A knock on the head or a whip on the back!

My maths teacher, Mr Ng Kek Chow , is one of the best Maths teachers at my school, Anderson School. If you pay attention to his teaching you can never fail the examination. However, you have to tolerate his approach which to me is very good and successful. Those who are in his class could easily pass the test can even obtained a distinction. Here are some of his ways or teaching:-

(a). He is a very strict teacher

(b). Before he enters the class one has to be ready to answer his questions.

(c). Before you realize it you will hear his voice in the form of a question, asking you (your name will be called to answer a maths question.

(d). You will be wondering where the voice come from. Actually he usually shouted the question from the balcony before he enters the class. Before you could realize it he is already by your side or already knocked your head. To a new student he seldom use this style of approach. As for us we were already accustomed to his way.

(e). Once he is in the class and after he has finished with the student concerned, he will start moving along to every desk of each student in the class to check their homework. Of course you can see and hear the knocking on the head of those who did their homework wrongly. To those who were used to this style usually took it lightly.

He also conducted classes during Saturdays to complete and at the same time to give more attention to his students of which we were very very happy indeed. Girls from some Convent school used to attend this additional class. Here you sometime noticed that he shouted at the girls and his hand was already near the girl students but he then usually leave them just like that. The girls were always scared of him. As he conducted these additional classes for maths , he was also in charge of the rugger players. So at times while teaching, you suddenly noticed that he is missing in the class and when you looked at the field he was there scolding and knocking the head  of the players for their wrong doings. His famous words were "You wretched thing", and followed by a small punishment, usually a knock on the head or if you are unlucky, a few canning. 

Yes Sir, I am the Racketman!

When I landed at Malayan Teachers Training College, Liverpool, United Kingdom in the year 1953 and beginning to settle down in a small room at The Block Eight (8). We were considered as the freshies and of course we were not exempted from "ragging.". There was a big multipurpose hall at the college. This multipurpose hall was being used for all sorts of events including badminton.

As a freshie, I was not allowed to enter the hall without permission, unless to attend the assembly. As a freshie I was quite inquisitive to know what other activities were being carried  on in the hall. So now and then as I was passing the enterance of the hall  I used to peep through the main door. I saw a game of badminton was going on. Being interested in the game I bravely opened the door, fortunately no body seemed to care . So I stood near the door to watch the game. One of seniors saw me and asked me " Hey freshie, can you play badminton ?". I said "Yes Sir!". I being a freshie I have to address a senior as "Sir". Then he asked me if I have a badminton racket. I nodded my head and he then asked me to go and get my racket and be ready to play. I was so happy and ran to my room and had a quick change of attire and ran back in to the hall. I was then asked to play a double game and then I was asked to play the single game. The senior players were quiet impressed with my game and I was asked to come again for another trial.  Later on I discovered that the college was going to have a badminton match against a university.

That was the beginning of me getting involved in the College Badminton Team. After that I was quite active in the game and took part in many games against other teams in Liverpool and other Universities in U.K.  Malaya was then quite famous with Badminton and we were then quite busy playing with colleges and universities. I played both single and double games. If I am not mistaken I was awarded The Badminton Color by the College - Yes, Sir I was a Racketman!

A Passion Lives on!

Another passion of mine that began during those early years was badminton.

I grew up during the wonderful years of “Malayan” badminton, my early heroes were the legendary Wong Peng Soon and Eddy Choong. Since at our house there was a badminton court built by my brother and I took the opportunity to learn how to play and my brothers were quite ready to teach me now and then. At the same time I studied hard about correct the way to play. I was then still in primary Malay school and fortunately at the school there was a badminton court where I also had the chance to play. 

My brother (Ibrahim) was one of the best Malay Badminton players of Ipoh or perhaps Perak. He often won in competitions organized by Ipoh Malay group. As far as I could remember he kept on playing badminton for quite a while. When I was transferred to Penang in 1967, he was still playing of and on at Butterwort where I joined him (his group) when I was transferred there. I was so interested on the game that I was prepared to travel from Penang to Butterwort almost every night , having to cross there by ferry although my wife, mama,  was not too happy because I hardly was at home after office until late night. I seriously started to play when I was at Kirkby and of course I continued to play at places where I was working, Ipoh, Telok Intan, Kelantan Johor Bharu, and finally in Penang. After coming back to Ipoh I began to slow down as my age was catching up and now its just armchair badminton, especially if Datuk Lim Chong Wei is playing - I guess the passion lives on!

To Strive, To Seek, To Find and not to yield!

Back to School!

When the second World War ended and the Japanese surrendered, Malaysia was taken back by The British and the English schools were reopened. So everybody was busy sending their children back to school. By that time I was already about 12 years old, I had no choice but to register myself at Anderson School Ipoh which was already  established in 1909. The school was used by the Japanese as their Army Headquarters, so there were hardly any chairs and desks left. So some classrooms had to use old dining tables. Very few of us know how to speak English. When my turn came the teacher asked me to count one to ten in English. Of course I could do it but of course with funny pronunciations ( Wan!, Tu!, Tri!, Por!, Pye! and so on.). However I was admitted to Special Malay Class 2. Every subject was taught in English. I had to struggle to learn English Language and got to work hard for it. In 1951 I had to face the Cambridge School Certificate Examinations (an early version of SPM). I had to struggle hard and thank Allah I managed to get 2^nd Grade with credit in English Language. I failed my History but got “Distinction” in my Mathematics! - BUT lets save that for  another story.

I recently looked up the  school anthem and smiled as I read the last portion of the song:

"The sea strives with the land.

The river with the field,

We strive and seek and find,

And finding will not yield"

Hence the school motto: 

To Strive, To Seek, To Find and not to yield!

The Street Peddler

During Japanese time most of the people will do something to earn a living. Most people had no job especially the Government Servants. My father worked in a British Lawyer firm and automatically the firm had to close. My brothers too suffer the same except those working in Government Department.   We had to earn a living in whatever way we can. Some worked for the Japanese Govt. Some did some private business.

As for me I was helping my mother by selling Malay cakes (Kuih Melayu), Curry Puffs and Nasi Lemak all over Ipoh town. I walked to various places in Ipoh to sell. I carried a large rattan basket filled with whatever my mother had prepared for the day. My favorite spot was an open area beside the Ipoh Post Office where I had set up a small table for my enterprise. There I was selling mother’s food among the many petition writers. I also made some money by selling cheap local Japanese cigarettes. I don’t think my mother knew about those trade. Anyway, by singing for the Japanese and selling food and cigarettes, I had made a lot of cash and whatever cash I made all went to my mother. This meant that I had certain privileges, e.g., I could request a special meal for myself when others (my family) had to get by, by eating rice and boiled tapioca. 

My efforts as the street peddler had paid off - Nasi Lemak anyone?

The Little Entertainer

When Japanese took over Ipoh, all schools were reopened and had to carry on studying with more emphasis in "Japanese Language,less emphasis in English and Malay Languages and of course no English Language to be taught. 

I carried on attending school and of course we had to start studying the Japanese Language and  Japanese songs. The Japanese gave a piano to the school. I love singing and without any difficulty I managed to by heart a few Japanese songs.Every morning we have to sing Japanese National  anthem  plus some good Japanese songs so much so I was chosen to sing Japanese songs at various occasions organised by the Japanese Govt.  Ipoh was full of Japanese soldiers attached to various Japanese Military Units. It so happened almost every week-end some sort of entertainment was prepared to entertain the Japanese Soldiers. They used Cinema Halls for the entertainment. I was chosen to be one of the singers.

I was one of those who was chosen to sing Japanese songs. I was a small boy then and I found it difficult to sing. They had to put a box for me stand on it in order my voice to reach the microphone correctly. The first night I sang I was very nervous, but I tried to control myself with the help of my teacher somehow or rather I managed to sing well and surprisingly my singing was very much appreciated by the army. As soon as I finished my first song to my surprise I received the loudest clapping of hands and as soon as the performance was over a few of the soldiers came to me and carried me to be with them.  I was very nervous and frightened especially when they carried me up, however, they treated me well - Somehow, at the age of eight, I had become their little entertainer!

The First Attack

I started going to school when I was about 7 years old. 
The school was quite far, about 1.5 miles. So, everyday I walked for 3 miles (5 kilometres) both ways. My school was very near the Ipoh airport. One day, when I was in Standard 3 or 4, suddenly Iheard a very loud siren. The Japanese planes were attacking the Ipoh airport! They dropped bombs and were shooting at the airport. We were all asked to run into a rubber plantation near the school! We quickly hid behind one tree each. The bullets started to come our way, from the front. There, I had the most exciting experience of watching the bullets touching the trees around me, left and right. I was too young to feel scared. It was all fun! Nobody was hurt because we had one tree each to protect us. Finally, the planes went off, and we all went back to school.

A few days after that, the school closed. The world war had started!