MyPrimary School Days - Part 1

My Primary School Days – Part I

My first primary school was called Malay School Ulu Yam Bharu, There were two Ulu Yams, the other being Ulu Yam Lama, one new and the other old. I was not disappointed that there was no proper classroom. We were “borrowing” the premises of an “Arabic” school near the Malay school. It is not really an Arabic school in the sense that lessons were taught in Arabic. It is actually a religious school. It was open in the afternoon when those who went to the morning Malay school would go to for their basic religious education. At that time there were no desks and chairs. We sat on the floor. It was not comfortable to say the least. A new school building was being built near the main Malay School building. We were looking forward to the completion the new school. In the meantime we made do with our borrowed classroom. To be sure there was no light and fan in the classroom. For toilet facility fortunately there was a river nearby.

The new school was completed some time later. It was built by the people and not by the Government. Therefore it was a very simple building basically to shelter us from the elements, even that not very satisfactorily. The floor was just the bare earth. Cement would have been costly and unaffordable. There was no wall. The roof was made of attap. So were not completely protected against the rain. However the biggest inconvenience was that in the morning we were subjected to attack by very tiny insects (we called “agas”) who were very fond of biting our bare legs. We could hardly concentrate on our lessons as we had to constantly fend against these tiny insects by slapping them every time they attacked. Fortunately someone discovered a partial solution to this problem. We were told to bring dry coconut husk to school. Before lessons started we would place these husks in the corners of the classroom and lighted them. The smoke from the burning husk would drive away the insects. In the same process the smoke also caused a problem to our eyes. We decided this was the lesser of the two evils. We remained in this makeshift building until one day it was blown down by strong wind. We went back to the Arabic school. It was at least a better building and no agas attack. It was only when I went up to standard three we moved to the main building.

In those days the pupils had to maintain and clean the school. So the first one hour after we arrived at the school some of us had to cut the grass or clean the drains. The girls would sweep the classrooms. The older boys would also be taught gardening. We planted various types of vegetables and maize.

When I was in standard three I was selected together with other pupils to sit for a qualifying examination to join Special Malay Class (SMC). Special Malay Class was a class in an English medium school. It would mean if one is successful in the qualifying examination he would Malay school and continue his education in English with the opportunity to continue his education up to the Cambridge School Certificate. Of course then the sky is the limit. One can even go to University. On the other hand if you remain in Malay school the highest level at that time was standard six. With the standard six qualification we were eligible to apply to become Malay School teachers. Other job opportunities would be policemen and soldiers. Some would get the lowest grade jobs in the civil service like office boys orderlies and the like. Therefore I was very excited when nominated to sit for the qualifying examination. I was even more excited when I learned that I was one of the successful candidates. My life would change dramatically. There would be the daily bus rides to Kuala Kubu Bharu where the Government English School was as SMC would be in that school. I could not wait for the new year to come. Imagine my disappointment when I was subsequently that I was not to go to the SMC after all. I learned later that my dear mother had other idea. She went to see the Visiting Teacher, who was like the Chief Education Officer of the Malay School system in the district, and told him there was no way she afford to send me to SMC in Kuala Kubu Bharu.

My early childhood days

My early childhood days

I was born in a small village called Sungai Itik in Gopeng on 1st March 1943. Malaya as the country was then known as was under Japanese occupation following World War II. So in my original birth certificate it was stated that I was born in the year 2003. Obviously that was according to the Japanese Calendar. My father was a Malay school teacher. He was trained in Sultan Idris Training College in Tanjong Malim Perak. It was then the highest institution of tertiary education for the Malays. It is now known as Universti Perguruan Sultan Idris (Education University Sultan Idris)

The population of Sungai Itik (for that matter the other Malay kampongs in Gopeng like Gunong Mensah) was then and still is largely of Rawanese descent. Their forefathers came from a small town in West Sumatra called Rao (pronounced Rawo). Upon my father’s untimely death when I was about one or two years old my maternal grandfather brought my mother and me back to his village in Selangor called Kampong Kalung in Hulu Yam, in the District of Hulu Selangor. My grandfather was a retiree from the Malayan Railways. So it was he who brought me up until he passed away when I was five years old. Comparatively he appeared quite well-off. He had a pension from the Malayan Railways, a big house and two plots of small rubber holdings. I would look forward to the first day of the month when he would take me to Kuala Kubu Bharu, the capital town of the District r where the District Office is located to collect his pension. I enjoyed the bus ride and the treat he would give after collecticting his pension. My grandfather must have loved me dearly. Besides taking me to Kuala Kubu Bharu every month he would also take me to town almost every morning to have breakfast and then to buy groceries. The town was about one mile from our house in the kampong. We had to walk to town and back. It was alright walking to town. However I was not strong enough to walk back partly because it was already hot. The old man took pity on me and he would carry me on his shoulder all the way home. Of course I enjoyed the ride very much. On the way we would stop and had a dip in a small river called Sungai Liam. I enjoyed the dip very much. May God bless the soul of the old man Kasim bin Abdul Samad. My grandfather and my grandmother were Minangkabau people . I am told his forefathers came from a town in Sumatra called Telu.

I must have started going to primary school when I was only five years old because I was already in Standard Seven by the time I was twelve. That was the year I applied for the National Registration Identity Identity Card as required by law. For other children this must have been done by their father or guardian. In my case I did it mainly by myself. There was a problem to be sure. I did not have my birth certificate which was required. Fortunately there was a kind petition writer near the post office who helped me write a letter to the National Registration Department in Kuala Lumpur to apply for an extract of my birth certificate which I received in due course. This was when I discovered that I was born in the year 2003. My name was spelt as Yusop bin Ahmad. I did not like the spelling. So when I went to secondary school I changed it to what I thought was a more stylish one, Yussof. Nobody minded! Nobody asked for a statutory declaration or worse still a Deed Poll. If asked I would probably done one by myself! I subsequently discovered I was not that smart after all. The correct spelling should simply be Yusuf if its Arabic spelling is properly transcribed into English or Malay language. The spelling Yusoff too to my mind is not correct. So is Eusoff. I would like to suggest if I may that the Government should enact a law to provide for names be used in birth certificates should be according to a list approved by the authorities. I understand there is such law in France and Indonesia.
Perhaps the reason why I started going to school earlier than most kids is my eldest sister’s influence. My sister Che Wah also known as Zahrah or Kak Long as I call her must be conscious of the fact that I already had some knowledge of reading by the time I was five. This was her doing. She thought me to read before I went to school. She always had a very deep interest in my wellbeing right from the time I was very young. And this continued until now. It was Kak Long who decided that I went to secondary school in stead of becoming a school teacher like her at an early age of thirteen.