As I Remembered Them,

CheGu Ismail Yusof, a teacher in Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Tunggal, Kuala Terengganu. A scout master with whom I was a thunderfoot in 1963. I had several permanently irreversible memory-carving anecdotes with him, but the most important episode was in Dec 1963 when he put his entire effort to make sure my mother (in my absence) take me to continue my schooling in 1964. I was told that he kept the note of his deed to me to his last day; unfortunately the last time I saw him was in Sep 1963, during my last school days in Bukit Tunggal.

CheGu Hussein Hj Ahmad, the warden of boys hostel during my tenure, 1965 to 1966, Sekolah Menengah Padang Midin (Sekolah Menengah Dato' Sri Amar DiRaja), Kuala Terengganu. He had a significant bearing in the making of my life, mechanistically. I last met him in June 1970, during SAS annual sports day, he was then the HM of SMK Petaling, after graduated from MU.

CheGu Ahmad Yahya Tohar and CheGu Saadiah, Class Teacher, 3A, 1966, Sekolah Menengah Padang Midin, Kuala Terengganu. He and his wife CheGu Saadiah who was my Class 1A teacher, knew me personally, and I guessed they monitored my progress to the last day of my tenure in Padang Midin before I moved to SAS in Jan 1967.

CheGu Ariffin Suhaimi, Head Master, Sekolah Alam Shah (SAS), Kuala Lumpur 1967 - 1969. Neither of us knew each other during the school days. SAS in those days was so student-centered, and my uncorrected myopic in early 1967, deluded me from having a closer 'bond' other than listening to his 'teachering' in whatever gathering he called. But, he was my Head Master, until came the 3rd millennium when we were destined to be indirectly related: his wife's nephew's (first) son met my (second) daughter in Cambridge in 2000 and they were married in Aug 2002.

CheGu Aminah Abdul Rahim, Biology teacher when I was in form 4 in 1967 and form 5 in 1968 in Sek Alam Shah (SAS), KL, which took us through in SPM 68. I had only an eye on biology, because I took it that the ultimate in biology was into the medicine, and in 1968 doing medicine in MU from a malay medium school was killing. Nevertheless, I did it in the SPM, and I collected it during the Speech Day 1969, July 19 Sat, together with chemistry, the subject I eventually dipped into in depth.

CheGu Aishah Zahid, Gegraphy teacher in 1968 through to SPM 68. In 1967 (Form 4) I learned geography from CheGu Puteh Maheran. Geography was the only 'art' subject taken by science pupils in SAS. This was the only subject that interphase me with my former buddies in Padang Midin for two years, 1967-68. When CheGu Ghazali announced in the assembly on Monday morning of 1969 Sep 15 that I would be the school HB for 1970, CheGu Aishah was the only teacher who congratulated me, and Rohana Asran was the only colleague who did so.

CheGu Baharuddin Ahmad. My chemistry teacher in 1967 (Form 4) and 1968 (form 5) in SAS, Kuala Lumpur. I started learning chemistry in lower level General Science (for SRP exam in 1966) from CheGu Ghazali Haron in SMK Padang Midin, Kuala Terengganu. I studied Chemistry as a subject for exam when I moved to SAS, Kuala Lumpur in Jan 1967. I sat in the SPM with chemistry knowledge taught by him. I ended up a high level chemist in a specialised chemistry subject (polymer chemistry) with the chemistry understanding begining in the class taught by CheGu Baharuddin.

CheGu Ramli Ismail. My add math teacher when I was in Form 5 in SAS and through to SPM 1968. He took over from CheGu Baharin who left the school the year end before. We knew CheGu Ramli as one who had a very strong memory; he possibly remembered the names of his pupils more than other teachers. In about 80's he worked in MARA as the director for the sponsorship. Every time he visited UKM, Bangi to see the MARA students, he never forget to get a few minutes to see his former pupils in UKM who then were seniors lecturers. I met him once in the department in the middle of 80's; then again in his office in MARA HQ, Jln Raja Laut in early 90's. Since retirement in the 2000's he made every effort to get along with us, once in Bangi (2003 Aug 7 Thu) and again in Pan Pacific on Sat, Oct 11, 2003, and reflected on how we had our times in those years in SAS.

CheGu Omar Ibrahim, Chief Warden, 1970, Sekolah Alam Shah, Kuala Lumpur. Like others freshly graduated from Australia, CheGu Omar was a dedicated teacher, putting every effort he could to 'malay-nise' the chemistry in the school, including the very first raw list of terminology english-malay chemistry terms - the precursor of what later became million ringgit project undertaken by the Institute of Language and Culture (DBP). My 'acquaintance' with CheGu Omar began when I was accepted into the board of prefect, and especially in 1970 when I was the HB of the school and he was the chief warden.

CheGu Jimmy Thomas, General Paper Teacher, STP 1970, Sekolah Alam Shah, Kuala Lumpur. All the time in the class CheGu Jimmy Thomas never forget to keep me in one piece infront of the students no matter how bad I performed. He never start a new lesson to the class until I was in, no matter how late it was, he always waited for me to make sure that I would not miss any of his lessons. Unfortunately he was not a warden who stayed in the school quarters. During the last two terms I was promoted to CheGu Shahriza's group, but Mr Jimmy Thomas never let me down.

CheGu Mohd Ghazali Hanafiah, the Head Master in 1969 to mid 1970, Sekolah Alam Shah, Kuala Lumpur. Monday, September 15 1969 during the morning assembly, CheGu Ghazali Hanafiah, made the announcement that I was appointed Acting Head Boy, I would be the Head Boy 1970 of SAS; the 8th in SAS chronology. It was a surprise announcement to many pupils and prefects (and to me several days before when 'solicited' by Jalil, the 1969 HB). But CheGu Mohd Ghazali had something in his mind, something of a new 'investment' for the school and for the HB himself. A precursor to what SAS was for from then on. He braved himself in it by putting his trust in me, unknown to him before that. He picked me to shoulder it for him and I delivered it, even though he knew it only later from a distance.

CheGu Mahpor Baba, the Head Master of Sekolah Alam Shah (SAS), Kuala Lumpur, from June 1, 1970. When I left the school, on the very morning of Thursday, November 26, 1970, CheGu Mahpor Baba was the Head Master. He was a smartly dressed HM, always with bow-tie. Highly-deciplined looking, and 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 a personal concern about me, the HB, after the school, that while at home in mid-dec 1970, I recieved an unexpected letter: the testimonial from him, the Head Master, which I believed no other 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.