99 培风中学

胡文豹 Aw Boon Par and his brother Aw Boon Haw were best known to the public as great philanthropists. Boon Par and Boon Haw had generously donated millions of dollars to hospitals and schools. Boon Haw and Boon Par were also the patrons of the Haw Par Chinese Buddhist Union. My mother, Madam Soon, had told this story to me when I was still a young boy. In her mother-tongue Chinese dialect, Hokkien, she said Boon Haw is the 'gentle tiger' and Boon Par is the 'gentle leopard'. My imagination floated with her story until I first stepped into the Haw Par Villa in Singapore in 1979. It was in the year 1979 that I realised Haw Par Villa is related to the Tiger Balm, my mum used on me.


Before Boon Haw built the Haw Par Villa in 1937 as a residence for his brother Boon Par in Singapore, the brothers had a land in Melaka, 马六甲 given to the construction 培风中学 Pay Fong Middle School. When 99 is subtracted from 2012, then 培风中学 Pay Fong Middle School is founded in 1912. 

Tomorrow 16 June 2012 and the next day 17 June 2012, 培风中学 Pay Fong Middle School will serve the annual funfair to the public. It will be their 99th Anniversary. Everyone support is appreciated. So please, please go and give your support.

Even though Boon Par had left us for 68 years and Boon Haw had left us for 58 years, it is not late to reckon them for having contributed to the development of 培风中学 Pay Fong Middle School. I am not shy to say that I only know about this fact today over lunch with a former student of 培风中学 Pay Fong Middle School. The former student furthered added that 培风中学 Pay Fong Middle School is carrying all costs of education provided to the young ones since the beginning and is still carrying all costs today with your support. The former student continued, "The school do not receive much financial aids but is providing education to many". "It is during the annual funfair that the general public can give the support". "Many foreign international higher learning institutions have recognised its certificates", the former student added. They are many talented former pupils who are now staying throughout the world. He told me that the pen-drive inventor is a Malaysian who is staying in Taiwan and this inventor has established his business in Penang recently. In between, I am happy to know with his confirmation that the S.H.E Taiwanese girl group, Ella Chen's husband, Alvin Lai, is also a former student of 培风中学 Pay Fong Middle School. S.H.E. the stage name chosen by HIM International Music stand for Selina Jen, Hebe Tien and Ella Chen. The celebrities served their wedding reception at the Hotel Equatorial Melaka on May 19, 2012.

I will continue to give my support to 培风中学 Pay Fong Middle School.

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