A teacher who is close to his students' hearts

 

It is normal to hear of students who visit their former teachers after they have long left school. It is quite rare to hear of the reverse - teachers who make the effort to visit their former students. My former secondary school teacher at MRSM Kuantan is one such rare breed.

Cikgu Zamri Mohamed Isa taught me Chemistry when I was in Form Four. When our Pioneer batch held their annual reunion in Johor Bahru three years ago, I volunteered to help by picking up Cikgu Zamri and his wife when they arrived at Senai Airport. Last Saturday morning, I received a call from him saying that he is in Kluang at his daughter's house and was wondering if I was at home in Johor Bahru. Of course, I was honoured that he would like to come over and visit. I shared the location of my house and a few hours later, Cikgu Zamri and his family arrived at our humble abode in Kampung Melayu Majidee.

A convenient coincidence in that my better half had cooked Laksa Johor that very morning, which made it a special serving for our guests from Kuantan.

Cikgu Zamri is well-liked by hundreds of his former students from his teaching career spanning three decades at a number of MRSMs. The oft-spoken trait of his, as mentioned by many former students is his remarkable memory of the full name of his students.

Another departure to the life hereafter

It has been a few weeks of sad news. My nephew passed away about two weeks ago (see previous post). Yesterday 3rd March 2021, I was notified in our K79 alumni WhatsApp group that one of our brothers has departed.

Bhadarul Baharain Sulaiman was good friend from our MCE 1979 batch at MRSM Kuantan. When we parted ways after the final exams in 1979, I lost touch with many of my fellow batchmates. Bhad and I re-connected via social media and we met up again for the first time since our student days at a reunion in 2010. Since then, we would meet again occasionally, normally at the wedding receptions of the children of our large MRSM Kuantan alumni family. Once in a while, Bhad would have some business in Johor Bahru and he would always let us know that he is in town. I and a few other K79 friends would then join him for lunch or dinner. Such meet-ups would almost always end up as hour-long sessions of chat and banter. Full of fun, light-hearted ribbing and humour.

The last time I met Bhad in person was in December 2019 at the wedding reception of the son of our MRSM Kuantan senior in Petaling Jaya. I was in Shah Alam on another matter and had contacted my fellow K79 friend Syed Idrus to ask if he was going to the wedding alone or with his wife. If he was going alone, I'd like to hitch a ride. Syed wasn't sure at first but he later called back saying that we can go together in his car. As it turned out, on the way to the Dewan Sivik MBPJ, Syed picked up two other K79 friends, Bhad Sulaiman and Harun Aminulrashid. Of course, there was not a silent moment in the car as four high-school friends shared jokes and stories.

The Covid-19 pandemic which began in February of last year meant that we never had the chance to meet again. Some friends in Klang Valley did however manage to arrange makan2 sessions with him during the few times when the MCO restrictions were relaxed.

Bhad Sulaiman was a very kind-hearted and generous man. Between the time I reconnected with him in 2010 until yesterday, the Almighty granted me about ten years of renewed friendship. It was a privilege. I miss him already. The K79 Departed List now has a new name added to it. Thirteen of our brothers and sisters have left ahead of us.

Innalillahi wainna ilaihi roji'un. Farewell, my brother. May Allah swt place your soul among the soliheen.

Pic taken in Sept 2010 at a K79 reunion. Bhad is standing 2nd from left. I'm next to him in the middle

Pic taken in Dec 2019. L to R : Oldstock (K79), Bhad (K79), Ahmad Azlan (K78 bapa pengantin), Dzul Fadzilah (K80), Syed Idrus (K79), Harun (K79)

Tempat jatuh lagi dikenang...

We made a short trip to Kuantan the previous weekend. The main purpose was to fulfil an invitation by a former teacher to attend the wedding reception of his son. As always, we took the opportunity to visit other places as well. It was a packed weekend of activities but truly a memorable one.

I am not going to write about the whole trip but just an initial short post. A visit to Kuantan would almost always mean a stop at my former school, Maktab Rendah Sains Mara Kuantan. Although I spent only two years there, it was my first experience of boarding school. A lot happened in those two years. The many friendships that began there have seen the test of time and most relationships have grown stronger till this day.

It has been 40 years since I completed my secondary education at MRSM Kuantan. The students there today call me `Pakcik', which is actually nice to hear. The school has evolved too, although at one time, MARA had plans to re-locate it or shut it down but the dedicated effort of some alumni managed to make the authorities change their mind.

I believe the school still produce quality graduates with respectable attitudes. I am proud to have been a product of this school and I hope they are equally proud of their former students too.

This signage structure had been erected for some time now but it took me a while to realise that "MRSMKU' has two meanings

At the main entrance signage wall. The motto on the school badge is not the original one as coined by a former student

Footnote : My first post on MRSM Kuantan was in August 2008 - An east coast education