This blog was drafted the day after the OP's gathering at the ol' campus at Batu 4 Port Dickson on Sunday 15th. December 2019. About 100 of us came, OP's who went to Federation Military College, PD, before the College moved to Sg. Besi in the middle of 1961 and was renamed Royal Military College. Of course that campus was recently moved again, but in the same general vicinity.
It rained the whole day, but fortunately there was a short dry spell that allowed the tree-planting ceremony to take place. Obviously the tree would outlive everyone present. But that was the idea - in memory of this historic meeting.
The wet day meant that the outdoor activities were out. The main chunk of the program was indoors, anyway, and so the party wasn't spoiled. And it was truly a party, of decades-old friendship that has endured long years of individual enterprise, and countless miles of individual journeys, that somehow has seen that college-days connection quite intact, even if memories and faces show the passage of time.
Nawawi and Co. (no offense to the Chairman of the Committee) had planned the day's program in detail (excluding the weather) and laid out the food in the dining hall, and there was supposed to be proper seating and sequence. But the various food stalls were ready, and the durian corner was too much. Hell did not break loose, but Nawawi well-meant order went out into the rain outside!
I personally met again with many old friends, including Azzat. I told him I named my first-born Azat, because I was trying to find an uncommon name starting with "A". All 4 of my children carry names starting with "A" because my "Z" was always last throughout my school days (not in the exams, fortunately).
I sat with Nor Shaari and Rizal Sardon at lunch. That was when I learned that Fuad Jaafar, my cousin-in-law, is in Hainan, China, suffering a stroke, now with his two sons attending. He was on a golf trip. Rizal knows him because they were at MCKK, and we were talking about the late Tajuddin Arif who was at MCKK and was my SMC1 and SMC2 classmate at the Methodist English School, Tg. Malim. They all did Electrical Engineering in Brighton together.
Hank and I had left Seremban at 8.05 that morning, in his car. The day before he'd asked that we leave at 9, because he had to check certain things. Minutes later he called again and said to make it 8.30. Minutes later he called yet again, asking to go at 8. That was when I responded and said if he makes one more change now to 7.30, we may as well sleep in PD ! And he came to pick me up at 8.05 and I told him "you're late!".
A few wives and children also came. I think it's a good idea that they come, if they can. We'd all share these reunions in a pleasant way. I didn't think about it, and came alone, but Hank brought his son and daughter, coming separately.
The whole thing would not have been smoothly done without the NCO College's help. Our committee had made arrangements with the College, of course, but in Col. Inderjit, the Director, was found something "beyond the call of duty". In fact the durians were his idea!
One surprise was Halim's MC's hidden talent, and I told him that at lunch. Nawawi overheard me and chipped in "sapa train?" meaning him, of course. But Hank gave Nawawi a good one at the rostrum during the speeches:
"we're appreciative of Nawawi's help throughout the preparations. He always there whenever we needed him. He was also always there when we didn't need him !"
I must have laughed the loudest. Hank is a joker. In front of Halim and Nawawi at lunch I said "Lim, I give you 9.5/10 for your M.C. hidden talent, but I have to give Hank 10/10 for that punch line about Nawawi !"
There was Ismail Nor, Arthur, Sukdarshan (nowadays he prefers "Dillon"), Gurdial, Aba Jiwa, Hashim, Nawi, Husin Senik, Jalal, Salim, Mui, Chua, Li Heng Tiong and so many others, all in 7 series now. Is this one last hurrah?, I wonder. I spoke to that heart surgeon who flew all the way from Singapore. His name escapes me now, because we were from different intakes and different companies. "Are you going to retire in Singapore?" "No, I'm coming back to Malaysia" He went on to give his views, but the activities going on separated us out.
We've had many such gatherings before, and I'm sure there'll be many more. But "FMC 1952-1961" was special.
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