To Sir (Madam) With Love: On Teachers Day

What do my dear father, my uncle Pak Alang, my mother-in-law, my eldest brother Yeop, my big brother Yang and his wife Kak Yang, my beloved wife, and even my ex (to name a few) have in common? Unsure if I should count academics as well, but do enlighten me. They are all teachers—remarkable ones at that. I hold deep affection for each of them (excluding the ex, rest assured, my dear wife).

On a fine summer day many years ago at Stirling University, a place renowned for its scenic beauty with lochs, glens, and the Trossachs, I encountered a PhD student from Malaysia. After exchanging stories about our backgrounds, to my astonishment, he declared, "Your father is the reason I am here. I owe him everything."

Eh, really? Hard to believe, isn’t it? His explanation soon made sense. My dear father had encouraged him to attend school and even paid for his boat fare from school to his home. This was in the swinging 60s. When I recounted this to my father, he was genuinely pleased that a village boy had found success in life. Humble as ever my dear father, I’m sure that this was not an isolated case.

Then there’s my brother Yeop. Napoleon Hill once said, "If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way." Yeop truly embodied this philosophy. In the late 80s and early 90s, he was assigned to a remote primary school in the Jelapang area, a place akin to a hidden waterfall sanctuary, complete with actual waterfalls. Despite its obscurity and small student body, Yeop transformed that school into the Kinta District Champions for girls' hockey, surpassing many reputable Ipoh schools. Not only did his students excel in sports, but they also thrived academically. I once had the honour of giving a motivational talk there during the summer break. My niece, the most adorable Malaysian hockey player, is Yeop’s daughter.

My big brother Yang always pushed me to exceed his accomplishments. He once boasted about passing his driving test after just 10 hours of lessons. Well, I did it in six. During his tenure at MCKK, he achieved what was considered impossible in the early 90s—more than two classes of his students scored A1s in Additional Math, a remarkable feat at the time.

I too was fortunate to be taught by extraordinary teachers. From the seemingly fierce but kind-hearted Mrs. Lim at SK Methodist ACS Sitiawan, to my cricket coach Mr. Velupillay, who generously gave me 50 ringgit during the U-16 MSSM and free Physics tutorials. From my sweet and lovely 5S form teacher Ms. Venny Lee, to Ms. Zuraidah, my A-Level Chemistry teacher with whom we had chemistry. And then there was Mr. Willie Ross, my eccentric Technical Drawing lecturer who always wore a Scottish kilt. Evidently, lecturers do count after all.

  

To all of them, Selamat Hari Guru.

If you wanted the sky

I would write across the sky in letters 
That would soar a thousand feet high 
To you, with love

Those awkward years have hurried by, why did they fly, fly away? 
Why is it Sir, children grow up to be people one day?

What takes the place of climbing trees,

And dirty knees, in the world outside?

What, what is there that I can buy? 

(To Sir With Love - Lulu)