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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Anwar As I Know Him From His Schooldays



DSAI              …..         ‘ I AM INDEBTED TO YOU, SIR
TEACHER    ….              ‘I AM  OBLIGED TO YOU ALL MY LIFE ,YB DSAI ‘

These   poignant words ’I am indebted to you, Sir   ’from   an ex-student of   national   and      international refute and fame make me proud and happy. All  his   teachers at   MCKK   bear testimony to the fact that he had  always  expressed  his appreciation and gratitude to every teacher  for some new  knowledge gained or some new skills acquired or  even for  some ,little favours such as words of advice or  encouragement      .Even as a student at MCKK, he kept in touch with his   Primary School  teachers  thanking them for all they did for him  to make him  a better student –a better person . Here is an   interesting  incident that shows  the breed of  teachers of yesteryears as well as the character  of Anwar  as a pupil.…His  letter of thanks to his English language  teacher, Mr.Francis Ho  , was returned to him with the all his mistakes underlined in red . Anwar proudly showed this to the class  ,and promptly sent  back a new letter   with all the corrections made ,.of course ,with  an  additional ’ Indebted ’ note   attached  .   When  YB Anwar returned to   MCKK,  after decades,  as the Minister of Education, to officiate ‘ The Speech Day’, ’the  non-teaching staff’ were over-whelmed by his presence, .and tried  to keep their distance as a mark of respect for  their YAB.   Anwar went searching for them– houseboys, the cooks   ,the  sweepers–   put everyone at ease  by thanking them for looking after his welfare during his schooldays  In his own characteristic way ,he made everyone feel important when he declared to them ,’’Kejayaan   saya adalah kejayaan   awak juga’ The two outstanding attributes that set him apart from the rest of his peers   are his humility and his love for humanity

As a student in MCKK,   he was loved and respected not just by his peers but by all the teachers and non-teaching staff  as  well   .He was simple and humble in his ways and was always polite and courteous in his speech As a self-disciplined student ,he is one of the few,  if not the only one ,[during my 25 years in MCKK]  who  spent the entire college life without getting punished for   breaking any of the countless  stringent college  rules and regulations. He was  considered  a  Role Model for his peers  not just by the teachers but  by his peers as well .The teachers appointed him as a Prefect .His peers elected him unanimously as the Secretary-General of B.R. UGAMA,  ,a post which speaks  itself for the religious credentials of  the  holder. 
Any indication of   his ambition. ,for   eg  the choice of profession? Nothing !  However ,there  was more than enough evidence to  show   that    he was   deeply . disturbed with the prevailing social conditions -the  widening disparity  between the ‘’HAVES’’ and ‘HAVE-NOTS’’,  as he termed them, This  disparity’ was a recurrent  theme  in  his  ‘writings’ and ‘’speeches.
[ In the early  1960’s ,students at Form 3 Level in MCKK were not writing ‘Guided Composition’ but’’ Free Essay’s and even   detailed ‘Reports’ based on research  on political, economic and social problems both at local and international levels.  Anwar who had proved himself to be skilled orator /speaker from his first appearance on the stage within weeks of joining MCKK was by now a school debater . His tyle of presentation  spiced with subtle humour and  deeper meanings embedded in the words and expressions was too  persuasive for  any  opponent   to counter his  arguments.]


Anwar   combined   both his ‘  writing   skills’ and his ‘speaking talents’ to put forward his ideas ,first, among the classmates and schoolmates during the weekly society meetings, and ,later, to the many followers from other -schools in particular from other residential schools.’. He would provide valid and reliable  statistical   evidence based on  data collected  from educational  institutions, government .departments. and private sectors, to argue his case. He would  point out that   it was just NOT   the British but the ‘ALLIANCE’ that had failed miserably   to provide for   and protect the interests of  the’ BUMIS—  group identified by  Anwar   as ‘HAVE-NOTS ‘‘ In his’ writings  and  speeches’, he attacked the ESTABLISHMENT for  not being sensitive or responsive to  the needs of the’ Bumis ’and continued to attack the ‘‘new colonial    masters ’’for their failure to remove or least reduce the disparity in income ,position  and status between   the’HAVES’ and ‘HAVE-NOTS’-   Many misunderstood his stand and labelled him as a ’racist’  but the mixed group of teachers at MCKK were well-aware that he was in fact fighting hard for  social justice, for  greater opportunities for  education and employment and a  fairer distribution of income for the’ BUMIS ‘  He never  asked for’ special privileges’ .. He was confident that given equal opportunities the majority of the ‘BUMIS’ were equally  able and capable of competing successfully   with the ‘NON-BUMIS’ on their own   MERITS and in their own terms..
AUGUST 23 was a’ Special Day’ for my wife and me.  DSAI came to wish us the best of health .The last time I met  DSAI  was  13 years ago.  I   expected to see changes in him.  .It was the same old Anwar…joking and happy, recollecting  pleasant memories .of the past. There was no change in him- no bitterness about people or life.!  We said  farewell and as he departed ,.I realised he was still on  the  SAME OLD   MISSION —to fight for THE RIGHTS OF  ALL  THE ‘HAVE NOTS’

Mr.Nadarajah

- anwaribrahim.blog

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