Academic achievements and memories of school friendships

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IN 1972, after completing the Senior Cambridge School Examination, I resided at No. 16A, Tong Sang Road in Sibu with my brother Edward’s family. Following a brief stint as a coolie at Sarawak House in mid-December, I left the job after receiving two weeks’ pay just before Christmas. On Christmas Eve, the celebration took place at the Bawang Assan longhouse, where I engaged in an Iban singing competition with a band led by Robert Lingga and clinched the second position. The prize, a substantial silver cup and RM200 was generously provided by Datuk Ling Beng Siong, the local assemblyman. Notably, my sister-in-law, Lucy James Sandom, also secured the second spot in the contest.

The eagerly awaited exam results were announced in mid-March. Despite outstanding performances by Science students at Saratok Secondary School, the Arts class, including myself, achieved commendable results, with four individuals attaining Grade I. I led the class with 17 unit scores across six subjects, excelling notably in English Literature, Art, and History, and even securing a credit in Mathematics, a rare accomplishment among natives. The other Grade I achievers were Ngian Sillang, Enchana Ato, and Nyalang Bandar. Following this, I returned to school to collect my certificates and discovered that six of us would progress to Lower Six at Methodist Secondary School in Sibu. Two Art classmates would pursue studies at St Thomas in Kuching. Our group consisted of Ngian Sillang, Joshua Panggau, Darius Munang, Enchana Ato, Nyalang Bandar, Anne Sandi Radin, and Andin Brooke.

In April 1973, we were transported to Methodist Secondary School in Sibu for registration. Accompanied by my brother Edward, I registered at the school boarding house located within the school compound. I shared a room with a boy from Sibu studying at Ling Chu Ming Secondary School nearby, named Timothy Chundi, who I quickly bonded with, especially as he had a guitar. The other Saratok boys also resided in the same hostel under the supervision of Mr Ling, the warden, who was in his 50s, with his wife serving as our cook. We were required to pay a monthly boarding fee of RM40 along with an additional RM25 for electricity.

Upon commencing classes, we were placed in Lower Six Arts along with over thirty other students. The group included the six of us from SMK Saratok, students from Methodist School, and other secondary schools in Sibu and Kapit. I recall our Form Teacher, Mrs Wong Soon Koh (now Datin Seri), who we affectionately referred to as Tigress due to her stern demeanour. Mrs Wong taught Physical Geography, while her husband, Wong Soon Koh (now Datuk Seri), taught Human Geography and History, a subject favoured by the girls. General Paper was instructed by a British missionary, Brian Johnson, Economics by David Wong, and English by Miss Lim. I later opted to drop English in favour of Art, which was not formally taught but taken as a school candidate unaided.

Among our new classmates, I remember names like Ivy Ngui, Hii Mee Gee, Shirley Goh, Belinda Sia, Woo Mong Ai, Ting Ing, Rohani Abdul Karim (now Datuk Seri), Kong Siew Moi, Mohd Sait Ahmad (now Datuk), Ismail, Ting Siew Nguong, Ngui Swee King from Mukah, and Robert Foo from Kapit. We quickly formed friendships and bonded with each other.

Regarding scholarships, the five Saratok students received RM360 annually, while I, belonging to a less privileged background, was granted only RM270 per year, a discrepancy that puzzled me. I speculated whether this was influenced by having two brothers with decent incomes.

In August 1973, an inter-class debate was organised by the school, where Lower Six students, including one Lower Six Science debater, a Form Five debater, and myself, competed against Upper Six students from Arts and Science. Despite the formidable opponents, we emerged victorious, showcasing our debating skills. One of the Form Five debaters later pursued further studies in England, and our connection faded after some time.

In 1974, as we entered Upper Six, a few of us were appointed as school prefects, which marked my first experience in such a role. Alongside me, Joshua Panggau and Darius Munang also received prefect appointments. We spent the year adjusting to the new responsibilities, adhering to school regulations, and attending regular assemblies.

In January 1974, all Iban boys in Upper Six residing in the boarding house, myself included, were selected by Principal Lau Tieng Sing to serve as night guards for the school, earning a wage of one ringgit per day to be paid at the end of each month. Delighted by the opportunity, we accepted the role and expressed gratitude to Principal Lau for his trust in us.

In April 1974, I, along with a few junior students, represented the school in an inter-senior secondary school Sepak Takraw competition held at SMK SEDAYA, Kanowit. After travelling to the venue by express boat, we put up a commendable performance. We were second runner-up, accompanied by a teacher whose name eludes my memory.

The school recognised my musical talent and singing prowess, which had been evident since my early days at the school. I had the opportunity to showcase my skills during various school events, such as a stage performance in May 1973 for the Gawai celebrations organised by Teacher Empiang Jabu (now Tan Sri). I frequently appeared on stage with Timothy’s guitar, one memorable instance being when I accompanied a Form V Chinese girl for her performance of the song ‘To Of The World’ in October 1973.

The writer proudly shows his batik painting entitled, ‘An Iban Longhouse’, purchased by Datuk Ting Lik Hung for RM400.

In July 1974, Principal Lau Tieng Sing summoned me to his office for a life-changing proposition. He commissioned me to create at least 20 batik paintings for a solo exhibition in September, coinciding with the school’s 25th-anniversary celebrations. I was granted a two-week leave from classes and tasked with producing the paintings at Teacher Augustine Hwang’s residence on Brooke Drive. Throughout the two weeks, I completed over 20 batik paintings.

During the early days of September, two school classrooms were transformed into a venue for my solo batik exhibition, with two Form Four girls (one Chinese and one Malay) assisting in managing the exhibition space. I conducted a live demonstration outside the classroom which garnered extra earnings amounting to RM400, not included in the overall expenses. By the end of the two-day exhibition, I had sold 21 pieces of my batik paintings, ranging in price from RM180 to RM400. The most expensive piece, titled ‘An Iban Longhouse’, was purchased for RM400 by Datuk Ting Lik Hung, the School Board chairman. After deducting expenses, the school compensated me with RM1,450, in addition to the RM400 from the demonstration, resulting in a total gain of RM1,850. Edward often joined me at coffee shops to share in my newfound fortune, a significant windfall during those times.

The September anniversary celebrations featured a special Ngajat Indu presentation organised by Dayak students, with three lower-class girls performing the traditional dance, accompanied by Ngian Sillang leading the gong ensemble and Joshua Panggau and myself playing the gongs in traditional attire. The evening concluded with a guitar performance by Joshua and me, supporting a group led by Rohani Abdul Karim and including Ivy Ngui, Woo Mong Ai, Hii Mee Gee, and others, who sang ‘Gelang Si Paku Gelang’ and two English songs, receiving applause from the audience, including Datuk Ting Lik Hung.

In July, I organised a group visit from Methodist School to my longhouse in Kedap, Saratok, with fellow students Ivy Ngui, Rohani Abd Karim, Hii Mee Gee, Shirley Goh, Margaret Ting, Joshua Panggau, and Darius Munang. Additionally, we visited Joshua Panggau’s residence near Rimbas Bridge in Debak. Our school days were filled with memorable experiences, especially living in the boarding house and serving as school guards for a daily wage of one ringgit, overseen by Inspector Sebastian Gaong.

The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Sarawak Tribune.

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