As the school year 1963 ended, students at Nanga Assam Primary School in Melupa, Saratok, went on holiday and eagerly anticipated the school opening in 1964. Nevertheless, Teacher Meludin requested some older boarders to stay. One of them was my brother Jon.
They were paid wages by Teacher Meludin to repair some damages in the kitchen caused by a recent big thunderstorm. The job was well done within a week, and then they were allowed to go on vacation.
By the end of the 1963 school year, our end-of-year examination results were disclosed. I was the top student, whereas Jon was second.
There was no shame in him being beaten by me, as I had topped the list while being in Primary One a year earlier.
I remember that my first cousin Aman was third, and my third cousin Imas was fourth. The top four were given simple prizes such as exercise books and pencils.
On January 2, 1964, the school reopened by registering some new students, numbering slightly more than twenty.
We also happily welcomed a new teacher, John Nalong, an Iban from Sungai Antu in lower Krian, who had just finished training at Batu Lintang Teachers College in Kuching.
John, aged around 24, was married with one small daughter. He became the third teacher in the school, which was growing very fast.
During the school assembly on the second day of opening, conducted by Headmaster Michael Abunawas, he announced that some changes would be made that year, including widening the school field involving all the students, especially boys.
Teacher Meludin was put in charge of the field-widening activities. In fact, on the third day, during the work party in the afternoon, most of the boys were called to the field, with some bringing hoes and some bringing rotan baskets for carrying the earth.
We laboured to do the job, and finally, after two months, there was an obvious improvement in the field’s width.
However, Teacher Meludin was still anxious to see further improvements, and the labour to widen the field continued until the end of the year.
There were at least three cockfights held to raise more funds for the school. My Dad headed one of them around April, whereas the next two were headed by somebody else.
The funds raised were for the school’s various activities, including holding a land sport around June 1964. Three other primary schools, namely SRK Mendas in Assam, SRK Tanduk in Kerangan, and SRK Nanga Drau in upper middle Krian, were invited to participate.
Around July of the year, Krian Assemblyman Datuk Dunstan Endawie Enchana (later Datuk Amar), also the Minister of Local Government, visited the school for a surprise visit.
Endawi’s mother, Rinya Saa, was my father’s second cousin, and I recall Endawi used to carry me on his back before he got elected as an assemblyman. He kindly acknowledged some boys from his longhouse, Munggu Embawang, including Aman.
He introduced me as his third cousin to his colleague on the visit to Awang Hipni Pengiran Anu, who was also a minister. Awang Hipni patted my shoulder and said, “Study hard and go to university.” I thanked him. The gesture went a long way in inspiring me.
In 1965, on January 2, the school reopened with the same three teachers. Later, around March, a group of three teacher trainees from Batu Lintang Teachers College in Kuching arrived in addition to the three teachers. One of them was Eddy Nalong, John’s younger brother.
They were in the school for at least six weeks. Trainee Eddy taught us Primary Four kids, whereas the other two male teachers taught the lower classes.
Around August of that year, we in Primary Four had to sit for an exam that served as a common entrance to Primary Five. We had to sit for such an assessment at SRK Tanduk in Kerangan.
So on the said day, we had to board the ‘pom-pom’ motor launch ‘Motor Laba’ to go downriver to Kerangan and return using the same vehicle in the evening after the assessment test. It was the last of such tests, as no such test was conducted thereafter.
Another interesting event worth mentioning was the opening of the Christian Cemetery on the hill next to the school field. The cemetery was courtesy of Datuk Dunstan Endawie, on their land. In mid-year, Endawie’s grandpa, Saa anak Gun, was the first to be buried there.
I remember Saa as a lanky old man and a well-known storyteller in the Iban Section of Radio Sarawak, thanks to his nephew Gerunsin Lembat, later Tan Sri Datuk Amar as State Secretary, who was then working in the Broadcasting Department.
By January 1966, two new teachers joined the school. They were Edmund Rembuyan from Ulu Krian, a bachelor, and another bachelor, Dexter Umban Dinggat from Sungai Kelampai, Awik near Saratok town. Both were trained at Batu Lintang Teachers College.
Teacher Meludin had been promoted to headmaster of SRK Malong near Saratok town, whereas Teacher Michael had transferred to another school. Teacher Edmund Rembuyan was made the headmaster.
We were in Primary Five and remained as boarders. Jon and I joined the rest of the group in the boarding house on the school building’s second floor, which has been renovated and still stands today.
For three years, we stayed with Teacher Meludin and then faced the reality that we had to stay with others in the boarding room. The school also employed a helper cum groundsman named Bawin from Munggu Embawang.
I recall that in August 1966, an election for the post of Penghulu for middle Krian was held in the school. This was when my sister Dinggu’s husband, Kandau Sagoh, was elected at 33.
He defeated three others. It was a surprise victory for my reserved and shy brother-in-law. It was perhaps the last election for Penghulu, as later on they were appointed by the government.
Kandau remained as Penghulu until his passing in 1987. He was about to be appointed a Pemanca but sadly passed away before he was promoted.
Our final year at Nanga Assam in 1967 passed quickly. I hereby share an anxious moment when we were to sit for our Primary Six Common Entrance in October of that year.
We were glad that the exam was held in our school. I was nervous as my health was not good since I had the flu. In the exam, we were given three papers, namely English, General Knowledge, and Arithmetic.
The last paper, Arithmetic, was supposed to be one and a half hours in duration, but I completed it in just 45 minutes due to having the flu.
When the results came in December, I scored perfectly on all three papers. Some ten people, including myself and my brother Jon, were given a pass and could continue to Form One in SMK Saratok in 1968.
Our late first cousin, Jerah Ampoi, who had passed away before the exam results were released, was also one of the students selected to enter Form One. I saw his name in Form One B in my class, so I had to inform our Form Teacher that he had passed away. May he rest in peace!
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Sarawak Tribune.
