MUKAH: About forty grandmothers and grandfathers who are formerly girls and boys of Mukah’s SMK Three Rivers (TRS) Form Five classes of 67 attended TRS 50th Anniversary Reunion Classes of 67 Dinner held at a local hotel in Mukah recently. A former teacher of the school Hii Ching Chiong in his speech at the dinner pointed out that the concepts of tolerance, acceptance and mutal respect which are being lauded by the existing government had been portrayed in Mukah way back in the early 1960s.
He said that scenario was very lively amongst the citizens of Three Rivers Secondary School, now known as SMK Three Rivers (TRS), since its establishment more than fifty four years ago. Hii singled out the Form Five students of 1967 for championing that noble character.
“Talking about the true spirit of togetherness and unity among the colourful society like ours, you are the pride and aspiration. The way you once mingled, studied and enjoyed the day-to-day life with each other at the school and outside the school, were as if you were not coming from various racial, religious and social backgrounds. I consider you all as a very special breed and I am grateful to be part of it, being the teacher of the wonderful people like you,” he said.
Soft-spoken Hii, hence believed that if that kind of character were to be seen in the society of today, our nation would definitely come out top as far as the spirit of oneness is concerned. Expressing his admiration for this batch of students, he then prayed and challenged all of them to prepare and hold the 60th Anniversary which is ten years away. In his welcoming speech the Organising Committee Chairman, Kong Chang Long, revealed that the golden jubilee reunion was made possible through the social media involving two individuals.
“I don’t have to mention their names; they were an `Apek and Amu (old man and old lady) who held chit-chat through the social media sometimes in March this year. Then more ‘apeks’ and ‘amus’ joined in, which led to the existence of coordinators, in Sibu, Miri, Mukah and so forth.
Then finally we formed a committee, which resulted in this event tonight,” he said. The classes involved were the Form 5A and 5B of the year 1967 which used to be made up of 72 students, and of course some of them were no more around or had passed on.
The event, which was also attended by one former student coming all the way from New Zeland, commenced at 7pm and ended around midnight. All the girls of the class of 67 who are now mothers and grandmothers were seen at the auspicious occasion.
Meanwhile the `Nostalgia session, was presented by a committee member, Prof. Datuk Yusuf Hadi, who recalled the various activities and lifestyles of these batches of exstudents from the year 1963 to 1967 with the help of the slide.
Other items of the night, which was emceed by Awang Jaya, besides enjoying the sumptuous dinner, were sharing session, karaoke, joget (dance), poco-poco dance, Queen and King of the Night, live video chat with a former student who is now residing in USA, presentation of gifts and lucky draws. Also present at the function were TRS Senior Assistant Mastura Mohd Mansor, TRS Parents-Teachers Association Chairman ASP(Rtd) Haji Jamil Haji Othman, TRS former teachers Haji Ali Suhaili, Kang Siew Hai and Stanislaus Laitai and the committee members Raniah Zeliha, Polit Hamzah, Andrew Itai, Teo Boon Peng, Jamayah, Elizabeth Tong, Ngui Hua Choon, Razak Suhaili, Han Hipnie and Alexander Isut.
