In January 1946 after
the war schools were open after been closed during the war 1941 - 1945. During
the Japanese occupation Japanese was the medium language at the school thus all
my senior was taught in the Japanese language. On that fine morning in January
1946 I still could remember vividly my father held my little hand to the school
and registered me at Sekolah Melayu Teruntun at Jalan Gambut in Kuantan. Malay
kids could not be register directly at the English school. They had to be in Malay school
for two years first. Only then they are allow to study at the English school.
At the English school all the Malay had to attend to the special class before
been integrate with the non Malay in the English school. We spend two years in
Special Malay class 1 and 2. After that we join the non Malay in Standard 4. It
was difficult for us Malay kids because we only start learning the English
language for two years whereas the non Malay in Standard 4 class already study
in English for 4 years. Anyway, with difficulties I managed to catch up since
we are only allow to speak English in school. From there onward I managed to
get into Standard 9 (later change to Form V) where we sat for the Cambridge
School Examination. In those days the Form V result was published in the
Straits Times. Very grand indeed. Had it not been for the vision of my late
father, despite an illiterate parent who got me to study in the English school, I do not believe I would be what I am today.
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