tale, remains more popular.
Hang Tuah continued to serve Malacca after the death of Hang Jebat. Later in his life, as Hang Tuah progressed in his years, the warrior was ordered by the successive Malaccan Sultan to court a legendary princess on the Sultan's behalf. The Puteri Gunung Ledang (Princess of Mount Ledang) was so named because she resided on Mount Ledang at the Melaka-Johor border. According to legend, the Princess met with Hang Tuah, and only agreed to marry the Sultan if he satisfied a list of requirements, or pre-wedding gifts. The list included a golden bridge linking Melaka with the top of Gunung Ledang, seven trays of mosquito livers, seven jars of virgins' tears and a bowl of the Sultan's first born son's blood. Hang Tuah knew the tasks would not be fulfilled, and was said to be so overwhelmed that he failed his Sultan that he flung his kris into a river and vowed only to return to Melaka if it resurfaced, which it never did. It was also said that he then vanished into thin air. According to other sources, however, Hang Tuah lived until old age, and his body is said to be have been buried in Tanjung Kling in Melaka, where his tomb can still be seen today.
Hang Tuah the Legend
Hang Tuah is famous for quoting the words "Takkan Melayu Hilang di Dunia" which literally means "Malays will never vanish from the face of the earth" or "Never shall the Malay(s) (race) vanish from the face of the earth". The quote is a famous rallying cry for Malay nationalism.
He remains an extremely popular Malay legend, embodying the values of Malay culture at the time, when allegiance and loyalty were paramount above all else. The Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat story, whether completely true or not, represents a paradox in the Malay psyche about loyalty and justice, and remains a point of debate among students of Malay history and literature.
Hang Tuah in Media
Hang Tuah is a prominent legendary figure in Malaysia's popular culture and his story has been adapted into several movies. The more famous of these movies include Hang Tuah, starring the late P. Ramlee in the titular role, and Puteri Gunung Ledang, which starred M. Nasir as Hang Tuah. In 1995, XX Ray 2, a film by Aziz M. Osman was made and tells about modern scientists were sent back in Hang Tuah's era. In the film, Hang Tuah (played by Jalaluddin Hassan) got the quote Takkan Melayu Hilang Di Dunia from one of the scientists from future (played by Aziz M. Osman).TUAH film, which starred (Jamal Abdillah)
Hang Tuah Hypothesis Research & Facts
What really came into accounts of researchers and historian are the name 'Hang' itself. There no such name present for a Malay from that time until today. Even the culture did not describe the meaning of 'Hang'. The name 'Hang' actually descends from China. It was believed that an entourage from China sent by its Emperor to settle down in Melaka as a sign of diplomatic friendship. To tie the strong bond between these two kingdoms, a princess from China, 'Hang Li Poo' were ordered to marry the Sultan. The Sultan placed the princess up on a hill and later named 'Bukit Cina' or Chinese Hill. Few men from the entourage were actually warriors and bodyguards for the princess. Some of these men or their descendants were believed to be :
1. Hang Too Ah
2. Hang Jee Fatt
3. Hang Lee Ker
4. Hang Lee Kiew ,the warriors said the be in the Legend. The name 'Hang' was a surname from China and still today. Chinese names normally carries in 3 words. How it combined into a 2 words name were because the Malay culture in naming after conversion to Islam and at the same time remaining their names. These warriors blended in the Malay culture and proclaimed by the Sultan as the protected ones even they were converted or not. But how about Hang Kasturi? It should be 'Hang Kar Tu Ree' in Chinese. Notice that it had over 3 words that differed from a Chinese name. The answer could be because Hang Kasturi was actually their Malay friend who was very close and they grew up together. So to honor their friendship, the surname 'Hang' was awarded to him. Thus, the name 'Hang Kasturi' existed in the legend. There were few names which gave rise to the history of Melaka that carries the surname 'Hang'. Which were Hang Nadim and Hang Biajin (Hang Tuah's son). Both were also warriors. Their chronicles were too insufficient to be placed among the icons.
This hypothesis research was carried out by Department Of History, National University Of Malaysia (UKM).
Places and things named after Hang Tuah
In Malaysia
• Four roads in Malaysia are named after Hang Tuah: Jalan Hang Tuah in Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Malacca, and in Taman Khalidi Bharu, Muar, Johor
• The Royal Malaysian Navy has a frigate named KD Hang Tuah.
• A strip along Jalan Hang Tuah has been renamed Hang Tuah Mall and popularised as a tourist attraction.
In Indonesia
• Streets : Jalan Hang Tuah in Medan, Pekanbaru, and Jakarta
• University of Hang Tuah in Surabaya, Indonesia
• The Indonesian Navy also has a frigate named KRI Hang Tuah.
Further reading
• Richard O. Winstedt, A History of Malaya.
See also
• Hang Jebat
• Hang Li Po
• Puteri Gunung Ledang (film)
• Puteri Gunung Ledang (musical)
Reference
1. ^ Britannica CD - Sejarah Melayu
2. ^ Sejarah Melayu (The Malay Annals)
Spooky spots
Saturday October 31, 2009
Spooky spots
If your life needs a dash of spookiness, here are a some places in Malaysia to visit that could do the trick. (Don’t say we didn’t warn you.)
Highland Towers, Kuala Lumpur
A tragic event took place here when an apartment block collapsed due to a landslide after days of heavy rainfall, killing 48 people. Since then, many claim that the place is haunted. Voices of the dead can be heard at night and ghostly figures are said to have appeared at the scene.
There is also a story about a taxi driver who picked up a woman passenger in the middle of the night and dropped her off. She left behind a bag supposedly filled with blood.
Karak Highway
The stretch of highway from Gombak to Raub is infamous for ghost stories because of the many accidents and landslides that have occurred here. Drivers are advised not to look in their rear view mirrors when using the highway at night and never stop for hitchhikers.
Many late-night drivers have tales to tell of cars stalling mysteriously at deserted stretches and seeing a beautiful lady in a white or red dress trying to thumb a ride.
Motorcyclists have felt something heavy behind them as though they had a pillion rider.
The Deadly Junction Georgetown, Penang
The T-junction located beside the Union High School. It is said that if you ever drive through this lonely road late at night, your car will go out of control and crash. Many accidents have occurred here already.
There is also a tree beside the road which looks like a lady carrying a child. Legend has it that this “lady” was once a bomoh (witch doctor) who kidnapped her sister’s son.
Somehow, they never again appeared anywhere other than being seen occasionally beside this road.
St Michael’s Institution, Ipoh
This Catholic school was used by the Japanese as their headquarters during World War II. The building had many tunnels which were said to be used by the Japanese to torture prisoners and to store food.
Most of the sightings occured in the Chapel on the fourth floor where a Christian brother in a black robe without a head is usually seen holding prayer beads.
Malay College Kuala Kangsar, Perak
This school is said to have been a Japanese Occupation camp during World War II. Executions and torture of the prisoners took place here during that time.
Students would sometimes be awakened by a presence that loomed above them. A marching platoon can sometimes be heard in the field, and the sound of chains being dragged can be heard through the campus corridors.
A tree on the campus reflects a shadow of a man hanging from the tree.
Victoria Institution, Kuala Lumpur
A boy’s school that was turned into a Japanese base during the Occupation. Many British soldiers and locals were brutally tortured to death in the basement and buildings on the campus. It is said that apparitions are common in the day as well as night, and that there have been many cases of spirits possessing students.
The possessed boys would behave strangely, even violently, posing a threat to other students and teachers, only to snap out of it a few hours later and remember nothing.
Even if they are forcibly restrained, their bruises would disappear when they return to normal.
Source: http://theshadowlan ds.net/places/ malaysia. htm
Spooky spots
If your life needs a dash of spookiness, here are a some places in Malaysia to visit that could do the trick. (Don’t say we didn’t warn you.)
Highland Towers, Kuala Lumpur
A tragic event took place here when an apartment block collapsed due to a landslide after days of heavy rainfall, killing 48 people. Since then, many claim that the place is haunted. Voices of the dead can be heard at night and ghostly figures are said to have appeared at the scene.
There is also a story about a taxi driver who picked up a woman passenger in the middle of the night and dropped her off. She left behind a bag supposedly filled with blood.
Karak Highway
The stretch of highway from Gombak to Raub is infamous for ghost stories because of the many accidents and landslides that have occurred here. Drivers are advised not to look in their rear view mirrors when using the highway at night and never stop for hitchhikers.
Many late-night drivers have tales to tell of cars stalling mysteriously at deserted stretches and seeing a beautiful lady in a white or red dress trying to thumb a ride.
Motorcyclists have felt something heavy behind them as though they had a pillion rider.
The Deadly Junction Georgetown, Penang
The T-junction located beside the Union High School. It is said that if you ever drive through this lonely road late at night, your car will go out of control and crash. Many accidents have occurred here already.
There is also a tree beside the road which looks like a lady carrying a child. Legend has it that this “lady” was once a bomoh (witch doctor) who kidnapped her sister’s son.
Somehow, they never again appeared anywhere other than being seen occasionally beside this road.
St Michael’s Institution, Ipoh
This Catholic school was used by the Japanese as their headquarters during World War II. The building had many tunnels which were said to be used by the Japanese to torture prisoners and to store food.
Most of the sightings occured in the Chapel on the fourth floor where a Christian brother in a black robe without a head is usually seen holding prayer beads.
Malay College Kuala Kangsar, Perak
This school is said to have been a Japanese Occupation camp during World War II. Executions and torture of the prisoners took place here during that time.
Students would sometimes be awakened by a presence that loomed above them. A marching platoon can sometimes be heard in the field, and the sound of chains being dragged can be heard through the campus corridors.
A tree on the campus reflects a shadow of a man hanging from the tree.
Victoria Institution, Kuala Lumpur
A boy’s school that was turned into a Japanese base during the Occupation. Many British soldiers and locals were brutally tortured to death in the basement and buildings on the campus. It is said that apparitions are common in the day as well as night, and that there have been many cases of spirits possessing students.
The possessed boys would behave strangely, even violently, posing a threat to other students and teachers, only to snap out of it a few hours later and remember nothing.
Even if they are forcibly restrained, their bruises would disappear when they return to normal.
Source: http://theshadowlan ds.net/places/ malaysia. htm
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Victoria Institution (VI) - Ragbi
HISYAMUDDIN AYUB
KUALA LUMPUR - Berusaha mengembalikan kecemerlangan Victoria Institution (VI) dalam sukan dan pembelajaran, sekolah awam tersebut akan menganjurkan perlawanan ragbi persahabatan menentang Kolej Vajiravudh (VC) dari Thailand, Isnin ini.
Yang Dipertua Persatuan Ibu Bapa Guru VI, Raja Amir Shah Raja Abdul Aziz berkata, perlawanan tersebut merupakan usaha berterusan VI untuk menyuntik semangat di kalangan para pelajar bagi mengembalikan status sekolah terkemuka dalam sukan ragbi, seperti yang pernah dikecapi oleh VI pada era 70an.
Katanya, selain menghidupkan kembali tradisi sukan rentas sempadan tersebut, perlawanan tersebut seharusnya menjadi pencetus kepada kebangkitan VI untuk menjadi sekolah yang cemerlang dalam bidang akademik dan sukan.
“Pertemuan ini bukan satu pertembungan biasa. Ia merupakan penyambung kepada tradisi sukan ragbi antara dua buah sekolah yang terhenti sejak 40 tahun lalu.
“Selepas memperoleh kembali status warisan dan mendapat kembali nama VI, sekolah ini bertekad mahu menjadi salah sebuah sekolah berbilang kaum yang berjaya di negara ini,” katanya kepada Utusan Malaysia, di sini semalam.
Pertemuan tersebut akan diadakan di padang VI dan majlis sambutan kejohanan itu akan bermula pada pukul 3 petang.
Raja Amir berkata, pertembungan Isnin ini pastinya akan mengimbau kembali kenangan lalu yang mana perlawanan ragbi pertama kedua-dua sekolah tersebut adalah pada 1963.
Katanya, tiga lagi perlawanan seumpama itu berjaya dilangsungkan pada 1965, 1967 dan akhirnya pada 1969.
“Ini adalah peluang kepada VI untuk membuktikan mereka mampu menandingi sekolah terbaik Thailand dalam sukan ragbi.
“Selain itu, ia juga seharusnya menjadi satu pendedahan terbaik kepada VI terutamanya dapat beraksi menentang sekolah terbaik ragbi dari negara jiran.
“Ia satu pendedahan terbaik kepada pembangunan sukan ragbi di sekolah ini, sekali gus menyuntik semangat pelajar di peringkat bawah untuk mewakili sekolah pada masa depan,” katanya.
Ditanya mengenai rancangan seterusnya untuk pertandingan ragbi itu, Raja Amir berkata, pihaknya mahu menjadikan pertemuan antara kedua-dua sekolah tersebut sebagai acara tahunan.
Katanya, ia mungkin akan dijalankan secara berselang seli di dua buah negara iaitu Malaysia dan Thailand.
“Apa yang lebih menarik, pertandingan seumpama ini juga mungkin akan melibatkan penyertaan beberapa sekolah terkemuka di negara ini. Ia mungkin akan melibatkan pertemuan empat penjuru,” katanya.
KUALA LUMPUR - Berusaha mengembalikan kecemerlangan Victoria Institution (VI) dalam sukan dan pembelajaran, sekolah awam tersebut akan menganjurkan perlawanan ragbi persahabatan menentang Kolej Vajiravudh (VC) dari Thailand, Isnin ini.
Yang Dipertua Persatuan Ibu Bapa Guru VI, Raja Amir Shah Raja Abdul Aziz berkata, perlawanan tersebut merupakan usaha berterusan VI untuk menyuntik semangat di kalangan para pelajar bagi mengembalikan status sekolah terkemuka dalam sukan ragbi, seperti yang pernah dikecapi oleh VI pada era 70an.
Katanya, selain menghidupkan kembali tradisi sukan rentas sempadan tersebut, perlawanan tersebut seharusnya menjadi pencetus kepada kebangkitan VI untuk menjadi sekolah yang cemerlang dalam bidang akademik dan sukan.
“Pertemuan ini bukan satu pertembungan biasa. Ia merupakan penyambung kepada tradisi sukan ragbi antara dua buah sekolah yang terhenti sejak 40 tahun lalu.
“Selepas memperoleh kembali status warisan dan mendapat kembali nama VI, sekolah ini bertekad mahu menjadi salah sebuah sekolah berbilang kaum yang berjaya di negara ini,” katanya kepada Utusan Malaysia, di sini semalam.
Pertemuan tersebut akan diadakan di padang VI dan majlis sambutan kejohanan itu akan bermula pada pukul 3 petang.
Raja Amir berkata, pertembungan Isnin ini pastinya akan mengimbau kembali kenangan lalu yang mana perlawanan ragbi pertama kedua-dua sekolah tersebut adalah pada 1963.
Katanya, tiga lagi perlawanan seumpama itu berjaya dilangsungkan pada 1965, 1967 dan akhirnya pada 1969.
“Ini adalah peluang kepada VI untuk membuktikan mereka mampu menandingi sekolah terbaik Thailand dalam sukan ragbi.
“Selain itu, ia juga seharusnya menjadi satu pendedahan terbaik kepada VI terutamanya dapat beraksi menentang sekolah terbaik ragbi dari negara jiran.
“Ia satu pendedahan terbaik kepada pembangunan sukan ragbi di sekolah ini, sekali gus menyuntik semangat pelajar di peringkat bawah untuk mewakili sekolah pada masa depan,” katanya.
Ditanya mengenai rancangan seterusnya untuk pertandingan ragbi itu, Raja Amir berkata, pihaknya mahu menjadikan pertemuan antara kedua-dua sekolah tersebut sebagai acara tahunan.
Katanya, ia mungkin akan dijalankan secara berselang seli di dua buah negara iaitu Malaysia dan Thailand.
“Apa yang lebih menarik, pertandingan seumpama ini juga mungkin akan melibatkan penyertaan beberapa sekolah terkemuka di negara ini. Ia mungkin akan melibatkan pertemuan empat penjuru,” katanya.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
28th Sultan of Perak: Sultan Idris Murshidul Azzam Shah
May 24, 2010 • 12:01 AM
28th Sultan of Perak: Sultan Idris Murshidul Azzam Shah ibni Almarhum Raja Bendahara Alang Iskandar (1887-1916)
SembangKuala is one year old today and in commemoration of this, we humbly present to you this updated post on Almarhum Sultan Idris I.
Sultan Idris Murshidul Azzam Shah. This photo was taken in 1911 at the famous Lafayette Studio in London, and is currently held at the V&A Lafayette Collection.
Sultan Idris Murshidul Azzam Shah was born Raja Idris ibni Almarhum Raja Bendahara Alang Iskandar at Kampung Kuala Keboi in Kampar, Perak on 19 June 1849, the third son of Raja Bendahara Alang Iskandar ibni Almarhum Yang di Pertuan Muda Sultan Ahmad Shah Johan by his second wife, Che’ Ken Uda Sari binti Panglima Dalam Abdul Rahman. His siblings were Raja Hasan, Raja Kulop Muhammad (father of Raja Perempuan Kelsom, consort of Sultan Iskandar Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Idris), Raja Lope Ahmad and Raja Putih Mas Kechil.
As a young man, Raja Idris had already shown a keen interest in education, especially that of Islam, a characteristic he exhibited throughout his life. Among his religious teachers were Sheikh Mohd Tahir Jalaluddin[1] and Syed Abdullah bin Abu Bakar Al-Attas (kadhi of Perak). Raja Idris later learnt English from a few of British administrative officers, which included M.E. Holmes, the District Magistrate and Collector of Land Revenue.
In 1876, Raja Idris was appointed as a judge on the examination of those who were charged with complicity in the assassination of J.W.W. Birch (the first British Resident of Perak). The assassination of Birch culminated in the Perak War (1875-1876) between the British forces and the Perak Malays. During the trial, his fellow assessors were J.G Davidson and Frank Swettenham. Raja Idris was later appointed Chief Judge of Perak, and between 1883 to 1897, he was invited by the Straits Settlement Government to assist in the settlement of a dispute over the definition of the boundary between Perak and Kedah, and Melaka and Rembau. Later as Sultan, he revised the primeval code of Perak Court customs and procedures, and the traditional and royal titles, with the approval of the State Council. This includes the creation of the office Orang Kaya-Kaya Setia Bijaya Di-Raja in place of the then defunct Orang Kaya Kaya Seri Agar Di-Raja Putra (following the conviction of Dato’ Maharaja Lela). Jeragan Abdul Shukor bin Mohamad Ali was the first holder of this title.
When Sultan Yusuf Sharifuddin Muzaffar Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdullah Muhammad Shah I was finally installed as the 27th Sultan of Perak[2], Perak was declared a British protectorate on 11 May 1887. Raja Idris was then installed Raja Muda by the Perak State Council[3], apparently with strong support from Hugh Low, the then British Resident of Perak. However, about two months after the installation, Sultan Yusuf mangkat on 26 July 1887 and Raja Muda Idris was proclaimed the 28th Sultan of Perak at the age of 38. Sultan Idris was formally installed with the title Sultan Idris Murshidul Azzam Shah on 5 April 1889.
Previously, all the previous Sultans of Perak resided on the right bank of the Sungai Perak, as per agreement made by the 1st Sultan of Perak, Sultan Muzaffar Shah, with Tok Temong. However, Sultan Idris chose to reside to the left bank on Bukit Chandan. A palace called Istana Idris (later renamed as Istana Negara) was erected on Bukit Chandan in 1895. It was then demolished, giving way to the construction of Istana Iskandariah in the early 1930s. Besides Istana Negara, there were other istanas built, like Istana Chinta Berahi for the Raja Perempuan Nuteh Aishah binti Almarhum Sultan Yusuf Sharifuddin and Istana Kasar Ma’amor for Tengku Permaisuri Uteh Mariah binti Haji Sulaiman.
It was during the time of Sultan Idris that Perak became part of the Federated Malay States. Perak then saw a vast economic growth from its export of tin and rubber. The first rubber tree in Malaya was planted in Kuala Kangsar by the botanist Henry Ridley.
Sultan Idris was regarded as one of the most influential sultans in Malaya at the time, as seen from the inaugural Durbar in 1897 held at the Istana Negara in Kuala Kangsar. Sultan Idris’ thinking was ahead of his time and he strove to meet the needs of his rapidly changing state and her rakyat. One of his principal concerns was education, of both Western or religious styles, and he was instrumental in the establishment of both the Malay College (Bab-ul Darjat was a lesser known name of the College) and Madrasah Idrisiah in Kuala Kangsar. Even after his passing, his vast contributions towards education of his rakyat was recognised and the Sultan Idris Training College in Tanjong Malim was named after him.
Sultan Idris was also a staunch advocate of increased Malay participation in the ranks of the state administration. To walk the talk as it were, one of his sons, Raja Alang Iskandar (later Sultan) joined the F.M.S. Police Force.
In recognition of his role in the modernisation of Perak and and his vast contributions to the welfare of his rakyat, Sultan Idris received a number British honours – the CMG in 1884 and KCMG in 1898 from Queen Victoria, GCMG in 1901 from Edward VII and GCVO in 1913 from George V.
During his lifetime, Sultan Idris had visited England four times:
1. 1884 – with Hugh Low and Raja Ngah Mansur ibni Sultan Abdullah Muhammad Shah II, to request for the return of the Perak Royal Regalia which were kept in England since 1876 during the Perak War.
2. 1888 – by invitation of Queen Victoria for her Golden Jubilee, after his proclamation as Sultan of Perak. He was again accompanied by Hugh Low and Raja Ngah Mansur ibni Sultan Abdullah.
3. 1902 – for the coronation of Edward VII but the trip was postponed. During the trip, his son, Raja Alang Iskandar (then aged 21) followed him back to Perak after seven years in England, five of which were at Balliol College in Oxford.
4. 1911 – for the coronation of George V, and he was accompanied by Tengku Permaisuri Uteh Mariah, Raja Harun Al Rashid, Raja Abdul Rashid, Raja Chulan, Raja Puteh Kalsom Sultan Idris (wife of Raja Chulan) and Enche’ Yeop Nordin, Toh Muda Orang Kaya Setia Di-Raja. It was during this trip that Sultan Idris bought the Aigrette which was later added to the Perak State Regalia.
Upon returning to Perak in 1911, Sultan Idris health was under par and he rested at Port Dickson. Whilst recovering, he made a nazar, should he be restored a good health, he would build a mosque in Bukit Chandan. His vow later materialised with the erection of Majid Ubudiah but he did not live to see it completed.
Sultan Idris mangkat on 14 January 1916 at the age of 67. He was interred at the Royal Mausoleum, Kuala Kangsar with the title of Marhum Rahmatullah.
In the course of his life, Sultan Idris married seven times:
1. DYMM Raja Perempuan Nuteh Aishah binti Sultan Yusuf Sharifuddin Mudzaffar Shah. She died at Istana Kasar Ma’amor, Kuala Kangsar on 6 October 1920.
Sultan Idris with Tengku Permaisuri Uteh Mariah
2. Tengku Permaisuri Che Uteh Mariah binti Haji Sulaiman (Orang Kaya-Kaya Shahbandar Paduka Indira). She died at Istana Cinta Berahi, Kuala Kangsar on 26 February 1924.
3. Toh Puan Besar Che Ngah Manah binti Manda Duwayat. She died 4 February 1922.
4. Che Alang Sawiya binti Che Kulup Abdul Samad. She died 16 November 1957.
5. Che Long Polam
6. YM Sharifah Alawiyah
7. YM Sharifah Maheran
The present Perak Sultanate is derived from his lineage. In addition, the Sultan Idris I lineage has links with other royal households in other States, namely Selangor and Pahang. Click here for the family tree of Sultan Idris I.
Footnote:
[1] Sheikh Mohd Tahir Jalaluddin was the father of Tun Hamdan Sheikh Tahir, the Yang di Pertua Negeri Pulau Pinang from 1989 to 2001.
[2] Raja Muda Yusuf was made regent from 30March 1877 to 11 May 1887.
[3] The Perak State Council was founded on 10 September 1877, with Raja Idris as one of its founder members.
_________________________________
Reference:
1. Fawzi Basri. Cempaka Sari: Sejarah Kesultanan Negeri Perak. Yayasan Perak; 1986.
2. Hussain bin Mahmud. Sultan Idris: A personal study.
3. Kennedy J. A History of Malaya. London: Macmillan; 1962.
4. Encyclopedia Britannica. Sultan Idris ibn Raja Iskandar.
5. Laman Rasmi Pejabat Sultan Perak. SULTAN IDRIS MURSHIDUL ‘ADZAM SHAH I.
6. Sembangkuala. Perak after Sultan Ali.
7. Arkib Negara Malaysia
28th Sultan of Perak: Sultan Idris Murshidul Azzam Shah ibni Almarhum Raja Bendahara Alang Iskandar (1887-1916)
SembangKuala is one year old today and in commemoration of this, we humbly present to you this updated post on Almarhum Sultan Idris I.
Sultan Idris Murshidul Azzam Shah. This photo was taken in 1911 at the famous Lafayette Studio in London, and is currently held at the V&A Lafayette Collection.
Sultan Idris Murshidul Azzam Shah was born Raja Idris ibni Almarhum Raja Bendahara Alang Iskandar at Kampung Kuala Keboi in Kampar, Perak on 19 June 1849, the third son of Raja Bendahara Alang Iskandar ibni Almarhum Yang di Pertuan Muda Sultan Ahmad Shah Johan by his second wife, Che’ Ken Uda Sari binti Panglima Dalam Abdul Rahman. His siblings were Raja Hasan, Raja Kulop Muhammad (father of Raja Perempuan Kelsom, consort of Sultan Iskandar Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Idris), Raja Lope Ahmad and Raja Putih Mas Kechil.
As a young man, Raja Idris had already shown a keen interest in education, especially that of Islam, a characteristic he exhibited throughout his life. Among his religious teachers were Sheikh Mohd Tahir Jalaluddin[1] and Syed Abdullah bin Abu Bakar Al-Attas (kadhi of Perak). Raja Idris later learnt English from a few of British administrative officers, which included M.E. Holmes, the District Magistrate and Collector of Land Revenue.
In 1876, Raja Idris was appointed as a judge on the examination of those who were charged with complicity in the assassination of J.W.W. Birch (the first British Resident of Perak). The assassination of Birch culminated in the Perak War (1875-1876) between the British forces and the Perak Malays. During the trial, his fellow assessors were J.G Davidson and Frank Swettenham. Raja Idris was later appointed Chief Judge of Perak, and between 1883 to 1897, he was invited by the Straits Settlement Government to assist in the settlement of a dispute over the definition of the boundary between Perak and Kedah, and Melaka and Rembau. Later as Sultan, he revised the primeval code of Perak Court customs and procedures, and the traditional and royal titles, with the approval of the State Council. This includes the creation of the office Orang Kaya-Kaya Setia Bijaya Di-Raja in place of the then defunct Orang Kaya Kaya Seri Agar Di-Raja Putra (following the conviction of Dato’ Maharaja Lela). Jeragan Abdul Shukor bin Mohamad Ali was the first holder of this title.
When Sultan Yusuf Sharifuddin Muzaffar Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdullah Muhammad Shah I was finally installed as the 27th Sultan of Perak[2], Perak was declared a British protectorate on 11 May 1887. Raja Idris was then installed Raja Muda by the Perak State Council[3], apparently with strong support from Hugh Low, the then British Resident of Perak. However, about two months after the installation, Sultan Yusuf mangkat on 26 July 1887 and Raja Muda Idris was proclaimed the 28th Sultan of Perak at the age of 38. Sultan Idris was formally installed with the title Sultan Idris Murshidul Azzam Shah on 5 April 1889.
Previously, all the previous Sultans of Perak resided on the right bank of the Sungai Perak, as per agreement made by the 1st Sultan of Perak, Sultan Muzaffar Shah, with Tok Temong. However, Sultan Idris chose to reside to the left bank on Bukit Chandan. A palace called Istana Idris (later renamed as Istana Negara) was erected on Bukit Chandan in 1895. It was then demolished, giving way to the construction of Istana Iskandariah in the early 1930s. Besides Istana Negara, there were other istanas built, like Istana Chinta Berahi for the Raja Perempuan Nuteh Aishah binti Almarhum Sultan Yusuf Sharifuddin and Istana Kasar Ma’amor for Tengku Permaisuri Uteh Mariah binti Haji Sulaiman.
It was during the time of Sultan Idris that Perak became part of the Federated Malay States. Perak then saw a vast economic growth from its export of tin and rubber. The first rubber tree in Malaya was planted in Kuala Kangsar by the botanist Henry Ridley.
Sultan Idris was regarded as one of the most influential sultans in Malaya at the time, as seen from the inaugural Durbar in 1897 held at the Istana Negara in Kuala Kangsar. Sultan Idris’ thinking was ahead of his time and he strove to meet the needs of his rapidly changing state and her rakyat. One of his principal concerns was education, of both Western or religious styles, and he was instrumental in the establishment of both the Malay College (Bab-ul Darjat was a lesser known name of the College) and Madrasah Idrisiah in Kuala Kangsar. Even after his passing, his vast contributions towards education of his rakyat was recognised and the Sultan Idris Training College in Tanjong Malim was named after him.
Sultan Idris was also a staunch advocate of increased Malay participation in the ranks of the state administration. To walk the talk as it were, one of his sons, Raja Alang Iskandar (later Sultan) joined the F.M.S. Police Force.
In recognition of his role in the modernisation of Perak and and his vast contributions to the welfare of his rakyat, Sultan Idris received a number British honours – the CMG in 1884 and KCMG in 1898 from Queen Victoria, GCMG in 1901 from Edward VII and GCVO in 1913 from George V.
During his lifetime, Sultan Idris had visited England four times:
1. 1884 – with Hugh Low and Raja Ngah Mansur ibni Sultan Abdullah Muhammad Shah II, to request for the return of the Perak Royal Regalia which were kept in England since 1876 during the Perak War.
2. 1888 – by invitation of Queen Victoria for her Golden Jubilee, after his proclamation as Sultan of Perak. He was again accompanied by Hugh Low and Raja Ngah Mansur ibni Sultan Abdullah.
3. 1902 – for the coronation of Edward VII but the trip was postponed. During the trip, his son, Raja Alang Iskandar (then aged 21) followed him back to Perak after seven years in England, five of which were at Balliol College in Oxford.
4. 1911 – for the coronation of George V, and he was accompanied by Tengku Permaisuri Uteh Mariah, Raja Harun Al Rashid, Raja Abdul Rashid, Raja Chulan, Raja Puteh Kalsom Sultan Idris (wife of Raja Chulan) and Enche’ Yeop Nordin, Toh Muda Orang Kaya Setia Di-Raja. It was during this trip that Sultan Idris bought the Aigrette which was later added to the Perak State Regalia.
Upon returning to Perak in 1911, Sultan Idris health was under par and he rested at Port Dickson. Whilst recovering, he made a nazar, should he be restored a good health, he would build a mosque in Bukit Chandan. His vow later materialised with the erection of Majid Ubudiah but he did not live to see it completed.
Sultan Idris mangkat on 14 January 1916 at the age of 67. He was interred at the Royal Mausoleum, Kuala Kangsar with the title of Marhum Rahmatullah.
In the course of his life, Sultan Idris married seven times:
1. DYMM Raja Perempuan Nuteh Aishah binti Sultan Yusuf Sharifuddin Mudzaffar Shah. She died at Istana Kasar Ma’amor, Kuala Kangsar on 6 October 1920.
Sultan Idris with Tengku Permaisuri Uteh Mariah
2. Tengku Permaisuri Che Uteh Mariah binti Haji Sulaiman (Orang Kaya-Kaya Shahbandar Paduka Indira). She died at Istana Cinta Berahi, Kuala Kangsar on 26 February 1924.
3. Toh Puan Besar Che Ngah Manah binti Manda Duwayat. She died 4 February 1922.
4. Che Alang Sawiya binti Che Kulup Abdul Samad. She died 16 November 1957.
5. Che Long Polam
6. YM Sharifah Alawiyah
7. YM Sharifah Maheran
The present Perak Sultanate is derived from his lineage. In addition, the Sultan Idris I lineage has links with other royal households in other States, namely Selangor and Pahang. Click here for the family tree of Sultan Idris I.
Footnote:
[1] Sheikh Mohd Tahir Jalaluddin was the father of Tun Hamdan Sheikh Tahir, the Yang di Pertua Negeri Pulau Pinang from 1989 to 2001.
[2] Raja Muda Yusuf was made regent from 30March 1877 to 11 May 1887.
[3] The Perak State Council was founded on 10 September 1877, with Raja Idris as one of its founder members.
_________________________________
Reference:
1. Fawzi Basri. Cempaka Sari: Sejarah Kesultanan Negeri Perak. Yayasan Perak; 1986.
2. Hussain bin Mahmud. Sultan Idris: A personal study.
3. Kennedy J. A History of Malaya. London: Macmillan; 1962.
4. Encyclopedia Britannica. Sultan Idris ibn Raja Iskandar.
5. Laman Rasmi Pejabat Sultan Perak. SULTAN IDRIS MURSHIDUL ‘ADZAM SHAH I.
6. Sembangkuala. Perak after Sultan Ali.
7. Arkib Negara Malaysia
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