Here is my first school.
Sekolah Kebangsaan Pendek, Jalan Salor, Kota Bharu.
This is a new look which I took few years back.
In my old days, there was only one single-storey building
with small wooden hut at the backyard.
Now there is new building with a bigger 4-storey block expansion.
Still bordering with rubber estate on the left, right and the back.
Further away from the back of school, there is still a small canal
which used for irrigation purpose. But the water is not too deep
now due to poor maintenance.
In the 70's, we normally spent our time after school by
swimming, skiing and mud-sliding with our hardcore friends
and seniors in this canal. Playing "guli" and "congkak" at the
school backyard. Playing football with the ball made up from
dried rubber molded from the rubber tap. It was much fun
compared with today's gadgets. Kids now spent most of
their lifetime with computer and PS2.
Our village is about a kilometer away from school
and we walked barefooted across the swamp land, rubber estate
and passed through the canal before we reach school. During
rainy season, all our clothes got dirty and wet due to
high tide.Once reached the school, we put on our shoes,
cleaned ourselves and tidy up before joined the class.
Initially I was not enrolled to any school because my mum
was passed away by that time and we had no money.
Even my brothers had to stop schooling half way.
My late father was just a farmer and could not afford to
support all of us. I was adopted few times by other
close relatives. Once by old great uncle then by my late
grandma and lastly by my uncle from my mother side.
Life that time was hard and just enough to support
a very basic daily meals but full of fun.
I was considered lucky as one day, when I was playing
around the school's corridor (as my friend with the same age
were all in the classroom and I got no friend to play with),
one of the teacher called me.
He brought me to the Headmaster and we had a very
long conversation.
Few days later he allowed me in to Standard One
with all the books and stationery provided.
It was already in 2nd term and my first record book
taken from other pupil which left school earlier. Till today
I still remember that teacher's name, Cikgu Jaafar.
I owe him a lot and because of him, I am able to be somebody today.
Thank God.
In the old days, you can make money by helping
others like planting or watering vegetables, tobacco
and harvest in paddy fields even if you are kids.
Planting paddy was not that tough, only that you need
to stand the hot sun and muddy water. There were also
a lots of leeches and water snakes around.
If you are skill enough and hard-work, you can get
RM 1 to 1.20 a day. Your school expenses was only
10 cent per day. You can use the balance for your
books and stationaries.The rest can go to your savings.
But it's depend on the seasons as well.
My secondary school was Sek Men Keb Kota,
Kota Bharu. It was 6 km away toward town.
I used old bicycle to school everyday for 3 years.
Later, I managed to get a good grade in final exam and
was offered to join a boarding school in town.
The rest is a history and life is still going on for GOOD.
Happy Living to all of you too.
