As expected, the reunion dinner for SMK Saratok Alumni Association last Saturday at Hilton Kuching saw the presence of many distinguished members of the community.
Five former principals of the school who kindly responded to the invitations with their attendance added bliss to the event. In the first reunion gathering in Saratok of 2013, only one former school principal attended.
Apart from the five former school heads, there were at least ten of its former teachers whose grey crowns spoke volumes about their seniority in life and chosen fields. They comprised a bishop, a former CEO of Sesco/COO Sarawak Energy, senior engineers, a few lawyers, a few PhD holders including a professor who heads a faculty of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), former senior bankers, corporate figures, former senior civil the state’s Printing Department), former and current university lecturers, teachers, an editor of a leading daily newspaper and other members from all walks of life. Unfortunately a number of former and current assemblymen were not able to come due to other engagements.
The attendance by these distinguished individuals was a statement of the school’s vital contributions to society since 1963. I was in the sixth batch of the school’s pioneers, having reported to the school in 1968 and was no 907 on the registration list. We sat for the Sarawak Junior in 1970 and later the School Certificate (Senior Cambridge) examination in 1972. Thirteen years later, namely in 1985, I came back to school to be its principal number thirteen. During the last gathering I sat on the same table as my former principal (in 1972) Encharang Agas – he was also the principal of Rajang Teachers College (RTC) when I was a lecturer there from 1979 till 1983. Also sharing the table were three other former principals namely Joseph Nuing (who taught English to us in Form One while on attachment from UM), Stephen Engkabi who was principal number 11 and Raymond Gai Panting (one year my junior as the school’s student) who was principal number 15 or 16. Gai retired recently as director of IPG Rajang in Bintangor, the former RTC.
Among other former principals who could not make it to the event were Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong, Datuk Gramong Juna, Edward Chieng, Voon Teck Min, Lugom Mangkil, Chang Poh Soon, Dominic Sullang Majang, Joseph Junting, William Baja Jap and a few others.
For the record Encharang taught English Language to our Form Five class of 1972 and was brilliant in his approach, even to the extent of explaining the meanings of the words in Iban, the lingua franca of SMK Saratok in those days. Besides him and Joseph Nuing, my other former teachers present during last Saturday gathering in Hilton were Mohd Taufek Nahrawi who taught us BM in Form One (he later joined SEDC as senior officer if I am not mistaken), Michael Anchang (taught as PE in Form One) and his wife Cynthia Zehnder (taught us English Language in Form Two). Both of them are retired teachers. Anchang who also became principal of a junior secondary school and district education officer was also engaged as an editor of Sada Sarawak (an Iban language daily pullout of Utusan Sarawak/Mingguan Sarawak) after his retirement from education services.
Apart from a few short speeches, the gathering also witnessed the official installation of the SMK Saratok Alumni (PASMS) committee members for the 2016-2018. Led by Prof. Dr. Spencer Empading Sanggin, the committee was installed by Encharang Agas who was given the honour to do so by the gathering’s organising committee led by Jasmy Sadan Sagi, who was installed as the secretary of PASMS during the event last Saturday. Dentist Dr Ensalie Mambak the vice president of the association and his wife Ngian Sillang, a retired senior school principal who is also a committee member, were installed in absentia. They were not able to attend due to a recent bereavement. Among others who were also installed included Ir. Danice Endawie Eta, Selihin Kachon, Sylvester Rangga, Dr. Clifton Akoi, Michael Anchang, Hairanie Sapiee and Connie Adam.
Also featured were some sponsored songs that started with ‘Doa Buat Kekasih’ an original duet by Papa Rock Datuk Ramli Sarip and Datuk Khadijah Ibrahim rendered by Hairanie and yours truly. Many knew that when I mentioned in my write-up a week earlier about the mystery Elvis act, I was referring to myself. Donning my blue Phoenix EP suit, I started hitting it up with ‘Don’t Be Cruel’ and followed up with four other top Elvis hits ‘Fool Such As I’, ‘Don’t Leave Me Now’, ‘Shake Rattle N Roll’ and ‘Just Call Me Lonesome’ for my first slot. The last one was an old favourite and certainly brought much nostalgia as in 1970, when I was in Form Three in SMK Saratok, the song was the top choice of my senior Stephenson Ngumbang who was then the school’s top king of rock and roll impressionist. Unfortunately my friend Ngumbang, a retired medical personnel, is not very active anymore either in the industry or the alumni association.
In the second slot, I obliged with two songs namely ‘Jailhouse Rock’ and ‘One Night’. These were requests by my cousin Prof. Dr. Spencer Empading and his committee.
For a few of us, Saturday gathering was also a double reunion as a few of us were together at Univesiti Sains Malaysia, Penang in between 1975 and 1981. For example, I got reunited with my cousin Mulok Saban, who became the state’s second Fine Arts graduate from a Malaysian university after me. He later headed the Sarawak Printing Department and now owns his own printing company. Mulok and I also got reunited by pharmacist Haji Abdul Razak Ihi and Sulaiman Narawi.
There lucky draws held too offering interesting items. Apart from the prizes and mesmerising stage performances, handshakes, hugs and tears of joy certainly made the evening an unforgettable, amazing moment for all to savour.
