Speechdays (1976-79)

I just got back from my alma-mater for a similar function yesterday. Seeing the kids going up the stage to receive their prizes reminded me of my time over 30 years ago!!

When I was in form 1 (1975), I don't think there was one. But I could be wrong, since even if thee was, I would not be invited anyway - they prizes were given for achievement made a year earlier.

Way back in the 1970s, prizes were given for best in subjects as well as the positions in each form. Nowadays, the function is only to honour students who got 8As in PMR and those who did well in SPM - no longer with focus such as "Best in Subjects". I don't blame the school. For intance, last year (2006), ALL the SPM candidates got 1A each for Bahasa Malaysia!! That's a perfect score for all the BM teachers!

Let's look at some of my old pix:

1976
The VIP was En Omar Hashim, the then Director of the Examination Unit (Lembaga Peperiksaan Malaysia), Ministry of Education. I was told that he was a good friend of our principal, Mr Mahadzir Hashim.

I have written a bit about this speechday earlier. Click here to read it.

I was lucky to be among those who received some prizes on that day:

Note, Mazlin was behind me :-)
Oops! 1 hand only, Sabariah? Or the left hand was a bit late...

Now I am pretty sure it was our First Speechday, because we also had some exhibition put up for our guests that day. I was also instructed by my Homescience teacher to embroider a picture that she had chosen (my goodness, I have forgotten her name! Was it Cikgu Khatijah? or Cikgu Zainon?). Later, I was told that the framed pixture would be the gift from the students, and I was given the honour to present it myself!! Here's the pix:

I had to be in the Homescience Sewing Room for 2 full weeks to get the picture of a sitting up cat with flowers ready. I remember having to unpick some of the stitches when they were not up to the standard!

The above very clear pix were taken by Johny Wong of Wong Photographer. At RM1.50 per piece, it was very very expensive, but now, the pix are priceless. Just look at the quality! The other pix were not taken by him :-(

1977
This was the year when the school started a policy that only the Menteri Besar will be the VIP. For 1977, it was Dato Muhamad Nasir, who came.

Note that it was Mazlin again behind me! :-)
He was much taller then, as compared to the year before.

1978
The Menteri Besar was then Dato Muhammad bin Yaacob:

1979
Again, Dato Muhammad bin Yaacob.



Well.. that was it then :-)