Old school reunion - the real 1Malaysia of yesteryears

My Standard One classmates at Primary English School Tumpat (PEST), Kelantan of 1967 - Ragayah Embun, Nik Samsul Nik Mat and Ruslan Mamat - located me through Facebook, made contact and insisted that I attend their reunion on the occasion of our turning 50 years of age on Christmas Day, Dec 25, 2011 themed ‘Majlis bertaut kasih reunion Gu Lamo Sekolah Menengah Tumpat 1978'.

On arrival at the Rumah Rehat Kastam at Tumpat, Kelantan, I was warmly greeted by a man in a white jubah,kopiah and long beard. He had to introduce himself and I recalled Nik Samsul Nik Mat, a fair, good-looking and sharp-featured classmate from Standard One.

Then I was greeted by Ruslan Mamat, the now popular dangdutproducer for singers Amelina, Mas Idayu, Haiza, etc, who had made repeated phone calls to me to make sure  that I attended.

I could make out Teo Keng Sod, Kee Hock Ling, Shukri Abdul Rahman, Shukri Harun and the ever quiet-natured Hasnan Harun and Aziz Mahmood. Also Rosnah, Rogayah, Roziah @ Oji, Siti Saadah, Norhashimah and many of the 50 over former classmates.

Roziah @ Oji recalled our classmates coming over to our Railway Quarters house for Deepavali and how they enjoyed my mother’s tosai, mutton and chicken curry muruku, etc. I in turn poked fun at how she (Oji), Zaimas and the gang used to “dabe” (show off ) on their brand new mini bicycles on the way to school.

Shukri Harun spoke fondly of how Koay Teik Soon and I used to hang out at his and Rezam Ariffin’s house. Syed Muzaffar repeatedly poked fun at how much powder I used to apply on my face in Standard One. I related to Rozaiman how he during our kindergarten days had described my handwriting as “tulih neka” (pressing the pencil hard when writing), which habit I still practice to this day. Old habits die hard!

My second best (Siamese) friend Chum Phon could not make it but I later dropped by his house in the Thai-populated Kg Terbak. My good friend Rosli Ishak also could not make it from Penang.

At the Kg Terbak Buddhist temple grounds, I showed to the three friends who had accompanied me the cemetery where my maternal grandmother was cremated. We then visited the heritage 100-over-year-old Tumpat Railway Hindu temple which was never demolished by the 99 percent Malay-Muslim Kelantan PAS government!

I was most fortunate to meet the very first ever teacher in my life, our Standard One A class teacher Cikgu Hashim. I had to introduce myself as he could not recognise me. He said “tok ca” (could not recognise me). I related to him how excited I was in 1967 when visiting his second day of  Hari Raya open house, so much so that I was the first to turn up by 8am when he was still in bed!

Kelantan teachers had ‘badly brought me up’

My Standard 3C class teacher, Cikgu Razif Gemuk, as he was fondly known, was surprised to see me, Taya (my Kelantan name) who had ended up being held under the ISA. He mentioned this in his speech, much to the amusement of my friends who roared with laughter.

I, in turn, blamed it on my Kelantan teachers for “badly bringing me up”.

Then there was frail Cikgu Wan Abdullah who gave chase on his Vespa scooter and had “caught’ me and my best friend Koay Teik Soon as we were speeding on our bicycles at the Siamese Village Kg Terbok - for ponteng sekolah.

Then a doa andsedekah Al Fatihahwas recited for our deceased friends fisherman Roslan, Rezam Ariffin, Cikgu Hashim (spek) and others which was led by Nik Samsul.

We recalled how we all had to walk through the flooded baroh (padi field) batas to school at SMT during the monsoon season. Kita sama-sama susah. We grew up not knowing of special treatment for anybody. There was sincere and genuine friendship despite our different ethnicities and religions. And mind you this is Kelantan, the negeri “Serambi Mekah” that we are talking about.

My friends were surprised that I could still speak pekak lagi (fluent) in the Kelantan Malay dialect which they attributed to my eating ‘budu’.We relived our childhood memories.

Most of us were now greying and balding. All now either in theirkopiah, jubah, beard and tudung. But there was no barrier. I was moved by the sincere warm greetings and genuine friendship which the children of today no longer enjoy under Umno. I left with a heavy heart, wondering if we would ever meet again.

My belief is reiterated that the Malay-Muslims labelling me as a racist or hating me or Hindraf is a mere creation of Umno. I could not help thinking how the Umno government had destroyed the true 1Malaysia of yesteryears. And how hard Umno is today trying to project the nonexistent and pseudo 1Malay-sia.

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P UTHAYAKUMAR is pro-tem secretary-general of the Human Rights Party.