OP Batch Co-Operation: Achievable or False Hope?

The Royal Military College, like other boarding schools in Malaysia, often boasts of its vast network among Old Boys or Old Puteras. Within the large segment of OP network, the old boys tend to gravitate towards their batch mates, particularly because of their shared experience back at Boy's Wing.

My attention was diverted just recently to an email written by a friend in our batch E-List about the need to strengthen the mold and face the challenges of the future together, taking advantage of each member's unique skill set and experience. A noble gesture, one that we've heard too often. Not necessarily unattainable, but requires shear determination and outstanding co-operation, and a modicum of coordination.

It simply means this: that historically budak boys have been given the privileges to lead the Armed Forces, the Civil Service and many corporations through out the rich history of our country. Given the plethora of experiences and career exposures that us individuals would accumulate through out the years ahead, it is only logical to harness this energy for the greater good of the nation, therefore fulfilling our sacred charter.

No doubt I have calculated several concerns. The one that sticks out like a sore thumb is whether we would reach the level we dream of. The next in line is whether all 79 of us would agree to a common theme or plan. It is difficult enough to get 10 to agree on a location for the next teh tarik session, let alone to reach a common ground on national issues or business propositions.

The interesting aspect of the OP network I find is that once you meet someone of similar wavelength, irrespective of batch, it is extremely trouble free to work with that person, no matter the slight differences in opinions. That I think is a better formula.

Let's not forget the many feuds and quarrels within the network itself. Although the Old Putera Association renders no authority whatsoever in RMC, Ministry of Defense or elsewhere, it is amazing to witness the level of animosity and intense hatred towards each other especially when dealing with posts and positions in the organization. I am merely stating this not to expose ourselves, but because a reform should be in order. It is also something to be avoided if a collective plan is to be formulated.

Notwithstanding the fact above, we have also witnessed tremendous aid and support for each other during trials and tribulation. This is the real criteria and the true spirit of being a budak boy.

At any rate, most of us would rather attend to our priorities especially family & career than be bothered with sharing a common vision with our fellow budak boy.

How do we progress ahead?

Passing Out Parade 2008

It's been awhile since I woke up early.  Thanking God that RMC taught me one of the most crucial skills in life, the change parade, I took a quick shower, grabbed my clothes and clocked 10 minutes from PJ to Sungai Besi Army Camp.

Even after years of development in Kuala Lumpur, Sungai Besi seemed to have escaped it.  The old mamak where OPs normally congregate is still there, still packed with customers at 0630h. We had our official Malaysian breakfast of roti canai before rushing to our alma mater, the only high school in this country with Royal colors.  

The Passing Out Parade commenced after the arrival of Datuk Wira Abu Seman, Deputy Minister of Defence, Mindef SecGen and a barrage of 2-star and 3-star Generals.

The most ostensible change of format in the parade was the parade inspection by the saluting officer.  RMC has now adopted the usual trend in the Armed Forces of using the ceremonial jeep.

Foxtrot company came in 2nd place and it was quite shocking to learn that Alpha grabbed the covetous Commandant Trophy for best performing coy (was there any element of money politics at the Boy's Wing?)!  Foxtrot came in second for the second consecutive year.  The lucky number 8 went to the boys at Block A second floor.

I noticed a group of youngsters in their mid 20's donning sandals and t-shirts with graffitti, walking around the perimeters of the parade square, the holy ground of any military installation, with their uncombed spiky hair and loud yelling, taunting the "Pengawal Medan" during the parade.  The young OPs of recent years.  Bloody idle, disrespectful and lopong.  What went wrong, only God knows.

Rukun Putera?  This is something new.

Foxtrot boys, the eager fourth formers who just got promoted to the rank of senior

Even after 12 years since our passing out, this place still gives me the goose bumps.

RMC New Campus & Events

Updates of the development of RMC new campus:

• The Ministry of Higher Education has now intervened in the process for attaining IB status. The Ministry has concluded that the request cannot proceed without the Ministry's approval since IB falls under its purview. The implementation plan has now slipped to 2011.
  
• The location of the new campus is now in question as to whether it is on Military reserve land, Government reserve land or some other owner's land.
• The proposal to position a one-star general as Commandant has been politely declined (the current Commandant's pay grade is lower than the Director of Studies, thus making it extremely difficult for the two to work together and for the Commandant to execute his policies).

The most recent recruitment drive brings a total of 1017 applications nation wide. The criteria for selection is being questioned as to whether the minimum of 6 A's in PMR is based on the trial exam or actual. If one is to acquire 6 or more in his trials, get accepted and then later find out his has failed to achieve minimum of 6 in the actual, does he still qualify? OPA has requested this issue to be clarified.

OPA is also planning to organize a forum featuring YB Nasir Hashim and OP Rahman Embong. The topic will be about the future of race-based politics in Malaysia. This is scheduled to be in January 2009.

The second forum will be in February 2009 showcasing the former MCA president Tun Ling Liong Sik and former Minister Dato' Seri Radzi.

It is unfortunate that the newly constructed bar which was built without the knowledge of the committee will be used for liquor and booze for a Christmas celebration. Perhaps the OPA is becoming more modern and liberal. One OP was ostensibly captivated with this 'joyous' liberalization of alcohol in the building that he emailed his friends to come to show their support for this change in policy.

The fate of RMC

Now that Dato' Sri Abdullah is the new Minister of Defence, the Old Putera Association Exco led by the President needs to brief AAB on the plan for the new campus and the allocated RM100M for RMC in the 9th Malaysia Plan. The plan must be finalized and executed to meet the dateline of 2010. The plan must incorporate a detailed infrastructure proposal and the implementation of the International Baccalaureate system, hailed as an effective education tool to prepare students for tertiary education.

In times of racial tension, the RMC must be promoted once again as the supreme school model for racial tolerance, eloquently incorporated and indoctrinated in its gruesome military curriculum for high school level education. The strict regime of the school must be re-enforced once again and parents who are faint-hearted to see their kids go through 'hell' must withdraw their kids from the premier school and not mistaken it for next door Sekolah Menengah Sungai Besi or the former Bukit Bintang Girls School.

The introduction of the International Baccalaureate system must be hastened to execute the national agenda of strengthening the command of English for young Malaysians. The RMC is also known as the national factory for high-calibre leaders the likes of Tun Ling Liong Sik, Tan Sri Ghanalingam, Dato' Sri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad, Dato' Michael Yam, Tan Sri Halim Ali, scores of 4-star generals, high-ranking civil servants and corporate chiefs.

The Board of Governors must be reconvened and its member must be made responsible for the development of the new campus and its new policies and vision. If the chiefs of all 3 services and Mindef Secretary General take this as low priority, then the RMC shall perish as a successful system, created in 1952 to be part of nation building in producing future leaders. Even the late Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Abdul Razak used to chair the Board of Governors meeting, and such is the importance of RMC in the old days.

Tolerance is the path to unity

I refer to the letter written by Nga Ko-Lyn from Sitiawan, Perak on “Path To True Unity” published on 5th September. If the author is adamant to blame racial politics on the power structure of Barisan Nasional, the author should also examine the racial structure in Pakatan Rakyat where DAP is predominantly Chinese and both PKR and PAS are strongly Malay-based.

Malaysians of all walks of life know the global boundaries have disappeared. However, it doesn’t mean free trade is fair to small and under developed countries. It doesn’t mean the US will not charge tariffs on imported steel from Japan if it means having 180,000 Americans out of job in Pittsburgh. Globalization is widely accepted to many but is also scrutinized and regulated.

Ko-Lyn also said that “the European Union is a force to reckon with”, failing to recognize that the British have failed to increase their economy. The Organization for Economic Co-Operation (OECD) predicted the UK to be in recession by end of the year, shrinking by 0.4% by year end. The European Union system heavily subsidizes the unemployed and it encourages more people to be out of job. In 2002, the combined unemployment rate of EU was at a staggering 8%. The taxation is high at 40% and more Europeans are flooding the Asian job market because of the high salary and low taxation from local governments. The North Sea sector has probably hit oil peak and industrial leaders are eyeing elsewhere for investments. The EU alone imports 82% of its oil for consumption. China is already the market leader in manufacturing (manufacturing 6.5million cars last year with 120 car makers in the country) and India in IT. Google, Microsoft, Coke and other major global brands are investing heavily in Asia, not Europe. He should recognize that Asia is “The” force to be reckoned with, not Europe. I do agree that our politicians should just govern, instead of being embroiled in local politics, before Vietnam surpasses our GDP. The general election has been over for 6 months.

Ko-Lyn also said that “the only way to absolute and true unity is when we stop thinking as different races”. There is no demerit thinking as different races. This is the basis of cultures and cultures are what identify people with a sense of belonging. The Malays are proud to brandish the keris, not just during political assemblies but as part of the uniform and a symbol of the Malay culture, likewise the Chinese with their mighty Lion Dance. America has been independent for more than a century, yet the non-Caucasians are still categorized as Latin Americans, African Americans and Asian Americans. Tolerance is still king and will continue to play the most important racial in racial unity and ‘integration’. In the end, we are all Malaysians with the same passport and identification cards.

On education, if Ko-Lyn thinks that “policies prevent many of our smart students from completing their education in a higher institution”, what about primary and secondary schools? If he is such an advocate of unity, he should be advocating a streamlined system, instead of having SRJK Cina and Tamil. That to me is the root cause of the intolerance we have today. He should also study the education system at institutions such as the Royal Military College, where the military system has been found successful in promoting tolerance and integration in the multi-racial environment. RMC was deemed an important element in nation building after Independence to churn future leaders in the military and public sector, so important that even the then Prime Minister chaired the Board of Governors meetings.

The Strength of the Malays, PAS co-operating with UMNO & of Biotech competition in the south

Had an intellectual chat with a senior OP whom I highly respect. When I was 17, he was actually the first person lecturing my peers and I about the history of the Malacca sultanate, the special rights of the Malays and that we should not be ashamed of having that constitutional provision. He also instilled a sense of nationalism in our head and continuously reminded us that we have the responsibility to the nation to serve to lead.

Fast forward to 11 years later, I still see the same spirit in him when talking about the present political landscape. We both agreed that the provision in Article 153 of the Constitution has been opened to abuse by people driven by greed and lust of power. He agreed that race-based politics was by design not intention, that the colonial masters had established the system in such a way that the basis of politics is racial background. I personally think that we would see this trend diminish in the urban areas.

On the sensitivities among the non-Malays about Article 153, he argued that the non-Malays should not feel threatened as long as the policy is administered well. The Malays should be the ones protecting not only their interests but also ensuring that the entitlement for others is not compromised (with power comes great responsibility).

Malays who have been offered scholarships and have completed their studies must fulfill their contractual obligations. Those who were offered loans and defaulted should be punished severely for abusing the privilege. Same goes with leaders who flaunt openly with their wealth and mansions. The decline of moral in leaders and the Malaysian citizens is apparent. The respect of law and order has also diminished extensively. Mat rempits should be taken off the streets and forced to conduct community service or be sent to jail for rehab or labor work (this would reduce the need for foreign workers by 5% in the construction industry).

We also talked about our alma mater and the merits of relocation. He did convince me that relocation made some sense. First of all, the buildings that we have were not meant to last long. The walls of the dormitories are made of asbestos and the whole structure is slowly falling apart. The relocation would enable us to build something more resilient and relevant to current times. This should be a permanent feature and we must ensure that the construction is solid to avoid another relocation in 50 years. It should reflect the greatness of RMC but not too much that it pampers the boys too much. I'm just worried about the close proximity of the power lines. The old buildings should remain in the hands of RMC, not NDU. Allocation should also be put aside for the International Baccalaureate program. MCKK and TKC are the other 2 schools intending to implement the same system within the next few years.

On the poor participation among the young ones to give back, he agreed that youths are typically highly-driven and energetic. They should focus their energies and ideas into actions and also listen to wise old men for advice.

Other news:

• PAS cannot be taken lightly. With 83 seats compared to DAP's 73 and PKR's 40, it is the actual backbone of PR with 2 states under its belt. Why is it consulting with UMNO? Another crack in the coalition? Even Selangor PAS youths are giving the subtle hints.
• Meanwhile, is Malaysia Biotech Corp ready to take on Singapore? "One ground-breaking proposal is to let promising biotech firms list even if they do not have a financial track record. The move could make Singapore the first stop for such firms in Asia". That is a very bold and competitive move. How will we counter this and continue to attract investors?
• On food price increase: Even religious ceremonies were not spared.

Career Talk at Royal Military College

Had another career talk at RMC. It's been difficult to secure slots for OPs this year. It has been equally challenging to find volunteers. Despite all these issues, we finally had one session today. Took some photos of Sungai Besi town and RMC. These might turn out to be a classic collection in years to come because of the possible relocation of RMC. I got a bit emotional today hence all the snapping. Dad said RMC should be in a better shape with the new location; fully equipped with upgraded and more resilient infrastructure against typical budak boy vandalism and most importantly unlimited supply of water. I argued about the power lines and why NDU is claiming our spot. In the end, seniors normally win debates. Juniors get on the ground and take 20 push-ups.

The default hang out place for PPs and OPs alike has been standing at the same corner for years.

In the middle of Sungai besi town. Hasn't changed an inch since we left in 96.

As you approach the guard house, the sign "University Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia" stands out like a sore thumb. The sign "Maktab Tentera Diraja" is on the left side and is still there.
The fields on both side of the road are now properties of UPNM.

This is now the unofficial 'border' between UPNM and RMC.


Director of Studies Shahrudin, Commandant Kept Alias and Army Lawyer Chief Instructor Maj Feizol.
OP Habibur eloquently delivering his speech.




Commandants since Sir Gerald Templar, founder of the then Federation Military College.

Chicken chop at Sand Dune. Farouk's favorite.


Proud to be part of this tradition. I'm expecting my son to be the third generation.

KJ John's article in Malaysiakini

Attempts to highlight this issue in public will render the move useless. The public will now question how much funds does this require and why such funds has been allocated to one school. Of all the publications chosen, he had chosen Malaysiakini. The article not only condemned the move, but indirectly blamed the former Finance Minister for accelerated growth in this country. What's your point KJ John?

The unholy trinity

KJ John | May 20, 08 12:43pm

In developed nations, whether in the East of West, old structures and institutions are honored and respected, not destroyed. In such "developed and mature thinking," which we sometimes call ‘civilized,’ all institutions which have survived more than 100 years are "classified as historic institutions. " Such institutions are part and parcel of the heritage of a nation.

Therefore, in the process of growing this status, as heritage institutions, it is critical that they are protected and preserved from predators. They then gain the status of "treasures or heirloom of the nation." The preservation agenda must be executed especially in the first 50 years of its life. Such a preservation and containment of heritage institutions is a civilized value or attitude.

In Malaysia though, in spite of 50 years as a nation, based on our accelerated model of physical development trying to achieve the biggest, the tallest and the fastest etc., there is the real and present danger that pride and greed have mostly driven the infrastructure development philosophy of this nation. To my mind, such a philosophy of development began with "the second tour of our former minister of finance," and after the birth of the Umno baru.

Under his and his mentor’s "tutelage" many public sector icons and institutions were earmarked for "physical redevelopment. " These included the Bukit Bintang Girls School (BBGS), the Stadium Merdeka, Stadium Negara etc etc, to name a few. No institution or building was too sacrosanct; in the name of such "redevelopment. " The definition of such "re-development" meant mainly what I call the "bigger and better syndrome." Greed and self-interest drove the development agenda. If it is bigger, it must be better. The quality of the content was always secondary in such thinking. This is what Pak Lah has since described as third world mentality?

Last weekend I heard the worst possible potential application of such an abuse of power paradigm thinking. I heard an unconfirmed rumour that the Royal Military College in Sungai Besi is up for grabs by such greedy perpetrators. Since the early 90s there has always been an incessant rumour that "the RMC which is situated very close to the prestigious Country Heights has been eyed by many ‘developers." This is true of most institutions with land to spare in choice locations. In fact, at one stage the rumour was so serious that an informal group of well placed and equally powerful Old Puteras (or OPs) even met with one or two Tan Sris and told them to "lay off the RMC." Fortunately, reason and logic prevailed then and there was full realisation that this was a constituency of influence one should never take lightly. That particular hostile takeover bid was effectively dead.

Unholy trinity

Since then, the Old Putera Association or the OPA, the alumni of the RMC has taken it as their public mandate to defend the RMC in its original and own location (after their first and only move from Port Dickson). While there were moves to redraw the boundaries of the college, the OPs took various and multi-faceted forms of action to retain and sustain their interests and those of their alma mater. The OPA, the organisation of RMC Alumni, is therefore morally obliged to defend and protect the RMC and all its inherent goals and ambitions, as originally conceived by the two co-founders: Tun Sir Gerald Templer and Tun Abdul Razak, our former prime minister. RMC "Old Puteras" are in fact all military-quality trained "to attack and destroy all who try to lay their hands or even pretend a hostile takeover." Nothing could be worse than trying to steal the goose that lays their golden eggs; even if the College is today only a shadow of the older brilliance.

In fact, as a show of their continued relevance and significance in the national development, and "redevelopment" of the nation, 50 RMC OPs marched on our 50th Day National Day Parade on 31 st August 2007. The squad of OPs was led by none other the OP Radzi Sheikh Ahmad as our Parade Commander. He as then a cabinet minister and ours was given the privilege by Cabinet to be the first squad on that historic parade. My column even highlighted why the RMC boys marched for the nation.

Much of the physical development and "redevelopment agenda" in Malaysia has gone very awry. Such infrastructure developers are today consumed with greed and cannot afford to see simple and plain green patches anywhere in the country. This materialistic model of development is destroying the beauty of our nation. These developers have no real pride in the nation. All they are interested is in making some quick money from physical development and then enjoying the profits from such unscrupulous deals.

Such perpetrators are what I have called as those consumed with the I-Me-Myself worldview. They believe in the unholy trinity of themselves and their self-interest, not in the holy one. Often, through high-powered connections, they identify and corner the site to be high-jacked. Then they conceive a plan to "massage the process of back-door takeover of the property; whether by fair or foul means." Often, such back-door deals include the collusion of government officials who "create the right opportunities for such theft." These could include losing of original documents, and working with falsified copies. And, when you have an equally crooked judicial system, sometimes, even fake documents can be accepted in place of originals. Such is the death of common sense and the rise of thievery in Malaysia!

Transparency needed

All such greed should have no more place in post-March 8th Malaysia. The new Malaysia needs openness, transparency and accountability wherein any and every public decision is truly made in the open public sphere and cannot become the secret storyline of a back-door plot. I therefore call on all Old Puteras to exercise their intelligence and information (and mis-information) gathering capabilities and let us declare war on these perpetrators of this potential crime of immorality.

Let us show all of them; whether big or small; whoever they are that OPs are not to be fooled around with; and that the two founders of the FMC/RMC will turn in their graves if this plot is actually hatched and executed.
Therefore this column in the public sphere of life is my call to all alumni of the Royal Military College (and the Federation Military College) to be aware of this potential plot and to organize ourselves to preserve and protect our dignity, sovereignty and integrity as human beings, and products of the college. All of us, as ordinary human beings, will agree that the RMC took ordinary individuals and made them into extra-ordinary ones; that was the capacity and capability of our alma mater.

To think that today, there are people out there who simply want to reduce "our birthing place" into a physical property to be traded like inanimate objects is the greatest insult to the alumni of the RMC. We, the alumni of the RMC, would like to make a statement; that we will leave no stone unturned on this matter until this illegitimate plot is frustrated. Otherwise, we might as well give up our memories and the pride that we have always taken in this great alma mater of ours.

May God curse such self-interested greed amongst the different and various Malaysians of all colours, shapes and sizes! May God continue to bless Malaysia.

Career Talks Low Priority at the Royal Military College

I've been told by our Army Lawyer Chief Instructor that the career talk will be postponed again (been trying to secure slots since January 2008). Ever since I took this portfolio late 2006, we had no problems securing slots. We've had successful talks conducted by prominent OPs in the aviation sector, legal profession, engineering, IT, oil & gas industry etc.

Based on our short observation and comments from the boys and teachers:

1. The boys seemed to be lost. Lost in the sense that they have no clue what to do after school. Perhaps the in-house consulting is non-existent or not effective.
2. The command of the English language is still poor.
3. Some (maybe most) boys who have chosen the military profession made that decision because it was the 'default' thing to do.
4. Unemployment among the boys after SPM is unknown and no one seems to care what the numbers are.
5. Failure of the establishment of Form 6 classes at RMC shows the lack of promotion or weakness in implementation.
6. OPA branded to be 'intrusive' in the upbringing of the boys.
7. Career talks conducted by predecessors indicated that the old puteras invited to give talks normally talk about themselves and nothing about the career.

Surely, there should be a level of compromise between trying not to have these idiotic OPs and attempting to invite OPs who are so willing to give a helping hand to their super juniors. I for one was inspired during my Putera days when several OPs took some time off from their busy schedule to give us a hint or two as to what being grown up is all about. At the OPA Annual Dinner last weekend, I had the privilege to sit with the Commandant, the President of Penang Free Alum, UIA Dean of Dentistry, President of TKC alum. Commandant was bragging to our guests about how effective the RMC system was in promoting the present puteras to these talks that would help shape their future. He was also lecturing me about how the OPs need to 'focus' in their talks and that OPs are not 'focused'. Clearly he hasnt attended any of my lectures or the lectures I've organized or perhaps my guest speakers in the past were merely 'not focused' OPs who have achieved something in their careers. In additional, it is clear that these talks are of low priority. The OPs who have committed themselves to give the talks had shown their disappointment when the slots given were canceled on numerous occasions. Obviously, moi had to eat the bullet and take the whacking.

We wonder why a staggering number of boys leave the college, balik kampung and end up being mat rempits, tapping rubber or simply 'menganggur'. What a way to 'serve to lead'.

38th AGM - SOS

For those interested in the developments of the new campus of RMC, it saddens me to announce that there is a good chance we will be moved to a new location. The new location is most probably the big piece of plot owned by the Malaysian Army, behind the hill with the water reservoir. The National Defence University is rumored to take over our present location. Highlights during the AGM:

• The proposal to implement IB program at RMC was accepted with luke warm response from all quarters.
  
• The Ministry has not been authorized to carry on with OPA's proposal although the Minister has, in principle, agreed to the proposal.
• The RM100M allocation for RMC will be mostly spent on construction, instead of man power and academic resources
• The Board of Governors no longer functions as a viable tool to steer the college to greater heights, especially with the fact that half of them are not OPs
  
• There is lack of political will to get the proposal implemented
• The weak leadership at RMC suggests that RMC has been 'maintaining' its status in academic and sports performance, not sliding down as quoted by many.

We will join BBGS, Alam Shah and other prominent schools who have moved to new locations, all in the name of development. Heritage and traditions are no longer virtues in today's society. Many OPs in the past fought hard to get this money approved. I do not wish to see the look on their faces when they find out that the money will be used for 'good' use.

Happy Father's Day and OPA 38th AGM

I didnt realize it was Father's Day today until I had checked my email and had received a lovely note from my beautiful wife and son (yes I'm in the middle of South China Sea and not really up to speed with the ongoings onshore). Happy Father's day to all Fathers out there and here's an article about what Jack Ford thought of his father, the 38th President of the United States.

On a different note, to all OPs (short for Old Puteras, which is a term we use for the Royal Military College graduates), our Annual General Meeting for 2008 will be on Saturday, 21st June 2008, 1030hrs at Shangri-La's Selangor Room, KL. I urge all OPs to attend and participate in the discussion which will encompass the following topics of interest (besides the usual items discussed during AGM):

• the allocation from Mindef for RMC for the construction of a new campus in Sg Besi
• the proposal to incorporate the International Baccalaureate program
• the proposal to restructure Board of Governors

Where are the OPs??

The kolek boys, normally ahead of the pack, are so proud of their old boys that they closely keep track of the ones elected as Wakil Rakyat. Where are the OPs????

Elected MCOBs - Election 2008
Announcements
Congratulations to the following MCOBs who have won their seats:
PARLIAMENT:
1 Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (BN) P32 GUA MUSANG (Class of 52)
2 Datuk Seri Mohamad Nazri Aziz (BN) P61 PADANG RENGAS (class of 71)
3 Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah(BN) P88 TEMERLOH (Class of 78)
4 Datuk Sri Hishammuddin Hussein (BN) P153 SEMBRONG (Class of 78)
5 Datuk Sharir Samad (BN) P160 JOHOR BAHRU (Class of 65)
6 Dato Kamarul Baharin Abbas, (PKR) P132 TELUK KEMANG (Class of 64)
7 Dato` Rashid Din, (PKR) P14 MERBOK (Class of 64)
8 Dr Mohd Hatta Mat Ramli(PAS) P31 KUALA KRAI (Class of 73)
9 Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar (PAS) P19 TUMPAT (Class of 68)
STATE SEATS:
1 Zaabar Mohd Adib (BN) N26 Rantau Abang, Dungun (Class of 71)
2 Wan Abdul Hakim W Mokhtar(BN) N32 Air Putih,Kemaman( Class of 85)
3 Mohd Zahir Abdul Khalid (BN) N16 Kamunting, Taiping (Class of 85)
4 Dr Nik Mazian Nik Mohamed(PAS) ,N32 Gaal, Pasir Putih(Class of 75)
5 Dr. Mohamad Taslim (PAS) N15 Maharani, Muar (Class of 68)
6 Iskandar Samad (PAS) N21 Chempaka, Pandan (Class of 78)
7 Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (PKR) N32, Seri Setia, Kelana Jaya (Class of 99)
Selamat Berkhidmat

(Taken from MCOBA website).

Excerpts from Royal Military College - The Port Dickson Years 1952 - 1961 (Part 3)

"Under the terms of the Education Ordinance, which was gazetted in March 1957, all schools in Malaya had to be administered by a Board of Governors. An administrative Order was circulated to the heads of the schools by the respective State Education Officers requiring them to establish such a Board as soon as was practicable and not later than 1st January 1958. The FMC was among the first to set up a Governing Board and its members were chosen by none other than the Chief Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman".

It's interesting to note that the Chief Minister (later Prime Minister) was personally involved in the selection of the Board members. This meant that the governing of the FMC was of high importance to fill up slots in the upper echelon of the military, public and private sectors in the years to come following independence. I do not have much details about the Board of Governors now but I was told that attendance was poor among the big stars and that the meeting are normally left to their deputies, some of which are not RMC products, thus the lack of "interest" is inevitable. OPA currently has suggested that the selection of board members be "advised" by the organization. It is important to have representations from OPs both civilians and military to preserve the quality of products for years to come. OPA has also suggested that the Board should have the ultimate say in deciding the candidates for the post of Commandant and Director of Studies and not just having someone who feels the post of Commandant is just another stepping stone in one's career.

Excerpts from Royal Military College - The Port Dickson Years 1952 - 1961 (Part 2)

"The less than satisfactory marching skills of the first intake boys in their first public apperance prompted the authorities to put in a request for a top notch drill instructor. They got one in the shape of Warrant Officer Grade I George Franks from Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, whose motto Nulli Secundus - second to none - says it all".

"RSM Franks arrived in March 1953; and one could not ask for a better Sergeant Major to put the fear of God into the boys and, it has to be said, the drill instructors under his command".

opcharlie: This is classic. This is the very fundamental that we are losing track of - discipline. Nowadays, instructors can't even as much as nudge a boy without being hammered by the wrath of the generals whose son was nudged. RSM - the symbolic and highly respected figure on the parade square - is a figure filled with honor, discipline, courage, dignity. We can't even let him do his job, how are supposed to train up the boys to be leaders of the future. Do we want wimps leading our boys in green to battle?

I was made to understand that they are no more gatings, change parades, show parades and other military methods of keeping the boys in check. The once feared PT (Physical logs) logs are not to be found in front of the AO (Administration Officer)'s office. Officers can waltz into a room and no one would bother giving the proper salute. Attires are attrocious. What has happened? The whole system looks to be another Sg Besi high school.

ps: I have yet to receive permission to post excerpts from OP Shuhud's book and may have violated copy rights. I will follow up and if it is deemed illegal, the postings will have to go.

Excerpts from Royal Military College - The Port Dickson Years 1952 - 1961

by OP Muhammad Shuhud Saaid

"At the sound of reveille - 0600 hrs - the boys had to make sure their beds were properly made after they had had their bath. The more conscientious among them would insert cardboards under the bed sheet to create the illusion that their matresses were perfectly flat and that the sides were dead straight. They also had to make sure the communal ablution and latrines - they were not called lavatories in those days - were spotlessly clean. To be on the latrine detail was something every boy tried to avoid".

I was made to understand the budak boys these days don't even use kiwi to shine their shoes. The use of toyo (instant self-shine applicant for shoes) has been authorized. The bathrooms are now cleaned by subcontractors. The basic responsibility of keeping one's coy (company) line is already delegated to strangers - how do you expect these boys to "serve to lead". Forget shining the 'pili paip bomba' (fire water faucet) on each coy line. What I was told by one senior RMC instructor is that "the boys should be concentrating on academics on sports, not slaving to clean". This is coming from a former Budak Boy who went through the same system of rigor and toughness.