Courtesy: New Straits Times


Old boys gift futsal court to MCKK

TOKEN OF GRATITUDE: Class of '72 raises RM130,000

KUALA KANGSAR: Forty years after they left school, the Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) Class of '72 got together and chipped in to do their bit for their alma mater.

The Old Boys, recognising the vital role of the institution that had been fundamental in moulding them into what they are today, raised RM130,000 to fund the construction of a futsal court on the college grounds.

The money would also be used as an honorarium, whereby RM3,000 would be given to MCKK's top student every year for the next 10 years.
This is not the first time the Old Boys are doing their bit for MCKK, however. It is a continuation of an age-old tradition.

The futsal court was handed over to MCKK headmaster Anand Baharuddin and students by the alumni at the "40 years after & Arena 72 weekend" at their alma mater here yesterday.

Some 80 Old Boys were present for the formal handing over ceremony of the futsal court, proudly named "Arena 72".
The ceremony was held in conjunction with the reunion of the Class of '72. The three-day event ends today.

Event organising committee chairman Hilmi Mohd Nashir said the futsal court was a gift from the Class of '72 Fifth Formers to the school.
"This is our way of thanking our alma mater for having groomed us into who we are today.

"This is a token of our gratitude.

"This occasion also marks the 40th anniversary of our leaving the school," he said, commemorating the event with the launching of a pictorial book of the Class of '72's schooldays.
Hilmi said the alumni felt much indebted to their alma mater, including the institution, its teachers, its administrative staff, as well as the warden, matron, the houseboys, the silat teachers and others who had played a significant role in their formative years.

"Today, while many of us have already retired, some are still leading a busy life in the public, government or private sectors.

"Whatever our positions and paths in life had been, whether as teachers, headmasters, technicians, businessmen, corporate executives, academicians, or professionals, all of us feel that our ability to contribute to the society and nation is because of the education that we received at MCKK."

Hilmi said they had long prided themselves for their close ties with the school.

"We hope this will inspire alumni of other great schools to play a more direct role in their preservation and development."
The Class of '72 was the largest batch in the history of the 107-year-old college.

During their time, they had sat for MCE (the Malaysian Certificate of Education), which is known as Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia or SPM today.
Formed by a core of 91 First Formers in 1968, the batch expanded to 250 with the Fourth Form intake three years later.

Notable figures in the Class of '72 include Hilmi himself, who was the former chief operating officer of the Iskandar Regional Development Authority, poet, writer and social critic Raja Ahmad Aminullah and editors and writers Datuk Fauzi Omar and Rehman Rashid.
Fauzi was a former Malay Mail editor and New Straits Times sports columnist, while Rehman was a former NST associate editor, leader writer and columnist.






Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com