In the year 1979 a headmaster I became

Friendly football match between school teachers and members of Bintulu public at the school football field.  I am standing 6th from right (back row)

In the year 1979, a headmaster I became.  It was one of the most challenging times in my life.  For one thing I was given very short notice about the appointment.  Immediately after a midnight fire leveled down the school’s main administrative office - cum staff room, I received a call from the Education Department to see the Director of Education.  I was then working at the Educational Mass Media Office in Kuching. When I reached headquarters, I was instead directed to a room and met the Deputy Minister of Education Malaysia, Salleh Jafaruddin.  We had an hour of discussion after which he said, “Tomorrow you go to Bintulu and take over the administration of the school.  The letter of appointment as Headmaster will follow later.”  Upon checking in at the school (which happened to be the school I attended in the 60's)  I found the Headmaster’s office, clerk’s office and the staff room in ashes. That’s how I started administering the school.  I had no records, no files, no office etc.. That incident meant that all the school records since it started in 1963 turned to ashes. 

 As the principal of SMK Bintulu (Sekolah Menengah Kerajaan Bintulu) or  previously known as BGSS (Bintulu Government Secondary School),   I had to perform many official, semi-official and non-official duties related to the school.   In order to track my daily work schedule and  keep record of the events happening each day, I devised a ‘Travellogue” ( see inset).  Even as the headmaster I find time to mix around with the teachers.  One way was to play football with them.  (see top picture)   Often I would join them in the staff room during morning or afternoon break and night study time, chatting and getting to know them better.  One of the many activities that brought me to town often was to collect mail from the post office, bank in money to the local treasury, visit students in the hospital or attend official meetings with other government departments.  In those days, the school was the main source of "flower girls" and I had teachers responsible to get ready these girls in time and transport them whenever VIP's were to be officially welcomed at the airport.  Being the Principal of the only secondary school in a small town of Bintulu then, the post was a very high profile one.  You get to know people quickly and it worked both ways.  The public would  normally address you as "Cikgu" or teacher.  In Malaysian society being a teacher is one of the most respectable job, not to mention the Headmaster.  I was at the SMK Bintulu for about two years and by the time I finished my five years bond or scholarship contract with the government,  I decided to move into greener pastures and joined a newly formed statutory body specific for Bintulu called BDA ( Bintulu Development Authority) in November, 1980.

Thank you SMK Bintulu for the rare and challenging experience you gave me.

Happy Malaysia Day, Sarawak.

(Note: This is the 6th of my post on what it is meant to be a Malaysian as part of my writing contribution to Malaysia Day which will  to be celebrated on the 16th of September.)

Arrival of Prime Minister, Hussein Onn at Bintulu Airport.
Note the flower girls in traditional costume.

" Flower girls" from SMK Bintulu

Typed manuscript of Principal's message in the School Magazine, 1980.

( Note: The above story is a re-posting from my blog - My Sarawak (2nd Ed.) and the link is here. )

Once there was a children's theater

SMK Bintulu students performing the children's play 'Dewi Bunga'.

With the vigour and freshness of a trained teacher in 1975, I set upon a dream to produce a children's theater for the students of Sekolah Menengah Kerajaan Bintulu or SMK Bintulu in short.  The children's drama was based on a script by one of my course mates in USM or Universiti Sains Malaysia by the name of Shamsiah Mohamad.  We were the very few undergraduates who opted for the elective subject 'Children's Theater' in 1973.  The play was written in Bahasa Malaysia.  What was novel in this children's theater was its concept.  In this drama the students were playing the roles of children and interacting with characters from the animal and plant kingdom. I was excited to introduce to Bintulu a real children's theater i.e. the experiences of life from the viewpoint of young eager, curious and happy minds. The child 's world of fantasy and unlimited possibilities and imagination were given a free rein. The animal and plant characters began to be alive with human values and freely interact with the children. The children could quickly and easily symphatise with the characters because these characters are close to the world of children every where in the world.

Dewi Bunga' -  children's theater performed by students taking Bahasa Malaysia subject staged at the SMK Bintulu school stage in 1975

Today, I find a real dearth in the production or staging of real children's theater in Sarawak schools   despite our early attempts to introduce it way back in 1975.  Whether the plays are in English or Bahasa Malaysia is of irrelevance. In producing dramas, we should write the script from the children's point of view or from the "eyes "of the children.  I am waiting to hear news of schools in Bintulu or Sarawak for that matter to  produce or stage real children's theater based on stories that can help with the development of  their creativity, communication skills,  moral upbringing, social and  emotional intelligence.  I am happy for once that my dream came true in 1975.

Happy Malaysia Day, Sarawak!

 (Note:  On the 16th of September, Sarawak will celebrate its independence being a party to the formation of Malaysia.  As part of remembering history I'll create some posts on what  it means to be a Malaysian as I have experienced it.  Check out the rest of the postings by following this link here.)

( Note: The above story is a re-posting from My Sarawak (2nd Ed.) and the link is here . )

Once there was a school magazine,

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 In 1979, the Sekolah Menengah Kerajaan Bintulu (previously known as Bintulu Government Secondary School)  issued its 13th School Magazine.  I was invited to write a message  by its editorial board being the school's new principal.  This was another memorable moment in my life's adventures.  At 28 years of age I was sent by the Education Headquarters in Kuching to assume the position of headmaster.  I assumed this new role on the 1st of July,1979.  The 13th issue of SMK Bintulu magazine is one of my prized collection.  My first ever message as principal of SMK Bintulu is shown below.  Towards the end of 1980 I left the Education Department after completing my 5 years scholarship bond to join another state statutory body called Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) which was newly set up to spearhead the development of Bintulu.  The appointment as principal completes my association with the school as a student in Form One in 1964, a teacher in 1975 and a Headmaster in 1979.  I created history because this was  the first time that the school has its own Bintulu born son to assume the position of Headmaster, since its inception in 1963.

Happy Malaysia Day, Sarawak.


 (Note:  On the 16th of September, Sarawak will celebrate its independence being a party to the formation of Malaysia.  As part of remembering history I'll create some posts on what  it means to be a Malaysian as I have experienced it.  Check out the rest of the postings by following this link here.)

( Note: The above story is a re-posting from my blog called My Sarawak (2nd. Ed.) and the link is here .)