83000 batu pahat, johor

It’s always nice to find your old friends. Puan Azmah Arif wrote to me telling me that she has found her classmates via the Batu Pahat blog. Guess where she found this blog? She found this blog from her niece bestfriend’s blog. The world has indeed become smaller with the Internet.

As more and more people drop comments here (and also the forum), others pick it up and contacted each other. From one friend, they got the contacts of other friends. She has so far managed to contact slight more than half of her 50 classmates! She hopes to be able to get in touch with everyone eventually.

Here are 5 photos from her. If you find the people inside familiar, (it might be your parents, your uncle or aunty,) leave a comment here or drop me an email. I will link you all up with Puan Azmah.

This is Standard 6 A in 1973 (first half of the year) with Mr Ng as the class teacher.
(The tallest is Peng Huat. )

This is Standard 6 A in 1973 too (second half of the year) with class teacher Mrs. Muthu.

After 36 years, they had their first reunion earlier this year at Puan Azmah’s house in Shah Alam on 7 Feb 2009.
(Let’s see if you can match the faces to the faces in the two photos above!)

A few months later on 8 Aug 2009, they met again.
This time at their class monitor’s house in Bangi.

Look how happy they all are!

Guess what? These people are quite internet savvy! I guess all Malaysians are nowadays.
You can visit their blog at http://tips73.blogspot.com/

I got an email from En Md Kamal Adnan, a fellow Batu Pahat folk, born in Parit Sulong.

He would like to share this picture with his classmates and also to find long lost friends.
This is his primary school photo taken in 1977 at Limpoon Primary School (I), Standard 5 Green.

The teachers from left, Cikgu Reduan, Cikgu Daim b Asar (currently YDP PIBG of SRKL(1), Headmaster, Cikgu Ismail Endin, Cikgu Rahmat. The two teachers on the right, the names have slipped his mind.

I  have sharpened the photos a bit, so that you can spot yourself if you are here.

Kamal has been trying to look for Tee See Wee, one of his friends that he missed dearly. If anyone knows where Mr Tee is, drop a comment here, or email me. I will forward the details to Kamal.

Hope all of you will get to find long lost friends here.

News report about a Minyak Beku school that celebrated its 100th Anniversary.

Originally report by New Straits Times at:
http://johor.nst.com.my/Current_News/JohorBuzz/Monday/Stories/2576113/Article/index_html

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Rural school joins the elite centenary club

RIZALMAN HAMMIM
2009/06/08
It was a proud day for SK Minyak Beku in Batu Pahat, which turned 100 on June 1, writes RIZALMAN HAMMIM

Students perform the ‘zapin’ dance for guests during the school’s thanksgiving ceremony. — Pictures by Mustapha Ismail

The school may be small, but it is beautifully landscaped and maintained.

Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi signs the monument to commemorate the school’s 100th anniversary.

THERE are not many schools in Malaysia that can claim to be 100 years old. Premier schools like Sultan Abdul Hamid College in Kedah, Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur, King Edward VII School in Taiping and Malay College Kuala Kangsar are the elite few.

But now, SK Minyak Beku, a small rural school in Batu Pahat, has joined the ranks of these illustrious institutions. It celebrated its centennial anniversary on June 1.

SK Minyak Beku was built on a 0.4ha piece of land that was donated by Israkal Ismail, a local community leader with the title of “Penghulu Orang Kaya Setia Raja.”

The original structure was at the Kampung Teluk Buloh Malay Football Club before a new wooden building was built with the help of villagers in 1913. The wooden building was used until 1918.

The school started with only 60 boys and one teacher, Awang Abd Ghani, who also doubled as the headmaster.

In 1918, the state government built a new building that was equipped with a toilet and a well. Another similar building and a teachers’ quarters were contructed in 1932.

The school’s current three-storey building was built in 1984, and has six classrooms, an administration office, a teachers’ room, a library and a canteen.

SK Minyak Beku headmistress, Sa’adiah Idris, said the school holds a lot of memories and nostalgia for the administrators, teachers and students who once served or studied there.

“I hope this milestone will spur the process of building human capital at the school and empower the students to realise the targets outlined in the Education Development Masterplan,” said Sa’adiah.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary, a thanksgiving ceremony was recently organised by the school’s Parent-Teacher Association.

Joining in the celebration were Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi, who is also the Batu Pahat member of parliament, and Johor education director Sufa’at Tumin.

Guests at the ceremony were entertained by kuda kepang and zapin performances by students. Exhibitions by the Fire and Rescue Department and the National Anti-Drug Agency were also held.

Puad unveiled a small monument to commemorate the centennial of SK Minyak Beku and launched the school’s information kiosk.

He said he was proud that a school in his constituency has reached the centenary milestone.

The SK Minyak Beku Alumni Association was also established during the event as an avenue for former students to keep in touch.

One of the school’s famous former students is noted religious scholar and former Bangi assemblyman, Datuk Dr Amran Kasimin. The school has also produced a number of doctors, engineers and teachers.

On the 2nd day of Hari Raya a few weeks ago, a group of classmates from the High School Batu Pahat class of 78 met up at Garden Hotel.

Encik Azmi Abas sent me these photos a few days ago. From the photos you can see that they must have a great time with all the big smiles on their faces.

For those from the Class of 78 who are out there somewhere, they missed you. They meet back in Batu Pahat usually during the 2 day of Hari Raya I was told. Get in contact with En Azmi to find out about their next gathering.

Here are the photos for you to enjoy.

For the fun of it, can you spot the following people?
Mr Bala, Mr Jacob, Mr Eng, Mr Kek, Mr Tong, Mr Shoui and Mr Palani.

Remember the post here about the High School Batu Pahat Class of 65 reunion photos some time back? You have seen some photos. Do you want more?

I think those who attended the reunion dinner got a copy of the Commemorative DVD that was produced by Mr Chew Yang Hua.

Yang Hua has kindly uploaded the DVD to YouTueb so that everyone else can watch it as well. The DVD starts with photos of those who were in the same class in Primary School all the way to the recent photos.

Many of you might recognise people in it. You might see your parents, uncles or people you know in it. Enjoy!

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Part 5:

Part 6:

Finale:

Thanks again to Yang Hua for the YouTube videos.