Among My Souvenirs

When KL was clear from the infamous May 13, I led the lower-six former to apply for some financial assistance from Terengganu state coffer. We were late. The proper time was actually in Dec or Jan. I followed up the matter the following year Jan 1970, and we were given $100.00 each for the upper-sixers. The best thing about writing official letters in those days was that, no matter how bad it is, even with a hand-writing, you will get an official answer. All official letters were officially answered, and archived. Nowadays, not getting an answer is one of the popular option for an official inquiry or application.
And the lower-six formers from Terengganu in SAS 1969. The first seven were 'seniors'; they came since 1967 in form 4, and in Sc stream. The rest were just arrived and in arts stream. All were from my alma mater Padang Midin Secondary School.

During the second term break in July 1969, I organised the home-bound trip by chartered bus, to and fro. Scouting in Malacca Street (with Jalil A Ghani), the only available eastward bus was the Central Pahang Omnibus Co Ltd, headquartered in Bentong, Pahang. The regular Express Kuantan-Kuala Lumpur had not enough bus to be chartered out. It was officially sealed and in the full endorsement of the school. I drafted the agreement, straightened by CheGu Baharuddin, the SAS teacher in charge of transportation on behalf of the Head Master CheGu Ghazali, and officially sealed. Perhaps that was the first SBP home-bound bus trip ever organised, even by the school. Otherwise, pupil arranged themselves, and claimed the fare later. Those connected by train, had the privilage of the warrant ticket. SAS did not have a bus big enough for that kind of trip. Even, a bus for each SBP was still an imaginary.
By this time, the number of pupil from Terengganu, in all forms four through six, numbered more than enough to fill a 43-seater bus. Two incentives: the bus picked up and returned in the school, and the pupil save $3.50 for the term break home-bound trip (including a pooled taxi fare ex Malacca Street). You can guess how much I saved. I did that again in April 1970, the first term break when I was in the upper six. By this time SAS had already have a school bus. But not for ferrying home-bound pupils.
While waiting for the STP results to come out in Apr 1971, I scouted many opportunities for a temporary job. None was successful. This one was from the Labour Department, which was the last resort, which I did not complete because by then the STP results were announced.
1971 April 25 Sun, I received two letters: Acceptance to UKM, and this one, which I returned to the sender for two reasons. First it was the time constraint, second because of the arrival of the former. Had the former not arrived together, I could have inquired for the late arrival in P.D. Depot, and if things went well, I could have become a military personel. Perhap now I am a retired General, or perhaps slightly lower, lol. Three of my good and close friends in the school have done very well in the military: Md Ariffin Musa, Sutarji Kasmin, and Jamalluddin Shamsuddin.