Malay College Kuala Kangsar
Encyclopedia
The Malay College Kuala Kangsar is a residential school
in Malaysia. It is an all-boys and all-Malay
school located in the royal town of Kuala Kangsar
, Perak
. It was awarded the prestigious Cluster School of Excellence title by the Ministry of Education (Malaysia)
.
The colors represent the four Houses into which the students are grouped; Idris (white), Sulaiman (red), Mohd Shah (yellow) and Ahmad (black). The Houses are named in honor of the four Sultans who founded the College.
In the middle of the shield is a red kris
, a traditional Malay dagger. On top of the crest is a head of a tiger
which is the symbol of the Federation of Malaya
. Surrounding the left and right side of the shield are laurel wreaths symbolizing excellence. The school motto is Fiat Sapientia Virtus, which is Latin for Manliness Through Wisdom.
The school was the brainchild of Mr R J Wilkinson, then Inspector of Schools for the Federated Malay States. In a letter to the Resident-General dated 24 February 1904 he wrote about "establishing at a suitable locality in the F.M.S., a special residential school for the education of Malays of good family and for the training of Malay boys for admission to certain branches of Government service".
Its formation was supported by the then Rulers of the Federated Malay States namely Sultan Idris Murshidul ‘Adzam Shah I of Perak, Sultan Alaiddin Sulaiman Shah of Selangor, Yam Tuan Tuanku Muhammad Shah of Negeri Sembilan and Sultan Ahmad Mu’adzam Shah of Pahang.
Mr W Hargreaves, then Headmaster of Penang Free School
was appointed as the first headmaster to lead the establishment of the school. Since 1965, the Malay College has been led by Malay headmasters.
As it was founded to educate the Malay elite, being royal children and the sons of Malay nobility, few of its early students were from amongst commoner families. This changed dramatically after 1947, as a result of rising Malay nationalism. Today, selected Malay boys aged from 12 to 17 from around Malaysia are being educated there.
The Straits Echo on 15 April 1905 reported that a few boys were placed in cosy dormitories in Mr Hargreaves’ rented house, while the others were stabled in small houses formerly occupied by the Malayan Railway clerks. The second half of the school, conducted by Mr Vanrenen was held in a fowl house. There were 40 boys in the first intake of the school.
The sanction for the building of a permanent school became official on 23 December 1905, and by 1 May 1909, the Big School was first brought into use. On Saturday, 11 December 1909, the Big School was officially opened by the Sultan of Perak, and the auspicious date also marked the change in the name of the school from the Malay Residential School of Kuala Kangsar to the Malay College of Kuala Kangsar.
The change also seems to have seen greater emphasis on the original aim of MCKK. A report from 1910 said: "From this school the Government have great hopes that the sons of Malays of the Raja and higher class will be educated and trained on the lines of an English Public School and be fitted to take a share in the Government of their Country".
Since its inception, more than 5,000 boys (and 2 girls) have entered the gates of MCKK.
The college celebrated its centenary on 26 March 2005, attended by dignitaries, old boys, and townspeople. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong
of Malaysia attended the event, along with the royal rulers of the states of Perak
, Selangor
and Negeri Sembilan
as well as the governor of Malacca
.
On 10 June 2006, Emperor Akihito
and Empress Michiko
of Japan visited the school. The monarchs had promised to visit the school back in 1990s.
Since 30 May 2007, the Malaysian Ministry of Education has recognized MCKK as a cluster school.
MCKK has been the school for many prominent Malaysians such as kings, sultans, prime ministers, ministers as well as senior officials in the Government and leading figures in the private sector.
The most recognizable feature of the school is the Big School (built in 1909), a building with pseudo Greco-Roman architecture fronted by a rugby
field. The Prep School, built later in 1912, is smaller but with equally prominent features. In 1955, the West and East Wing, as well as the Administration Block and Clocktower were added. The Administrative Block was opened by High Commissioner for the Federation of Malaya
Sir Donald MacGillivray
in 1955. The West and the East Wing, together with the Overfloor make up what is now called the Big School. Two more hostel blocks, the Pavilion and New Hostel were built in 1963 and 1972 respectively; the latter houses second formers. Another prominent feature of the school is the Big Tree, a raintree (Samanea saman
) in front of the East Wing that is said to be as old as the school itself.
, soccer and cricket
. The second field is located south eastern of the Big School and it hosts field hockey
game. The third open space is in the Administration Block and it is used for various purposes.
The College ground is also the only place in Malaysia where an Eton Fives
court is found. The students neither use the court nor do they play the game, however.
The school also excels in sports and debate. It became a powerhouse in rugby
during the sixties and still has one of the best rugby school teams in the nation . Nicknamed "All-Blacks" after the New Zealand national team
for its all black strip, they perform the haka before matches. It has held a match series against the Vajiravudh College
of Thailand
since 1960. In odd-numbered years, the match is held in Kuala Kangsar. In even-numbered years, it is held in Bangkok
, Thailand. In addition to this, MCKK competes with rival Royal Military College
every year in a multi-games carnival.
Within the school, each student belongs to one of four "Rumah" (sport houses), named after the founders of the school. They are Sulaiman (red), Ahmad (black), Mohd Shah (yellow) and Idris (white). The four houses compete with each other in sport. The competition between the four reaches its peak in the school's Sports Day.
of MCKK is known as the Malay College Old Boys' Association (MCOBA) and it was established in 1929.
Notable alumni include Dato' Onn Jaafar
, the father of Malay nationalism and former Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, the former Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim
, Malaysian ministers Hishammuddin Hussein
, Effendi Norwawi, Fauzi Abdul Rahman and Nazri Aziz
, politician and former chairman of the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club
Shahrir Samad
, the Sultans of Pahang
and Perak
, late Omar Ali Saifuddin III
of Brunei
from 1932 to 1936 and the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan
. Pak Sako or Ishak Haji Muhammad
, Tan Sri Yahya Ahmad and Dr. Azahari Husin
were also alumni.
The novelist and composer Anthony Burgess
(1917–93), author of The Long Day Wanes
: A Malayan Trilogy, was a master at MCKK. He taught English and history, and was housemaster at King's Pavilion, between 1956 and 1957, during the headmastership of J.D.R. "Jimmy" Howell. According to Burgess' "This Man & Music", he wrote some music there under the influence of the country, notably Sinfoni Melayu
for orchestra and brass band, which included cries of Merdeka
(independence) from the audience. No score of any, however, has been delivered to posterity. The "Ode: Celebration for a Malay College", Burgess had written for the college's 50th anniversary in 1955, "was swiftly expunged from the school's choral repertoire", when "within months ... he had to leave the school after falling out with the headmaster, JD Howell. The following year Burgess published his first novel, Time for a Tiger
. A thinly veiled account of his time at Kuala Kangsar, it so cruelly caricatured Howell and his colleagues that, as Burgess recalled in his autobiography, some of those who deemed themselves traduced 'sought advice about libel' from a local lawyer." Only the verses of the Ode, however, have survived, but not Burgess' original melody.
The alumni association is based in the Penthouse of the MCOBA building in Kuala Lumpur.
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
in Malaysia. It is an all-boys and all-Malay
Malay people
Malays are an ethnic group of Austronesian people predominantly inhabiting the Malay Peninsula, including the southernmost parts of Thailand, the east coast of Sumatra, the coast of Borneo, and the smaller islands which lie between these locations...
school located in the royal town of Kuala Kangsar
Kuala Kangsar
Kuala Kangsar is the royal town of Perak, Malaysia, located at the downstream of Kangsar River, where it flows into the Perak River. It is the main town in the administrative district of Kuala Kangsar.-History:...
, Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
. It was awarded the prestigious Cluster School of Excellence title by the Ministry of Education (Malaysia)
Ministry of Education (Malaysia)
The Ministry of Education is a Government ministry responsible for Malaysian educational matters...
.
Coat of arms
The shield is quartered, coloured white (argent) in the first quarter, red (gules) in the second, black (sable) in the third and yellow (or) in the fourth.The colors represent the four Houses into which the students are grouped; Idris (white), Sulaiman (red), Mohd Shah (yellow) and Ahmad (black). The Houses are named in honor of the four Sultans who founded the College.
In the middle of the shield is a red kris
Kris
The kris or keris is an asymmetrical dagger or sword nowadays most strongly associated with the culture of Indonesia, but also indigenous to Malaysia, Southern Thailand and Brunei. It is known as kalis in the southern Philippines. The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade , but many have...
, a traditional Malay dagger. On top of the crest is a head of a tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
which is the symbol of the Federation of Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
. Surrounding the left and right side of the shield are laurel wreaths symbolizing excellence. The school motto is Fiat Sapientia Virtus, which is Latin for Manliness Through Wisdom.
History
Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) is the first fully residential school in Malaysia. Established on 2 January 1905, it was originally known as the Malay Residential School of Kuala Kangsar.The school was the brainchild of Mr R J Wilkinson, then Inspector of Schools for the Federated Malay States. In a letter to the Resident-General dated 24 February 1904 he wrote about "establishing at a suitable locality in the F.M.S., a special residential school for the education of Malays of good family and for the training of Malay boys for admission to certain branches of Government service".
Its formation was supported by the then Rulers of the Federated Malay States namely Sultan Idris Murshidul ‘Adzam Shah I of Perak, Sultan Alaiddin Sulaiman Shah of Selangor, Yam Tuan Tuanku Muhammad Shah of Negeri Sembilan and Sultan Ahmad Mu’adzam Shah of Pahang.
Mr W Hargreaves, then Headmaster of Penang Free School
Penang Free School
Penang Free School is a secondary school located on Jalan Masjid Negeri , George Town, Penang, Malaysia. Although the medium of instruction is now Malay, Penang Free School was the first English-medium school in South East Asia. It is widely recognised as one of Penang's premier schools and alumni...
was appointed as the first headmaster to lead the establishment of the school. Since 1965, the Malay College has been led by Malay headmasters.
As it was founded to educate the Malay elite, being royal children and the sons of Malay nobility, few of its early students were from amongst commoner families. This changed dramatically after 1947, as a result of rising Malay nationalism. Today, selected Malay boys aged from 12 to 17 from around Malaysia are being educated there.
The Straits Echo on 15 April 1905 reported that a few boys were placed in cosy dormitories in Mr Hargreaves’ rented house, while the others were stabled in small houses formerly occupied by the Malayan Railway clerks. The second half of the school, conducted by Mr Vanrenen was held in a fowl house. There were 40 boys in the first intake of the school.
The sanction for the building of a permanent school became official on 23 December 1905, and by 1 May 1909, the Big School was first brought into use. On Saturday, 11 December 1909, the Big School was officially opened by the Sultan of Perak, and the auspicious date also marked the change in the name of the school from the Malay Residential School of Kuala Kangsar to the Malay College of Kuala Kangsar.
The change also seems to have seen greater emphasis on the original aim of MCKK. A report from 1910 said: "From this school the Government have great hopes that the sons of Malays of the Raja and higher class will be educated and trained on the lines of an English Public School and be fitted to take a share in the Government of their Country".
Since its inception, more than 5,000 boys (and 2 girls) have entered the gates of MCKK.
The college celebrated its centenary on 26 March 2005, attended by dignitaries, old boys, and townspeople. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957 when the Federation of Malaya gained independence....
of Malaysia attended the event, along with the royal rulers of the states of Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
, Selangor
Selangor
Selangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...
and Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan, one of the 13 states that constitutes Malaysia, lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, just south of Kuala Lumpur and borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the south....
as well as the governor of Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
.
On 10 June 2006, Emperor Akihito
Akihito
is the current , the 125th emperor of his line according to Japan's traditional order of succession. He acceded to the throne in 1989.-Name:In Japan, the emperor is never referred to by his given name, but rather is referred to as "His Imperial Majesty the Emperor" which may be shortened to . In...
and Empress Michiko
Michiko
Michiko is a Japanese given name, used for females. Although written romanized the same way, the Japanese language written forms can be different...
of Japan visited the school. The monarchs had promised to visit the school back in 1990s.
Since 30 May 2007, the Malaysian Ministry of Education has recognized MCKK as a cluster school.
MCKK has been the school for many prominent Malaysians such as kings, sultans, prime ministers, ministers as well as senior officials in the Government and leading figures in the private sector.
Buildings
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
field. The Prep School, built later in 1912, is smaller but with equally prominent features. In 1955, the West and East Wing, as well as the Administration Block and Clocktower were added. The Administrative Block was opened by High Commissioner for the Federation of Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
Sir Donald MacGillivray
Donald MacGillivray
Sir Donald Charles MacGillivray, KCMG, MBE was the last Colonial Administrator to serve in Malaya. He was the British High Commissioner in Malaya and also the Governor of Straits Settlements.-Life:...
in 1955. The West and the East Wing, together with the Overfloor make up what is now called the Big School. Two more hostel blocks, the Pavilion and New Hostel were built in 1963 and 1972 respectively; the latter houses second formers. Another prominent feature of the school is the Big Tree, a raintree (Samanea saman
Samanea saman
Albizia samanalso known as samanea saman, is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to the Neotropics. Its range extends from Mexico south to Peru and Brazil, but it has been widely introduced to South and Southeast Asia, as well as the Pacific Islands, including...
) in front of the East Wing that is said to be as old as the school itself.
Sports
The school has three fields. One is located in front of the Big School, reserved for rugbyRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, soccer and cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
. The second field is located south eastern of the Big School and it hosts field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
game. The third open space is in the Administration Block and it is used for various purposes.
The College ground is also the only place in Malaysia where an Eton Fives
Eton Fives
Eton Fives, one derivative of the British game of Fives, is a hand-ball game, similar to Rugby Fives, played as doubles in a three-sided court. The object is to force the other team to fail to hit the ball 'up' off the front wall, using any variety of wall or ledge combinations as long as the ball...
court is found. The students neither use the court nor do they play the game, however.
The school also excels in sports and debate. It became a powerhouse in rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
during the sixties and still has one of the best rugby school teams in the nation . Nicknamed "All-Blacks" after the New Zealand national team
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
for its all black strip, they perform the haka before matches. It has held a match series against the Vajiravudh College
Vajiravudh College
Vajiravudh College is an all-boys boarding school in Dusit, Thailand.The school was established by Phra Mongkut Klao Chaoyuhua - King Rama VI who is also known as King Vajiravudh. it was originally named the "Royal Pages College"...
of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
since 1960. In odd-numbered years, the match is held in Kuala Kangsar. In even-numbered years, it is held in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Thailand. In addition to this, MCKK competes with rival Royal Military College
Royal Military College (Malaysia)
The Royal Military College The Royal Military College The Royal Military College (also known as RMC is a boarding school in Malaysia. The RMC campus covers an area of near the town of Sungai Besi (about 10 miles (16 km) from Kuala Lumpur) with a view of the Mines Resort and the 1998...
every year in a multi-games carnival.
Within the school, each student belongs to one of four "Rumah" (sport houses), named after the founders of the school. They are Sulaiman (red), Ahmad (black), Mohd Shah (yellow) and Idris (white). The four houses compete with each other in sport. The competition between the four reaches its peak in the school's Sports Day.
Notable alumni
The alumni associationAlumni association
An alumni association is an association of graduates or, more broadly, of former students. In the United Kingdom and the United States, alumni of universities, colleges, schools , fraternities, and sororities often form groups with alumni from the same organisation...
of MCKK is known as the Malay College Old Boys' Association (MCOBA) and it was established in 1929.
Notable alumni include Dato' Onn Jaafar
Onn Jaafar
Dato' Sir Onn bin Ja'afar, KBE was a Malay politician and a Menteri Besar of Johore in Malaysia, then Malaya. He was the founder of United Malays National Organization and was also responsible for the social economic welfare of the Malays by setting up the Rural Industrial Development Authority...
, the father of Malay nationalism and former Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, the former Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar bin Ibrahim is a Malaysian politician who served as Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister from 1993 to 1998. Early in his career, Anwar was a close ally of Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad but subsequently emerged as the most prominent critic of Mahathir's government.In 1999, he was sentenced...
, Malaysian ministers Hishammuddin Hussein
Hishammuddin Hussein
Datuk Seri Panglima Hishammuddin bin Tun Hussein is a Malaysian politician and member of the United Malays National Organisation . He is the current Malaysian Minister of Home Affairs. He is the former Minister of Education, having served from 2004 to 2009. He has been mentioned as a likely...
, Effendi Norwawi, Fauzi Abdul Rahman and Nazri Aziz
Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz
Dato' Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Tan Sri Abdul Aziz is a Malaysian politician from the United Malays National Organisation , and is a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of parliamentary affairs. In June 2005 Nazri caused controversy when he shouted the phrase "bloody racist" 28...
, politician and former chairman of the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club
Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club
The Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club is a loose caucus of 108 members of the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia, the Dewan Rakyat, belonging to the governing Barisan Nasional coalition...
Shahrir Samad
Shahrir Abdul Samad
Datuk Seri Utama Shahrir Abdul Samad is the former Malaysian Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister, a member of Parliament, and the former chairman of the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club . He is a member of the United Malays National Organisation, the largest political party in the...
, the Sultans of Pahang
Pahang
Pahang is the third largest state in Malaysia, after Sarawak and Sabah, occupying the huge Pahang River river basin. It is bordered to the north by Kelantan, to the west by Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, to the south by Johor and to the east by Terengganu and the South China Sea.Its state...
and Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
, late Omar Ali Saifuddin III
Omar Ali Saifuddin III
Al-Marhum Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Maulana Paduka Seri Begawan Al-Hajj Sultan Sir Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien III, GCVO, KCMG was the 28th Sultan of Brunei ruled from 4 June 1950 until his abdication from the throne on 4 October 1967. He was also the first Bruneian Minister of...
of Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
from 1932 to 1936 and the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan, one of the 13 states that constitutes Malaysia, lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, just south of Kuala Lumpur and borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the south....
. Pak Sako or Ishak Haji Muhammad
Ishak Haji Muhammad
Ishak Haji Muhammad or better known as Pak Sako was a prominent Malaysian writer, active in the 1930s until the 1950s. He was a nationalist and his involvement began before independence and continued thereafter...
, Tan Sri Yahya Ahmad and Dr. Azahari Husin
Azahari Husin
Dr. Azahari bin Husin was a Malaysian who was believed to be the technical mastermind behind the 2002 Bali bombing. He was killed in a police raid on his hideout in Indonesia in 2005. He was nicknamed the "Demolition Man".-History:He received extensive bomb training in Afghanistan...
were also alumni.
The novelist and composer Anthony Burgess
Anthony Burgess
John Burgess Wilson – who published under the pen name Anthony Burgess – was an English author, poet, playwright, composer, linguist, translator and critic. The dystopian satire A Clockwork Orange is Burgess's most famous novel, though he dismissed it as one of his lesser works...
(1917–93), author of The Long Day Wanes
The Long Day Wanes
The Long Day Wanes: A Malayan Trilogy, also published as The Malayan Trilogy, is Anthony Burgess's novel cycle about the withdrawal from empire....
: A Malayan Trilogy, was a master at MCKK. He taught English and history, and was housemaster at King's Pavilion, between 1956 and 1957, during the headmastership of J.D.R. "Jimmy" Howell. According to Burgess' "This Man & Music", he wrote some music there under the influence of the country, notably Sinfoni Melayu
Sinfoni Melayu
Sinfoni Melayu is mentioned in Contemporary composers as a symphony composed by Anthony Burgess in 1956, when he was a teacher at Malay College Kuala Kangsar...
for orchestra and brass band, which included cries of Merdeka
Merdeka
Merdeka is a word in the Indonesian and Malay language meaning Independent or freedom. It is derived from the Sanskrit Maharddhika meaning "rich, prosperous and powerful". In the Malay archipelago, this term had acquired the meaning of a freed slave...
(independence) from the audience. No score of any, however, has been delivered to posterity. The "Ode: Celebration for a Malay College", Burgess had written for the college's 50th anniversary in 1955, "was swiftly expunged from the school's choral repertoire", when "within months ... he had to leave the school after falling out with the headmaster, JD Howell. The following year Burgess published his first novel, Time for a Tiger
Time for a Tiger
Time for a Tiger is part one of Anthony Burgess's Malayan Trilogy The Long Day Wanes, "the first panel of a triptych" set in the twilight of British rule of the peninsula....
. A thinly veiled account of his time at Kuala Kangsar, it so cruelly caricatured Howell and his colleagues that, as Burgess recalled in his autobiography, some of those who deemed themselves traduced 'sought advice about libel' from a local lawyer." Only the verses of the Ode, however, have survived, but not Burgess' original melody.
The alumni association is based in the Penthouse of the MCOBA building in Kuala Lumpur.
Traditions
A few school traditions survive:- the wearing of one of two forms of the school tie every Wednesday by the old boys.
- the annual gathering lasting around three days at the school itself - referred to as Old Boys Weekend. During the weekend, sports matches are held between the Old Boys and the students, culminating with a rugby match on Sunday morning.
- an annual formal dinner for old boys, usually held in a ballroom in Kuala Lumpur.
- the school cheering where almost every student is required to sing in unison various fight songs during official sport matches while wearing a specially designed polo-shirt.
- an annual rugby match against Vajiravudh College, Bangkok.
- an annual rugby tournament known as MCKK Premier 7's
Headmasters
- 1905—1918: William Hargreaves
- 1918—1919: J.O. May
- 1919—1923: L.A.S. Jermyn
- 1923—1938: C. Bazell
- 1938—1949: H.R. Carey
- 1949—1953: K.D. Luke
- 1953—1958: J.D.R. Howell
- 1958—1959: P.G. Haig
- 1959—1965: N.J. Ryan
- 1965—1969: Dato' Abdul Aziz Ismail
- 1970—1971: Syed Abu Bakar Barakbah
- 1971—1972: Dato' Mohd. Ghazali Hj. Hanafiah
- 1973—1975: Nordin Nasir
- 1975—1977: Dato' Abdul Rahman Mohd. Ali
- 1977—1982: Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Hamzah
- 1982—1983: Syed Alwi Syed Aljunid
- 1983—1987: Zainal Abidin Hj. Ahmad
- 1988—1992: Dato' Rashdi Ramlan
- 1992—1995: Dato' Hj. Hassan Hashim
- 1995—1999: Datuk Hj. Baharom Kamari
- 1999—2003: Tan Sri Dato' Hj. Alimuddin Hj. Mohd. Dom
- 2004—2010: Dato' Mohd Rauhi Mohd Isa
- 2010—2011: Anand bin Baharuddin
Further reading
- Neil J Ryan. The Last Expatriate: Reminiscenses of an educationalist in Malaysia. Utusan Publications & Distributors Sdn. Bhd. ISBN 967-61-1730-7
- Nik Ismail Nik Daud. Arbain Kadri. Prosiding Simposium MCOBA 1. 3 December 1989.
External links
- Official website
- Malay College Old Boys Association The Old Boys Association website.
- Malay College Teacher's Association website
- Class of 66