Teacher's Day

The above is the picture of Tokoh Guru 2004 taken from the Star.

In Malaysia,we celebrate Hari Guru (Teacher's Day) on the 16th of May every year. As a student more than a teacher, I am always grateful to all the teachers who have taught me and also those non-teachers whom I have learnt from. But first thing first,let me thank both my father and mother who were my first teachers and have been continously teaching me until to-day. May Allah swt reward you with al-Jannah.

To all teachers out there,let me wish you Selamat Hari Guru(Happy Teacher's Day).It is a noble profession since the dawn of human civilisation and without you,there is no continuity of human knowledge as we have to-day.Thank you!

Before my memory fades away,let me put on record those teachers whom I have fond memory.One is Cikgu Ismail who taught me when I was in Standard One primary school. I still remember you teaching me Jawi.You also caned me for not being able to spell "jagung" in Jawi.When I was sick with measles,you personally came to visit me in my house.Now, Cikgu Ismail is in his 80's and not in good health.May I wish you better health and may Allah bless you.

Next mention is my Standard Six teacher. He is Cikgu Zakaria Omar.When he taught me, he was in his early twenties but his dedication was the talk of my kampung(village). He was very proud when I was selected to go to a boarding school in 1965. During that time,only ten students from Kelantan were selected to go to SDAR(The other full boarding schools for boys then were MCKK and STAR).When I visited him later after I graduated from Sheffield University,England as an engineer, he told everyone that I was his pupil.He was very proud of it. This feeling, I think,only teachers will understand-the feelings of achievement of your students' success. Thank you,Sir.Selamat Bersara!Insyaallah, I will visit you again when I am back in Kelantan.

Next is my maths teacher.I have not met him since 1969.His name is Mr Teoh Ah Bah. He was the only teacher at SDAR who spanked me twice on my bottoms for my failure to do my math homework.Since that day, I keep doing my maths.I will be asking again where to locate you so that I could say;"Thank you,Sir.I may NOT be an engineer if you had NOT spanked me when I was in my form 2."

One colourful character was my headmaster.He was Cikgu Amat Miun and he passed away a few years ago. He graduated from Rafles College in Singapore in early 50's.Every time I saw him from a distance, I will always avoid meeting him.He was very strict,a nationalist and a dedicated teacher. Thank you,Sir.

When I crossed my 40, I looked for religous teachers to upgrade my knowledge in Islam.Now, I am still learning from them.Below is a short list:

1. Prof. Syed Naguib al-Attas
2. Prof. Dr Hashim Minhat
3. Dr Musa Fatullah Harun
4. Ustaz Lukman Awang
5. Ustaz kamaruddin

and a few others.

My late father was a teacher and after I worked for a few years in JKR he told me to resign and become a teacher.I am sorry Dad that I did not take your advice then because I wanted to be a professional engineer.Now, after I worked almost a decade in JKR and had a few years in corporate business and as an entrepreneur, I am now a teacher-teaching project management to construction personnels.Your wish comes true after almost 25 years later.

In fact, when it comes to IT and technology, I also learn from younger men.If you are reading this,I just want to say Thank You for teaching an older man to use email ,create a homepage etc.In reality, we are all students and teachers at the same time ,all the time...

I think this posting is getting too long.So I will end here by saying that I am personally grateful to all of you who have taught me.Thank you.

Comments

[MR2guy]

My thanks to you in reminding me of some of the teachers in my life and without them, who would I be now:-
a) Mr Ung Khek Chow - My Math tution teacher in Ipoh. He use to give class in his Car porch. Whenever you come across Lat's caricature of a Math's teacher holding a cane, that would be Mr Ung. Man, he really makes us learn our formulae, we were so good, that we use to give the foreigner's tution in 1st part of A-Levels.
b) Master Quah and Master Kala, who teaches me Tae Kwan Do in Ipoh YMCA in 1977-1979. You should see the techniques of both these guys. They put the science in Tae Kwan Do - it is all about speed.
c) Ir Ho Khye Gim, who tutored me in the craft of being a structural Engineer especially how to do checkings on engineering drawings within 5 minutes. I remember submitting a drawing for a bridge and before I had the opputunity of sitting down in my cubicle, he had already called me back to tell me that the bridge will fail thru buckling.

[Adib]

You are welcome MR2Guy!
Many of us thought that our success is all due to our efforts.In fact, there are so many others who had contributed along our journey of success.In all humility, we must give due thanks to all of them and also be grateful to Allah swt for His mercy showered upon us.

[atok]

Both my parents taught before they retired a few years ago; though my dad's last post was at the state education dept.

Teachers...so many of them that gave their greatness to me. One particular man, the happy go lucky Cikgu Abd Malik Musadali who taught us Geography, did his job brilliantly yet so simple. Though he rarely attended our geography classes, he gave us the secret of understanding the core of the subject; to the extend that we could easily answer any question (for SPM) on any topic of any country that even only just created a second before we entered the exam hall > absolutely brilliant stuff! most of us at the school got A1 for geography. It's all about the foundation, basic ... which is a big time lacking in our edu (cuma nak quick result je, which is sitting on a crumbling base, or worst, no base at all).

abe dib,
my dad also keep asking me to become a lecturer (and return back home < this is his main point actuallynya, hehe). one fine day, insyaallah. and talking about Jawi, well... that was the most embarassing and terrifying subject in my early years at primary, just couldn't do it (even now, still). same as math, selalu kena rotan dgn pembaris kayu besar warna yellow (do they still use this item at school back home? probably not); just couldn't and still can't understand numbers :)
Selamat Hari Guru, including those who 'lanyak' me at schools.

[Honeytar]

The teacher I will remember forever and ever is Mr Lee Tong Hai, my Form3 Math teacher. He not only teach us good Math (we always get good results), but also teach us to discipline ourselves.

I still remember him saying:"kamu mesti buat daily timetable. Saya bangun pagi, 5.45am mesti mata saya buka secara automatik. Awak orang Islam mesti lagi senang sebab kena bangun semayang Subuh". He was very cultured. I thanked him for the student I was back then.

[SDARboy]

Good job bro - keep it up!

[Adib]

Thanks SDARboy for stopping by to read my blog.
Please give me the pleasure to know you.Just send me an email.(mohdadib@gmail.com)