A Reunion Night To Remember – Teacher Meets Students After 60 Years
By James Gough
It was an honourable evening when teacher and students were reunited for the ‘Special Reunion Dinner’. The dinner was held at the YLCO (Yeoh-Lim-Chew-Oh) family museum in 1 Lasam.
The guest of honour was Mrs Yeoh Kian Teik nee Mdm Chow Yoong Yue, 96. Her students were the ‘old boys’ of Std 6B back in 1964’ at SK Pasir Puteh 60 years ago.
Among the ‘old boys’ was popular cartoonist Dato Mohd Khalid aka Lat who surprised Yeoh with a drawing of her in a cheongsam, her regular attire. She wore a happy smile while displaying it with Lat as it portrayed a young teacher stylishly dressed in a cheongsam in the class of Std 6B with her students. She looked stunning.
In her speech she mentioned that it had been 60 years since she saw her students. It would be good if they identified themselves when meeting her.
Yeoh started teaching at Sekolah Pasir Puteh in a special Malay class but the following year was transferred to be the class teacher of Std 6B. Lat was in that class.
They were little boys, naughty and loved to play football but they were good and helpful. However Lat was talented at drawing cartoons that the principal then Mr Bhagwan Singh asked him to contribute his talent to the school magazine. Overall she had a grand time at the school. Yeoh thanked the organiser, Professor Gary Lit , who wrote to Yeoh earlier for the opportunity to meet the students again.
Prof Ronald Yeoh, her son said after her speech that ‘she is hard of hearing but she gave a very clear speech’. Additionally, it must be noted that Yeoh at 96 did not have a prepared speech and said everything from memory thereby impressing all who were present.
Lat in his replying speech said the ‘all the old boys here’ are very lucky and honoured after all this time to meet Mrs Yeoh. All of us were kampong and Waller Court (community flats) boys. We were not above average however she was always very patient with us. Neither were we ready for secondary school so she advised us, in the first few days of school to talk normal English instead of using pidgin English eg ‘mines one (this is mine) or you surely die (you’re in trouble). She was a very gentle teacher. We are thankful that Mrs Yeoh made us into somebody.
The guests also included the board and alumni from Ave Maria Convent where Yeoh retired as the first non-nun principal, St Michaels Institution and the YLCO family, some who came from overseas and friends.
After the formalities was over there was the sing-along session with Ronald Yeoh on the piano, karaoke, St Michaels principal Phoon played the harmonica to the tune of Rasa Sayang Eh and countless photo sessions with the YLCO clan and an equal number with Malaysia’s premier cartoonist Lat.
It was truly a night to remember.
