2010.06.30: Syed Abdullah Syed Mohamed writes: I taught basic Bahasa Malaysia to 30 American Peace Corps members in Hawaii

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Malaysia: Peace Corps Malaysia : Peace Corps Malaysia: Newest Stories: 2010.06.30: Syed Abdullah Syed Mohamed writes: I taught basic Bahasa Malaysia to 30 American Peace Corps members in Hawaii

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Syed Abdullah Syed Mohamed writes: I taught basic Bahasa Malaysia to 30 American Peace Corps members in Hawaii

Syed Abdullah Syed Mohamed writes: I taught basic Bahasa Malaysia to 30 American Peace Corps members in Hawaii

In the midst of my teaching stint at MSAB In 1967, I was again bequeathed with an offer from the Education Ministry -- a job to teach basic Bahasa Malaysia to 30 American Peace Corps members in Hawaii. I swiftly accepted the opportunity for three-month work and even brought Khadijah along during my last few weeks there.

Syed Abdullah Syed Mohamed writes: I taught basic Bahasa Malaysia to 30 American Peace Corps members in Hawaii

The day I made Muhyiddin see ‘stars'

2010/06/30

Interview by Syed Abdullah Syed Mohamed

Yusof Karto, 75, a blogger and active user of Facebook, lives in Bandar Baru Uda with his wife. He has six children and 16 grandchildren.

DISCIPLINE will always at all times top my personal characters list, particularly when dealing with my pupils and students.

As the saying goes, Jika guru kencing berdiri, murid kencing berlari, which literally translates into ("If a teacher stands to urinate, a pupil will in turn scamper while urinating"), which generally means that a pupil would mimic his trainer.

Consequently, I have always stuck by my stern principles, especially during my teaching years as an educator at High School Muar (HSM) between 1960 and 1963 and Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar (MSAB) for nine years from beginning 1964.

I guess the present Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will not want to erase his painful experience as a fourth former at HSM, when I penalised him for not paying attention in class.

He (Muhyiddin) was lost in his thoughts while I was explaining a mathematical problem to the class.


I promptly summoned him to inquire if it was the stars that he was gazing at outside the classroom.

Alarmed, the innocent and panicked-looking lad failed to answer my question and reacted adversely to my question and was left watching sparkling stars in his eyes after my brawny fingers landed on his face.

Nevertheless, the future DPM appreciated the punishment and he recounted the memorable episode at three separate functions he attended later on.


One was at a HSM Old Boys gathering, another while officiating a seminar at Sekolah Tun Fatimah, where when my younger sister Murni was the principal and then at an alma mater meet last January.

While he appreciated my harsh punishment, I'm very proud and contented to learn that he finally excelled in economics at varsity level, culminating in him in becoming one of the the nation's most respected figures.

In 1964, my good records at HSM earned me a transfer to MSAB (then English College), Johor Baru's premier English-medium secondary school at the time.

However, I was left with mixed feelings as Muar was my hometown and I was both a student and then a teacher at HSM. I had even undergone a three-year normal training course there before becoming a fully qualified teacher.

Thus, by early 1964, I moved on to at MSAB in Johor Baru to become a Mathematics, English and Bahasa Melayu teacher.

I made the right move. My nine years at MSAB were spectacular and unforgettable. All three headmasters assigned me to focus to on Form Three students (candidates of the then Lower Certificate of Education, (LCE), predecessor of today's Penilaian Menengah Rendah examinations) in the three core subjects (Mathematics, English and Bahasa Malaysia).

I married Khadijah Mohd Noor in 1963. Khadijah, who was also a teacher, was then transferred to several schools in the district before becoming the headmistress of SK Bandar Tinggi, where she retired as headmistres in 1992.

In the midst of my teaching stint at MSAB In 1967, I was again bequeathed with an offer from the Education Ministry -- a job to teach basic Bahasa Malaysia to 30 American Peace Corps members in Hawaii.

I swiftly accepted the opportunity for three-month work and even brought Khadijah along during my last few weeks there.

But my other proud moment was when the late sultan requested that I personally provide Mathematics lessons to his son, the present Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, who was then a student at MSAB.

I thank the Almighty that Tengku Ibrahim Ismail, as he was called then, scored an impressive results in his Mathematics examination.

In 1974, I was briefly appointed as a mathematics lecturer at Pasir Panjang Teachers' training college in Kuala Terengganu. The following year, I returned to Johor Baru and was again assigned as a Maths teacher to Form Three students of the SMK Tasek Utara (SMKTU), a new school located near the state education department in Larkin.

My three-year spell at SMKTU ended with me becoming the headmaster at SMK Datin Onn, a new school near the "Tapak Pesta Pembangunan" in Batu Pahat in 1978.

The late Tun Hussein Onn, who was then prime minister, officially opened the building. It was definitely a proud moment for me then.

After taking charge of another secondary school in Batu Pahat, I was appointed the supervisor of secondary schools at the state education department in 1983, a post I held for less than two years before I opted out of government service.

My first post retirement programme was pursuing a two-month entrepreneur's course in Delft, Holland. The two-month course, organised by the entrepreneur development ministry was well worth attending.

I took up a module in shipping industry, one of the many courses offered there. Upon completion, I was unable to practise the knowledge I gained at the course as times were bad in the shipping industry then.

While waiting for the economy to recover, I was appointed as a personnel manager at a high-profiled garments factory here. I only got hold of the post and became a maritime consultant in 1995, a job I held on to for five years before completely I retired from active employment.

Today, apart from tending my 20 acre orchard in Kluang, I also assist a brother-in-law, a qualified homeopathic practitioner and consultant, at his clinic at Desa Rahmat, Johor Baru.




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Headlines: June, 2010; Peace Corps Malaysia; Directory of Malaysia RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Malaysia RPCVs; Language; Training; Hawaii





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Story Source: New Straits Times

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Malaysia; Language; Training

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