The King and his friends reunite to rekindle memories

KUALA LUMPUR: A reunion of old classmates brought back memories of fun-filled schooldays for none other than the King himself.

At a gathering organised by the St Thomas School Alumni at Istana Negara yesterday, teachers and fellow classmates came together to meet an old friend who is now Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

The 59-year-old men who once studied with the King way back from 1969 to 1974 talked about memories ranging from bad grades, their sports involvement and strict teachers!They studied and played together with the future King in the last three years of primary school and first three years of secondary school before Sultan Abdullah had to leave the school in Kuantan.

Even now, there were no formalities with Sultan Abdullah as he mingled with his alumni and spoke to his teachers.

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“Thank you for all the lessons and guidance. I left in 1975 and lost contact, not because we did not want to be in touch. My grandfather suddenly passed away and I had to leave to be made Regent of Pahang,” he told the gathering, apologising for not being able to bid a proper goodbye to his schoolmates. There was a light moment when the King spoke about what he termed as his “progress” in school.

“In Std 6, I was in class A, Form 1 Class B, Form 2 Class C and Form 3 Class D. I was more into sports than being a brilliant student!” he said to everyone’s laughter.

Head of the batch Datuk Mohamad Sohaimi said the idea of a reunion began with a request from Sultan Abdullah who wanted it held at Istana Negara.

The King’s teacher Chiew Seng Van, who taught him commerce, said His Majesty was a keen football and hockey player.

“He mixed freely with other students and did not demand special treatment. If he made mistakes and did not pass up his homework on time, he was punished like any other student,” he recalled.

Chiew said Sultan Abdullah was also not one to complain, adding that headmaster M.N. D’Cruz and the teachers treated him like any other student.

“He took part in all school activities with pride and enthusiasm. He was humble and unassuming,” he added.

The King later took his ex-classmates and teachers for a short tour of the palace.

Also present was Raja Permaisuri Agung Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Almarhum Sultan Iskandar. - Star