TMIS Revisited by Sam Loh & Tan Kok Hua

I have the chance to be back Pontian yesterday. Went for breakfast at "Ah Kwang" coffee shop located opposite Pei Chun school (Jln Teo Kang Sui). Next to my were some old folks but turned out to be TMIS school teachers - Mr Chua/wife and 2 others (did not get their names but 1 lady from TMIS 2; the other TMIS 1). I was taught by Mr Chua (now of age 70) b4 but he could not recognize me. He even thought I was my mum's son-in-law. The whole Cik Gu gang crossed over to my table and we caught up with some long lost time during their teachings days and how some of the teachers have broken rank by moving away to other places. 2 have even left earth --> Mr Teh Hong (very tall, fair and with slight curly hair) was riding on his motorbike when he had an accident. He was returning home 1 night after a game of mahjong. He remained single @ time of his death. The other 1 (also mahjong king, thin, tall n a chain smoker with thick dark glasses) is Mr Lee Chan Weng whose wife operated a hair salon). He was the one who expected me to win my high jump during my primary 5 days but I "keh kiang" jumping like afrog before the actual event n lost my elasticity to spring thereafter.

Mr Chua (he stays along Teo Kang Sui)has vivid memory of his class of students. He was able to recall numerous students including Sik Fong, Ho Siew Fong, Yong Kwang, Lee Chow Leng, Tong Siew Peng, Ling Lian Ying (whose father played mahjong with him too) and even Donald Hwang whose father operated Hwang Dispensary b4 migrating to OZ). I added some to his recollection list and it seems so much of touching moments for him. I reckon it has to be so. At his age, he probably knows by his finger tips the remnants of the surviving few peers/colleagues of his time. Mr Chua is keeping himself busy with daily jogging but even then, he intimated that doctor has advised him to slow down and switch to brisk walking. I advised him to swim but he said the biggest pool you have in Pontian is the coastal mud water sea which is too dirty/polluted. I agree with him too. Probably become an orang minyak each time he finishes his swim. The club pool in Kukup apparently is out of order or closed for renovation.

I am glad to have met him and the other teachers. They are such a rare gem if you think about it -- quality in them as a teacher. They are weathering their time well -- imagine from the time they retired at age 55 and being 70 now is a gap of 15 years. U can't do much if u live on Govt pension and I doubt their pension amount is even pegged to Cost of Living index (CPI). They probably count on each day as a blessing for themselves and for the fact that no buddies are missing for their ritual breakfast or morning walk. I wonder what I would be doing by the time I hit that age. If you are unable to move around no more and no children or friends to do a-calling, maybe stay at home and listen to the pouring rain when it pours, and if it does pour.

Sam Loh Bee Heng

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Hi Bee Heng

Your little story does bring back some memories. If memory serves me right, Mr Chua taught History, the late Mr Teh Hong was a Geography teacher. Can't remember what the late Mr Lee taught but I think he was quite active in basketball. The late Mr Teh Hong was a very strict teacher who disciplined students through his famous cane with rubber band knot at its whipping end for that extra 'kick'. No doubt, our "Kukup Gladiator" (Chee Peng lah, of course) will remember him well. I can't remember the name of the other gladiator whom Chee Peng used to bash up. I still remember my 1st day in Standard 1. Our class teacher was Mrs How who wore a cheong-sam and a beehive hair-do (how many inches high, I can't remember). I think Hui Guan was one of the first few friends I met. All the boys smelled of Brylcream or Tancho (ooh boy, this was heavy duty grease!..and green too!!). Hui Guan was more stylish than me of course with his little "curry puff" creation while mine was just a simple full swing to the (was it right or left?) depends on how dad or mum combed it that morning. Recess time was of course the best time. Our play things were soft drinks bottles caps, even duku skins and used ice-cream lolly sticks which I remember Chai Eng (a.k.a. "botak"? oops, sorry if I was mistaken) had bundles of. The old chicken feather shuttle cock (usually a double-layered round rubber base nailed into a bundle of 3-4 feathers) was a favourite thing to kick and keep up in the air. There's of course the good old hop-and-catch game which Yong Poh and Hui Guan were the kings. Tian Soo liked to think he was fast too. Well, he was but maybe not as fast as these 2. Yes, that was the time we first learned ABC & how to sing the national & state anthems after the daily ritual "goooood mooooorning....teeeecher". However, you would have gotten into trouble if you had used this monotonous way to greet Mrs Chacko. You had to say "Good morning, Mrs Chacko" in a crisp and alert manner. What a wonderful change! We were in Std 4 when man first landed on the moon in 1969, and I remember ponteng from school a few days when we heard (falsely or correctly) that the KL race riots had spilled into Muar. Going to school to me was by the beca. My beca man was a one-eyed (he only had one good eye) Malay man but he was fast. It was fun when the becas raced each other after school. What the beca became a bit cramp, I upgraded to a more luxury mode of transport by enrolling as a passenger on Cheong Ee's dad's school bus!
There was also this event called the "standard sports" where everyone had to participate. All of us have to do the push-ups, chin-ups, jumping etc. and achievements recorded. Most of us do tens of chin-ups and some struggled to do even one with the legs kicking mad in thin air. Then, there's the famed Kukup Gladiator again doing 100s of chin-ups until someone had to tell him to stop due to the long queue behind. He probably thought that the bar was the fishing trawl net he used to pull at home!

During Sports Day, the 100m dash was always a battle between Hong Koon and Kamarudin Ahmad. Yong Poh was the champion long jumper. Can't remember much about Sports Day although I do remember being in the TMIS gymnastic team smelling the wet socks of the guy who stepped on my shoulders during the pyramid formation (3 or 4 people high). So, being tall in the early years can be a disadvantage apart from being overtaken by peers in secondary school. On high jump, you were definitely the favourite representing the Green House, coached by the late Mr Lee. It was scary seeing you jumping so high hours before the event and moreover the other 2 jumpers, namely Hanafiah (now Pontian Besar Petronas station owner) of Blue House and Abdul Razak of Yellow House were also very 'beng'. Due to your over-practice, you became "bo-lat" during crunch time and I have to thank you for the only sports medal I won at TMIS!! - the bronze medal for that long jump event! [Hanafiah won Gold and Razak the Silver.]

The last days of Std 6 was tense. Of course, 'we' were TMIS 1 and then 'they' were TMIS 2. So, a grand finale had to happen. Thus have I heard that Choon Seng, Ban Hwa and their TMIS 2 gang were going to bring 'nan-chuks" (that Bruce Lee weapon). Headboy (Kim Huat) must be busy planning contingencies in case a big fight ensue. I think nothing much happened that last school day. Maybe these kids were just 'harnging' ("intimidating" in Hokkien) each other. To our horror, most of these same trouble makers from TMIS 1 & 2 ended up in Form 1F in SSP! But, to our delight, they became friends immediately...these politicians! What a noble thought to invite old teachers. Although I will not be there, I do not mind chipping in for the teachers.
Lastly, I swear the TMIS school toilets near the mangrove swamps were definitely haunted. But then, which school toilets were not!

Tan Kok Hua

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Hi Kok Hua

This is a pleasant surprise from you (please write more often). You really drilled to the micro level of memory that stretches till day 1 of school. I thought I have memory of an elephant but yours is fit for a dinosaur level, upgraded version.

You have shared numerous names of teachers which I have totally forgotten but Mrs Chacko rings a bell now. Good that you are able to recall Hanafiah and Abdul Razak. Malay classmates are totally out of my memory radar. Hanafiah is another lanky guy with a cool temperament. Will try to check out on him one of these days.

I always associate you as being "Esso's" tau keh's son, and the only son. The other thing that stands prominently in my mind is that other than your father and you, the rest of your family members are all ladies. Though never had a word with your mum, she somehow gave an impression of being a very capable business entrepreneur.

Over the weekend, I was able to pull out some old photos taken during primary days. Few other teachers was in it - En. Mohaini (BM teacher, always smartly dressed n wears black specs - sometimes can be mistaken for being a blind person), Mr Goh (Health Edu), Mrs Lim (Geography, hubby is a dentist @ Pontian govt hospital), and Mr Kua (History, handsome and sportsman). I will be uploading this up to the site soon. Mr Kua is in Pontian, still keeping to his sportmanship (predominantly tennis) and giving tuition classes.

You are right about that spooky toilets. I was schooled with the same thought and impression too. It was wooden structure and painted in black and one hell of a dirty. No choice but have to use it with fear each time. You got to do what you had to do then but for obvious reason "biz" was done quicker than usual. It was plain eerie. In fact, Tan King Hwa and Mr Gladiator Ong Chee Peng even influenced us to believe that one of the undulating fields was once a burial ground for war soldiers. Belief it or not but trust we have in their words then because they were the leaders of the pack in terms of muscle and ability to influence.

Talk about feather shuttle cock with rubber stump and your name will surface. You probably had cosistently proven to be the defending champion. All those games you mentioned are what we grew up with.

We were born in that era and that is how we live and make good of the time of our life during our growing years. If Tan Kok Hwa was borned today, he would probably ask for mobile phone, Nintendo DS, laptop, and other electonic gadgets by the time he is 7 years old. He may even offer to help fix/setup his dad's handphone. Sometimes we think that children today are luckier for reasons that are due to our over zealous inclination to give them what we have done without. The truth is simple: we were just borned in different era of time.

So, probably "luck" is not the right word to use. Anyway, I suppose they will have to thrive in this new world abound with speedier changes and freedom of a different kind. The world as an oyster is here and gone tomorrow. It is for everyone's grab. Fasten your seat belt, pal. It is for the fast and the furiuos. This freedom is terrifying -- it is no longer life in the fast lane; it is playing in traffic.

Sam Loh Bee Heng