The Reunion of The Class of ‘71

Methodist Secondary School, Sibu, December 1999.

by Pat Johnson

On 1.1.00 Chee Liang and Lei Sing sent a request by e-mail for an account of the reunion ‘some time in the next two months’. Six weeks later with the deadline approaching, this is being written while the rain pours down following some severe snow which blocked the roads out of our village yesterday. In contrast, the heat and light of Sarawak remain vivid memories as do so many events of our wonderful three week trip.

But first things first. The organisation was superb - repeat - superb! The committees should be congratulated on all their detailed and thoughtful planning which made the reunion so successful. They showed tremendous generosity and imagination during their months of hard work. There was the designing and ordering of the souvenirs (T- shirts, mugs, pens, key chains, book marks, stickers), the need to extract photos from those living the other side of the world, the issuing of invitations and giving of information, the class directory to update and e-mail addresses to amend.

From our first arrival to our final departure we were looked after by smiling and familiar faces who provided transport for us and our luggage. As Jackie Fries wrote: we old staff who gathered for the occasion were treated like royalty. David and I were delivered to homes, airports, jetties, hotels, restaurants, schools, museums, a beach resort, an animal rehabilitation centre, a satellite mountain top, longhouses, a cultural centre, four different churches and James Jemut Masing’s office. All this was accomplished without any delay, hitch or breakdown, and often in air-conditioned comfort.

We studied maps in order to check where we were. New buildings, new roads, faster launches altered our perceptions of distances. There were traffic jams in Kapit!!! In Sibu, we got our bearings from the old mosque, but felt quickly lost on turning a few more corners. We missed the sight of bicycles everywhere while we watched the traffic. Also absent were the mosquitoes, the scorpions and snakes. Only the ants three centimetres long on a pathway, reminded us of old hazards! Only the coffee shops seemed unchanged, with their welcome drinks and relaxed atmosphere.

Stephen Lau’s list of 101 old classmates in the first edition of the class directory dropped through our letter box in early May 1998. It was a great surprise. It was most interesting to see the up-to-date photos, and to discover where everyone was . It was not long before the second edition arrived, the list of e-mail addresses, news and pictures of the ‘preliminary reunion’ in November and the dates for the main reunion in 1999.

In March 99 came the letter from Chee Liang and Lei Sing - are we coming? - we would meet Jackie Fries, Wong Soon Koh and his wife...., Wong Bing Sing, there was Wong Ging Yeen, Stephen Lau, James Leong , and his wife Ting Hwa Kie and Jenny Hii Wei Ming of 5S...... and so many many more. It was irresistible, and we booked flights.

The class of ‘71 was a very very special one for both David and I. I taught a number of the class Maths and Additional Maths in forms 4 and 5. Then a good number went on into the sixth form, where we taught them for another two years. The Mathematicians were in the first Science Sixth at Methodist Secondary.

The e - mails starting to pour in at our daughter’s house next door - Clive Gregory and his wife Carlene and their daughter Linda were coming. Also Linda Liew now Headmistress of St Mary’s School, Kuching. Mrs Rao was persuaded to leave all her grandchildren and make the journey.

On our arrival we found ourselves eating durian with Chee Liang and Lei Sing - what better start to our trip could one imagine? Then there were meetings and greetings of so many folk in the hours that followed, some at Trinity Church. Two nights at Batang Ai gave us a wonderfully relaxing break and chance to get over the jet-lag. We shared the boat trip back across the dam with the hotel manager who confirmed the fame of so many Methodist Secondary pupils.

Meanwhile, Clive and Carlene Gregory had arrived and we enjoyed a number of shared expeditions and some wonderful hospitality.

Then to Sibu, where once again we were taken on a number of trips by road and boat, before the reunion began.

The first event of the reunion was held in Wong Chee Liang’s house in Jalan Haji Openg It was a buffet party but before everyone could tackle the wonderful selection of dishes, teachers were asked to savour a number of the dishes and award marks. The competition was won by Ngu Ung Ing with her marvellous chocolate cake. Demand for the recipe was high and she kindly produced detailed instructions later in the weekend. What a splendid evening it was! The joy of meeting people, watching others recognise each other after three decades.....the food.....

We were issued with our school uniforms for the morrow - T shirts with the class ‘71 logo.

Next morning we arrived at Mandarin Hall for breakfast. What a joy to find Lau Hui Siong and his wife Luk Dai Hee there. After a substantial breakfast, we moved on to school. There was time to take more photos.

We had all looked forward to the promised Tour of the School, and this was made doubly enjoyable by the prefects. Looking very smart, they walked round with us and answered questions. The computer lab was in use, with pupils solving a variety of problems. The library is now in the old school hall, with the reference books on the old stage. (But how sad that Bahasa translations of so many much loved volumes have yet to be made, and what a tragedy that the bright sixthformers of 2000 must wait before they can read and enjoy the world’s literature!) Downstairs in the new block, table tennis champions were fighting for supremacy, cheered on by vigorous and enthusiastic voices from crowds around each table. What a magnificent sports hall it is.

Then the cutting of the ribbon to open the new covered walkway from the school gates, paid for by money raised by the class of ‘71.

The three fifth form classes then grouped in their old class rooms for ‘lessons’. These provided much hilarity as each ‘student’ found a place. Gales of laughter issued from the windows. The strictly spaced rows of desks kept discipline problems away, of course. No one had to be sent to weed the Headmaster’s pineapples.

After lunch the school Principal Mr Poh Kee Eng welcomed everyone to the school. With the covered way in use, his thoughts turned to other problems and the need for further development to cope with so many students on the site, particularly as the afternoon classes waited for the morning classes to disperse. The project needs funds and the Headmaster hoped that Stephen Lau was listening. ‘Stephen who?’ cried a familiar voice from the audience!

Then followed a number of speeches from past teachers. These could be on any topic under the sun, a chance for us all to expound at length on favourite themes.

Madam Tiong Ping King had travelled from Canada for the event and spoke with feeling and authority on the importance of learning Chinese, a speech ably translated into English by Chee Liang. She also spoke of the funds she has raised for church building. Other speeches by Jackie Fries, Felix Wong, Linda, Wong Bing Sing, Clive Gregory, Mrs. Rao .... all paid tribute to the ‘71 group which had been so special. The times had been difficult and sometimes dangerous. Some students had risked their lives to reach school during the weeks of curfew. They had all worked extremely hard.Yet at the same time, many had coped with the demands of all kind of extra activities from sport to drama.

We all left eventually, to return home and get ready for the evening banquet at the Tanahmas hotel.

The banquet lived up to everyone’s high expectations - what a wonderful evening it was. The Guest of Honour was Datuk Wong Soon Koh who gave a generous and gracious speech which was warmly received. We were delighted to talk to him again and his wife Poh Ling. Also Mr Eu How Chong with his wife, and Mr Deng Wang Chew.

Then ‘VIPs’ were called up on stage and presented with a basket of momentos, cleverly packaged - mostly displaying the logo.

We were entertained after that by singing from Martin Ho Joun York, by an elegant dance from Dayang Soraya wearing traditional dress and a poem read by Clive Gregory. We all enjoyed good company, good conversation and good food - an evening which everyone will remember for a long time to come. Everything ran together to make this evening banquet a tremendous success.

On Sunday morning we all met one last time for breakfast at the Tanahmas Hotel. We lingered over our coffee and took more photos, aware that soon we would be scattered across the world once more - from Sibu to Kuching, Miri, Bintulu, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Canada, Australia, the USA and England.

Regrets? Yes, all the people that we did not get to talk to, but who were there on the photographs. And all those whom we remembered who did not manage to come to Sibu. Some we had met in 1988, some not at all since 1971.

And unexpected joys? Meeting the next generation, the families of the class of ‘71, and being able to tell them how very very hard their parents had worked at school!

Pat and David Johnson