SCOUTMASTER, teacher, adviser, confidant and above all, a friend.
That was how former students of the King George V (KGV) School in Seremban and members of the 1st Seremban Troop described their teacher and scoutmaster, Surjit Bakan Singh during a get-together to celebrate the man they hold dear in their hearts.
It is rare to hear students referring to their teacher as a friend and even rarer still to hear of teachers who are willing to entertain phone calls from their students at all hours, but Surjit as he is still fondly called, was a buddy and a pillar of support to his students.
Despite three decades having passed, the former students, mostly from the 1978-1981 batch have not forgotten their teacher and took time off from their busy schedules just to spend the evening with him.
Reminiscing the good old days: Surjit looking through the book presented to him by his former students (from left) Mohamad Ayob, Wang Jack Jong, Zulfakar Mohamed Ali and Hery@Zahari Mohamad Ali. With them is Surjit’s wife Pritam (right). Trading jokes and catching up on the latest happenings in their lives, the sprightly 73-year-old did not seem out of place among his former charges during the dinner held in his honour.
Thinking it was just a get-together of old boys, Surjit was taken aback when the group presented him with a lovingly-compiled book of pictures, quotes and poems of their years under his guidance.
Kirkby-trained Surjit, himself a former student of KGV, began his tenure at the school in his mid-20s, not many years older than some of his senior students.
During his 27 years at the school, Surjit who taught English and Science also led the Scouts troop and helped mould many young minds into the successful adults they are today.
Among former students who made it a point to attend the dinner in his honour were CEOs, doctors, lawyers, engineers and The Star’s executive editor Datuk Wong Sai Wan.
Wong likened Surjit to a shining torch to many of his students in their formative years.
“Surjit will always occupy a huge chunk of my happy memories at KGV. He has become a friend and a good one at that.
“To many Georgians, his door was always open and he had a rare asset — he had our trust and we trusted him,” he said.
Wong’s sentiments were echoed by many other former students including lawyer Sheah Kok Fah who stayed with Surjit and his family for two years.
Sheah, 47, recalled that Surjit offered him a place in his home after his (Sheah’s) father passed away when he was a teenager.
“At the time, I was living quite a distance away from school and Surjit asked me to come and stay with him.
“I lived with them until I completed my Form Five. I was treated as part of the family and learnt a lot about Punjabi culture during my time with them,” said the former head boy and King Scout.
Affin Fund Management Bhd chief executive officer Mohamad Ayob Abu Hassan said Surjit was the reason that his brothers and him became King Scouts, an honour that was not easily earned in those days.
“All seven of us became King Scouts. I think that is something unheard of but we managed it due to Surjit’s guidance and faith in us,” he said.
Badminton Association of Malaysia honorary secretary and lawyer Ng Chin Chai, a former head boy and King Scout called Surjit a father figure. “It’s rare to maintain a relationship with a teacher beyond school but our families still go out for ais kacang every once in a while to catch up.
“Those days, there was a gap between teachers and students because we had a lot of respect for authority but Surjit bridged that gap and was our confidant and mentor,” he said.
In his speech, another former student, Syngas Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Shamsul Bahar Mohd Nor shared an anecdote about a CEO who belittled the teaching profession.
Shamsul said the CEO had questioned the teacher’s earning power by asking him what he made. In reply, the teacher told him that he made children understand that if they used the gifts they were given, worked hard and followed their hearts, they would succeed in life.
“Thank you for making me understand the true meaning of what a teacher makes and for transforming those dry theories into life and making an engineer and a gentleman out of me.
“I owe it all to you Surjit, my scoutmaster, my teacher and my friend for shaping my life,” he said to applause.
Surjit, who was accompanied by his wife Pritam Kaur, was visibly moved by the tribute and expressed his gratitude to his former students for organising the dinner.
“I’m proud of all of them and what they’ve accomplished.
“I’ve always believed in being firm but maintaining a friendly relationship with my students and never once had I encountered any problem with them,” he said.
Glancing through the book which brought back fond memories of his time with the students, Surjit said they were like his extended family.
“My students used to drop by so often and would call me at all hours, my wife used to joke that it would be easier if I just stayed in school.
“We had lots of fun together especially on camping trips. I used to take my sons along and my three children are well-acquainted with most of my students,” he said adding that he couldn’t wait to show the book to his two grandchildren who were living abroad.
While it was Surjit’s day to shine, the group of students did not forget their other teachers and also presented souvenirs of appreciation to those who were present including V. Kumaraguru, S. Kunaratnam, Francis Dielenberg, Loh Tee Boo and Sukhdev Singh.
Another favourite teacher, Ung Tat Hean was unable to attend the function.
No comments:
Post a Comment