CheGu Mahpor Baba Head Master of Sekolah Alam Shah (SAS) 1970. CheGu Mahpor Baba began his duty on Monday June 1, and it began with the assembly. I was called to his office immediately after the assembly, and we sort of "introduced ourselves to each other". In the school then, it was HIT season. Somehow he put a great stress on the school decipline. It did not occur to me that he was briefed before about it by the Assistant HM, CheGu Ibrahim Yahya. And obviously the briefing content contained some discontent from the teachers about the current school decipline. And in no uncertain terms, about my imperfectness too.

My impression was that he understood very well about the boarding school, and the pupil multivariants in the 24-hr-day school. I did not aquaint so much with him, because after the Jun 13 Sports Day, the STP count down began and I had to tag close to it, 'leaving' the school to the next Acting HB, Raja Daniel.

CheGu Mahpor took the concern of school discipline by himself and he assured me many times in his office that he would back me up for anything I do good for the school and leave the matter entirely to him for all things which I was unable to do. He made an effort to attend the board meeting, together with CW CheGu Ibrahim, beginning on Tuesday June 16.

The sports Day was on Saturday June 13. Three important things carved permanently in my memory on the day. One was in the refreshment after the occasion for the sport officials and the teachers. As always, it was joined at the end of it by the uniformed brigades, the scout, the St John ambulance, and the prefects. Subsequent events that happened in the school hinged from this sports day, but by then I was an alumni already. When I left SAS on the very morning of Thursday, November 26, 1970, CheGu Mahpor was the Head Master. I learned later that, he also left the school in the same year. 2. My former teacher who I had an anectdote with, CheGu Hussein Ahmad who was then the HM of SMK Sri Petaling, was one of the guest of honour.

1970 Nov 12 Thu, the restlessness prolonged to the far mid-night that many were disturbed. At two in the wee hours I was awaken; I made some quick 'tour', a break at the scouts room (where some scout upper-six formers used it as their 'HQ' for the 'final battle'), and stayed awake to past sahur, then only I could get some sleep. Apparently some teachers were watching from a distance; in the afternoon, HM CheGu Mahpor summoned me to his office. He was not that furious after all; he talked more about my future welfare (his HB) than the restlessness of the STP-obia. He was worried that I might fall into the same shoes as the previous HB's. I could only said that I would try my best, and that I was in the best of form. That was the first time I felt that actually SAS cared about me; it was not that I was brought here to fight my way through. I was so naive not to sense that he knew that there were something in the store for me. The intensity loosened a bit knowing that the written papers would only be in the following week; up to late mid-night, I read a novel instead, a rather 'erotic' one: Humper, before 'scanning' the textbooks.

CheGu Mahpor took a personal concern about me, the HB, after the school, that while at home in mid-dec, I recieved an unexpected letter: the testimonial from him, the Head Master, which I believed no other upper-sixth former recieved it, not even other prefects. Perhaps, since it was written in Malay, it was meant as an upfront for me to find a job before proceeding on to further study. Application into any faculty in the local universities (UKM and UM) did not need such letter. And my sponsor for a place in Australia then was secured by MARA. Obviously my STP results was on his mind. And I believed that he understood that I had sacrificed some of my life to the school.

The best time and the most formal with CheGu Mahpor: The Farewell Dinner 1970, Sat Oct 24. L to R: Jariah Hj Masud the Head Girl, CheGu Ibrahim Yahya the Chief Warden (and Assistant Head Master), CheGu Mahpor, and Mat Zakaria.