High School Batu Pahat Reunion Dinner: Class of '59 - 10th Oct 09

High School Batu Pahat Reunion - Class of '59

This was a reunion that marked the 50th year of Batu Pahat High School's (BPHS) Class of 1959.

Although I had left this class, of highly successful gentlemen, in 1955, I was part of it from 1950 to 1955 ie. from Primary 1 to Form 1. The effort of organising this auspicious occassion was headed by Dato Mustaffa Mohammad, a dedicated old boy.

Prelude to the reunion dinner the night before.

Dinner at a seafood resturant in a remote village by the coast in Minyak Buku.

With my faithful friend Palani and his wife Violet.

After breakfast, we were present to meet those checking into the Katerina Hotel- the only hotel of 'repute' in this town.

Below from left: Khoo Huan Hui, me, Meriam, Violet, and Ong Ah Tian.

Huan Hui was a class bully - pinching was his usual indulgence.

Hotel lobby.

Below from left: Palani, Ong Hung Choon, Dr Ow Yang Chee Wah, Koh Kim Hoe, Dato Kumareandran, Dato George Joseph, and Jeayarajasingam.

Guys are engrossed in old HS photos which  Kumar brought with him.

Hung Kee and Ow Yang

Hotel Lobby area which also served as a place for registration.

Kek Kee Tong, Chan Chong Meng, Lim Kim Soon, Lim Kit Siang, Pei Teck Soon (back to camera) seen below during the registration at 6pm. The ladies were handling the registration.

Lim Jin Siew, Low Ah Pee and Chua Beng Heng

Below: Teo Kang Siang (Mr Encyclopedia Britannica) himself with Beng Heng.

Dinner at last! A general view of the gathering of old boys and TIGS old girls.

My mother also taught at TIGS and some of the girls present were her students.

From left: Dato Kumarendran, Jeyarajasingam and wife Pathmavathy, Viloet, Meriam, me, and George Joseph.

Hardworking organising committee.

From left: Chan Sau Peng ,Chua Meow Kiang, Tan Tik Seng, Pek Teck Soon, Alice, Pathmanathan, Mohamed Mahmood, Lim Kim Soon

Another view of our table. This time with from left: Mr Channan Singh (our teacher), P.D Mary,  Eileen Kumarendran present. Palani is as usual missing.

Table with Father Huan Kin Kuang , Hung Kee, Jin Siew, Liam Chung Hay, ?

See how all of us have aged, albeit gracefully.

From left: Kit Siang, Pathmanathan, George (teacher), Ravindran and me.

Then: What we looked like in 1952.

I am second row, 3rd from right with my brother Hilary Edwin, extreme right.

Shortest of us all then, Palani, 2nd row 5th from left

Now:

From left: Lim Jin Siew, Hung Choon, Soo Wah, Pathma, Kit Siang, Yen Chong, ?, Beng Heng, Teck Soon.

Table with Abrizah (Fawzi's sister), Dato Fawziah (old girl of TIGS), Ahmad Wong Choon Leong (who was also my classmate when in Johore English), and Dato Abdullah Abas, husband of one of the TIGS old girls.

Group with Hung Choon's hearththrob in those days.

From left: Tang Guan Bee, Me, Yen Chong, Juliet Lai, Hung Choon, and Patrick Vanderslot.

Lots of attention for Kit Siang?!
Below from left-
Front row: Kee Tong, Lim Jin Siew, Soh Hah, Kit Siang, ?.
Back row: Hung Kee, Low Kai Seng, Patmanathan, Allan Goh, Lim Huang Hwee.

Below: Tan Sri Syed, Ang Hock Meng (teacher) and Jin Siew.

The day after- Auld Lang Syne

Those in the group below: Yen Chong with son and wife Wai Fong, Allan with wife Teck Ying, Huan Hui, Chong Meng and wife Sau Moy.

Soo Hah very busy talking about Pathology?

Theme for the reunion: 

Always in my heart

To quote in part, from a poem by: Allan Goh Chay Foo.

"Forget not lest we never meet again.

Learning in "thunder, lightning or in rain,

In the safe haven of BP High School,

Where we learnt our educational tool.

To the comrades of the Fifty-niner,

May all your lives be forever finer,

Be you there or not for the Reunion,

Classmates forever in our comminion."

Gathering of 65+ year olds - ex HSBP & JEC old boys

Dato Mustapha organised an informal get together for High School Batu Pahat old boys at the KGNS. It was a happy occasion for all of us with some of us not being able to recognise the other.

Making my way round the dinner table to chat with Yen Chong, Fawziah, Patrick & wife.

The Johore English College Form VI Science classmates (1960) . A romance which kindled in 1960 still stands strong between Leong (extreme L) and Dato Fawziah - 49 years! Well done both of you.

Actually Wong Leong you look the youngest amongst the 4 of us. No grey hairs? It must be your clean life style.

Dato Mustapha (HSBP) crooning away. A good singer who was also Host for this gathering. Many thanks Dato for your generosity. From Left - Palani, Dato, Violet, Meriam & Patrick Vanderslot.

It was supposed to be a gathering of ex- High School Batu Pahat class of 1959; but it ended having a blend of Johore English College as well. Most of the HSBP old boys also attended Form 6 in JEC.

JEC Form SIX Science classmates - Yen Chong, Kai Seng, Wong Leong & Fawziah.

Ravindren extreme left & Patrick vanderslot, were my classmates for many years in HSBP.

Palani & Violet with Patrick & wife on the floor. Ballroom dancing eh? Wait till it comes to the fast numbers.

The Group below from L :-

Meriam, Wong Leong (JEC), Kai Seng (JEC), Dato Fawziah (JEC),Yen Chong (HSBP & JEC), Dato Mustapha, Allan Goh, Patrick Vanderslot, Dato Neo Tong Lee (HS Muar & JEC),Roland & Palani.