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MALACCA HIGH SCHOOL


www.malaccahigh.net
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE OPTIMIST OF THE MALACCA HIGH SCHOOL
The founders having attained the aim to establish the High School Literary Association on the 29th. March, 1921, attempted to publish a magazine.
Enthusiastically they set out to publish the first issue with the ambitious name of "The Educator". The typewritten articles on four sheets of foolscap paper were on the following
  1. Hainan
  2. The China of Today
  3. Lorando and his lute
  4. General Knowledge
  5. Tasmania
The date was given as 31st. May, 1921.
The "Educator" was never printed owing to the lack of funds.
However, credit must be given to the Editor for his praiseworthy efforts. In November, 1923, an attempt was made to revive the magazine but the past failure discouraged the committee from venturing into the enterprise. After the election of new office bearers on February, 24th. 1924 a resolution was passed at a meeting a few days later to the effect that a magazine should be published and that it should be owned and controlled by the Association.
The magazine sub-committee in March, 1924 comprised of the following:
  • Honourable Editor - Chee Koh Chiang
  • Honourable Censor - Mr. L. D. Whitfield
  • Honourable Secretary (Acting as Manager) - P.N. Bardhan
The names suggested were
  1. Young Malacca
  2. Teacher
  3. Educator
  4. School
Finally, the name Optimist was adopted after a long discussion. There were som criticism about the choice but it aptly described the promoters of the magazine, none of whom had any experience in publishing with a sum of $40 borrowed from the association undertaking the task of getting contributions, the production of the magazine got under way.
The first issue of the magazine - The Optimist - marked Volume 1, No. 1, price 50 cents and dated 7th. April, 1924.
It had this for the editorial, "Birth is doubly a crisis - a crisis for the offspring and a crisis for the parents."
That profound remark was engendered by the thought that in a few days this, the very first issue of our magazine, will be in the hands of the public. For weeks we have laboured and now our offspring is all but ready for your perusal.
The parent's time of crisis is almost over, the child is about to begin.
When we lay the fruits of our labour before you, judge it not too harshly. Those of you who are younger sons will readily admit that the first child is nearly always the ugliest one - so too may experience improve our handiwork.
"The difficulties attendant on the publication of a school magazine have to be experienced to be appreciated. First of all, there is the question of finance. We have wondered whence we can obtain the wherewithal to pay the printer's bill.
We only cease to wonder when we realize that, that is a question which concerns the printer much more intimately than it does us. Then there is the difficulty of extracting contributions from one's school fellows. You understand, of course, that one cannot very well edit a magazine without contributions. Contributions are funny things, they never come out of their own accord but always have to be extracted...
When the idea of a magazine was first mooted we had no assets but that spirit of cheery optimism which Malacca seems to breed in her sons.
Hence the name, "The Optimist". It accurately represents our feelings.
However, the sales was an unexpected success. Very soon the magazine were sold out and many subscribers had to be disappointed. The members become enthusiastic and contributions began to pour in. Some gentlemen entirely unconnected with school kindly gave donation and others subscribed liberally.
The second Issue, Volum 1, No. 2, price 50 cents, was published and issued in Julu, 1924. The following are excerpts from the issue:- although we realise that age is no criterion of tradition, we do not hesitate to asset that the High School, during teh ninety-eight years of its existence; has built up a great tradition of its own. But tradition cannot stand still - it must either increase in strength and clearness as it passes from generation to generation, or else it must diminish and fade until it becomes mere glimmering memory to the successors of those who once held it sacred.
One of the surest ways to preserve and stengthen the virility of our school's tradition is by means of the school magazine - a nucleus around which the trend of thought in the school it may crystallise and through it, may increase in originality, in spontaneity, in its own natural grace.
Remember, though that is is only with the help of every single boy and master of the school that we can make this magazine the symbol of our temperament and teh emblem of our genius.
1924 saw 3 Issues of The Opitmist in April, July and November - Volume 1, No. 1, 2 and 3.
One year later, Volume 11 No. 1 of April 1925 has this for its Editorial:- "A little babe in its cradle, so sweet and innocent; a year's interval and no more a babe but a little child, just beginning to understand and to talk. Such is our magazine, and we, having carefully survived teh first year's toil in editing a magazine, find ourselves confronted with a harder task - improvement and interest."
The Educator, the first and last of its kind to be issued, had no cover design as all the articles were typewritten on foolscap paper. The first eight copies of the Optimist - April 1924, to August, 1926 - had plain covers with the "Content" printed on them. From December 1926 to April 1929, the magazine had on its cover the following designs :-
  • The Old School Building and a cock crowing at sunrise.
  • From October, 1929 to September 1931, the cover underwent a change at the suggestion of Mr. E.S. Redfeam and the design was carried our by Mr. Yan Kee Leong. In 1929, the Editorial Board decided to condense the wisdom and wits of The Optimist within the covers of one annual Edition, and this was to start from 1930 Issue.
  • At this time, the cover had the picture of the main building of the school with wall (in black) below it, and on this black portion was the old Fort with the following words below it: The High School Malacca.
  • From 1932 to 1941, the picture of the old Fort with the school motto: Meliora Hic Sequamur was conspicuous on all covers of the magazine.
  • The Optimist ceased to make its appearance from 1942 to 1946. A fresh lease of life was given to it in 1947 when in that one publication were recorded all Notes and News of the School from 1945 to 1947.
  • The cover design remained the same as that of 1941 with very little changes, but this year the design was again changed, the Old Fort being given sleek modern outlines in difference to modern tendency towards streamlining.
The the 1950s and 1960s, the cover underwent some changes and the quality of the paper was improved. But basically, the cover design carried the same message, that is the 'optimist' was an annual magazine of the old Alma Mater.
In the early 1970s, the cover designers opted for simplicity and thus we had the words 'The Optimist' on the top, with the school crest on the right hand corner, the school colours stripes running horizontally near the bottom. The 1975 Issue carried a different cover, perhaps preparing for the sesquicentennial year of High School the following year.
1976 marked the beginning of a new ere for High School because she celebrated her 150th. anniversary that year. The cover with a photograph of the school was certainly impressive.
So much for the changes in cover designs of the Optimist. What most of us fail to realize is the role that the school magazine plays in our school life.
The Optimist probably started off as one that served to inspire the literary talented pupils to produce articles which will help to instil greater reading habit among students.
The first post-war Issue served to present a truthful and detailed report of the school's activities and was a representative organ of school's outlook. It is on these lines that the Optimit has evolved through the years.
In the 1947 Issue, we find the excerpts :- May it serve to be the means of preserving and strengthening the virility of the school tradition, and of bringing together the past and the present pupils and teachers and those interested in the school to a close and stronger bond of unity for the enhancement and education of the younger generation.
Tan Gim Ann
Indeed the Optimist has served all these purposes and the Editorial Board of the 57th. Issue has tried to so so too to the best of its ability.
MALACCA HIGH SCHOOL
The hills, the seas, and waving palm,
They beckon all to peace and calm
The ancient walls and hoary gate
They urge us on to grander fate.
We'll work and play with nobler aim
And keep up Malacca High School's name.
Meliora Hic Sequamur
Meliora Hic Sequamur
This is our motto ! Boys ! be true !
In every thing you have to do
Here we strive for better things.
Listen to the hope it brings
Come, Let's sing with heart and voice,
We're Malacca High School boys.
J. BARUCH - OPTIMIST 1949
Malacca High School was founded on December 7, 1826. The school emblem is a stylized version of the gateway to A Famosa, the old Portuguese fortress which surrounded a hill near the harbor. Malacca High School is the second oldest school and one of the premier schools in Malaysia. Nowadays, Malacca High School was announced as one of the cluster schools in Malaysia. It is also the birthplace of the Ossydian Bull.
Date and background of establishment
On December 7, 1826, Malacca High School (MHS) was officially established; just after Malacca was made an English colony on March 17, 1824, when the Dutch ceded Malacca to the English after the Bencoolen Treaty in 1824.
Malacca High School is the second oldest government English school in Malaysia.
The establishment of the school was initiated by Mr. Thomas H. Moor who came to Malacca in 1825 on orders by Milne who was one of the educators at the Anglo Chinese College. In his letter dated 4th. January 1825, he stated his wishes to Arundel in London to establish a school. The establishment of the school was also supported by some influential people including James Humphrey, a Superintendent in the London Society’s Mission. The startup of Malacca High School was directly related to the closing of the Dutch-Malay school which was established in January 1819 by Christian missionary during the Dutch reign. The school was closed when Malacca was handed over to the English by the Dutch.
History
Malacca High School began with the name ‘Malacca Free School’. On 1 August 1878, the name of ‘Malacca Free School’ was changed to ‘Malacca High School’ when the government took over the school from the Christian Mission. The Christian Mission had to hand over ‘Malacca Free School’ to the government because of financial and administrative problems.
Malacca High School was open to all races and religious groups and education was free to all students – the reason why it was named ‘Free’. However, Malacca High School was different from Penang Free School (1816) and Singapore Free School (1823) because these two schools only allow free selection of students but collected fees from the students. On the other hand, Malacca High School’s main objectives was to provide free education to students irrespective of their race, religious backgrounds, colour or creed.

Locations of Malacca High School

After the establishment of Malacca High School on 7 December 1826, the school was located at Personage House – The current Youth Museum of Malacca. In the history of the school, it moved twice, in 1884 and 1931. The move was caused by the increase in students population.
In 1884, the school shifted to a new building at the former High Court building as the old building was unsuitable for the growing student population. This building was built under the leadership of F.C. Shepberd since 1882 d but can only accommodate 200 students.
The idea of building Malacca High School at the Kubu field was cancelled when the late Tuan Haji Bachee bin Ahmad offered to sell a plot of land to the authorities.
In 1928, the new school premises at Jalan Chan Koon Cheng (the current location) was built, which included the cost of land. The building was equipped with a teachers’ house.
The 2-storey school was constructed by an engineer in the form of the letter E, which symbolises an English School. In 1934, additions were made to the building. The government constructing the quarters of the Boarding Master, car parks and an armoury for weapons storage and a cadet room.

Early students at MHS

MHS began its history with 18 male students and was open to all races in Malacca. It was also open to all students in the then Malaya.
In 1826, MHS admitted girls for the first time, when 65 girls were registered. However, in 1834, the admission of girls’ students had to be halted when Miss Wallaca who replaced Maria Newell left the school for Canton, China. Since that date, the school did not admit girls because of lack of teaching facilities.
Most of the students originated from Malacca Town and her surrounding areas such as Klebang, Limbongan, Bukit Rambai, Ujong Pasir, Masjid Tanah, Alor Gajah and other districts. Since 1826 until World War II, students’ intake seldom reached 500 students except in 1907 when the student population reached 505. After the war, the school expanded. Today, MHS has a student enrolment of 2000 students.

Hostels

The hostel of MHS were built in 1924 and the Principal was Mr. C.G. Coleman. It could only accommodate 60 students. In 1972, the Ministry of Education introduced the Student's Special Programme (Pelajar Rancangan Khas). Students in Malacca who achieved good results in the Standard Five Evaluation Test (Penilaian Darjah Lima) were placed in MHS. There were 80 students who were placed in this programme.
In 1975, the old hostel was demolished to make way for the building of the school's hall. The new hostel was built at the back of the school compound and named Special Programme Hostel (Asrama Rancangan Khas). The hostel's population was 118 students. Another hostel building was built in 1983. The students who enrolled in the hostel at that time numbered 300. The hostel facilities include the mosque, a restroom, a clinic, an air-conditioned library, an AV room, a cyber cafe, a dining hall and a VIP hall.
The hostel was named the MHS Boys' Hostel (Asrama Putera Sekolah Tinggi Melaka) in 1985 and was renamed Tan Sri Datuk Wira Abdul Rahman Arshad Hostel, after the former Director - General of Education, who was an MHS student from 1948 until 1956.

School field



From 1975 to 1979, a school field expansion project was undertaken by the Public Works Department (Jabatan Kerja Raya) to an area covering about 5 acres (20,000 m2). This expansion has made the field the largest school field in Malacca. It has two football/rugby fields, running track, an indoor hockey turf, a basketball court and a tennis court.

School hall

In 1974, the school hall project was approved by the Ministry of Education. It was cancelled, then the school authorities appealed for extra budget because the school needed a larger hall to accommodate the increasing amount of students.
With the initiative taken by the school's Board of Governors, teachers and the Parents - Teachers Association (PTA), the school organized a "Walkathon" in September 1977 to get donations from the public. From the donations, the PTA, the Board of Governors as well as Malacca High School Old Boys' Association (MAHSOBA), launched the Malacca High School Hall Building Fund. The school hall was built, and opened by the former Governor of Malacca, Tun Syed Zahiruddin bin Syed Hassan al - Haj on 7 March 1981. The hall has four badminton courts.
The Principals
  • 1826 - Mr. T.H. Moor
  • 1843 - Mr. John Overee
  • 1862 - Mr. T. Smith
  • 1878 - Mr. A. Armstrong
  • 1893 - Mr. J. Howell
  • 1916 - Mr. C.F.C. Ayre
  • 1921 - Mr. C. Beamish
  • 1924 - Mr. C.G. Coleman
  • 1930 - Mr. T.A.O. Sullivan
  • 1931 - Mr. L.W. Arnold
  • 1934 - Mr. L.A.S. Jermyn
  • 1941 - Mr. C.A. Scott, Mr. Lee Chin Lin
  • 1945 - Mr. Goh Tiow Chong
  • 1946 - Mr. C. Foster, Mr. C.J. Gurney
  • 1950 - Mr. G.P. Dartford
  • 1952 - Mr. F.T. Laidlaw, Mr. E.H. Bromley
  • 1956 - Mr. A. Atkinson
  • 1957 - Mr. W. Gibson
  • 1958 - Mr. K. Kandiah, Mr. Ee Tiang Hong
  • 1960 - Mr. C.T. Wade, Mr. Goh Keat Seng
  • 1965 - Mr. Tan Teik Hock
  • 1969 - Mr. Lim Leng Lee
  • 1970 - Mr. K. Anandarajan
  • 1972 - Mr. Chan Ying Tat
  • 1985 - Tn. Haji Abdul Rafie bin Haji Mahat
  • 1991 - Tn. Haji Mohammad bin Ismail
  • 1994 - Tn. Haji Hussin bin Abdul Hamid
  • 1996 - En. Mohd Zin bin Abdul Hamid
  • 1998 - Tn. Haji Othman bin Ibrahim
  • 2000 - Tn. Haji Noh bin Haji Ahmad
  • 2001 - Tn. Haji Ya'amah bin Mohd Dris
  • 2003 - En. Mohd Ali bin Saed
  • 2006 - En. Yusof bin Haji Ahmad
  • 1 November 2006 - Tn. Haji Abd. Razak bin Che Ngah
Teachers' Day Malacca High School 2012




The Students
Source Perbandanan Muzium Melaka / Malacca Museum Corporation


Arguably one of the oldest educational institution in Malaysia, Malacca High School has produced graduates who excel in many fields. Many prominent politicians, royal family members, activists, educators and so on are Malacca High School alumni. Following is a brief list of some of the notable alumni taken from the book Our Story, Malacca High School 1826-2006 published by MHS Anniversary. [1] Its alumni body is also no short of history makers like the first Malayan Chief Police Officer, the late Talif Lisut, the first Chinese commando pioneer in the Malaysian Armed Forces, Lt.-Col Chua Hong Kang, the oldest player to score hole-in-one, hotelier Datuk H.M. Shah, and recently the first from an ethnic minority to become the fourth woman High Sheriff in Britain, Lady Monjulee Webb.

Politics and Civil Service

Vice-president, MCA, 1970-76; former chief minister of Malacca)

Activism

  • Tan Sri Hasmy Agam (chairman of SUHAKAM and executive chairman of the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR), which is under the Foreign Ministry.)
  • John Koh Seng Siew (secretary of Malacca High School Geographical Society, president of the Art Club (1964) and secretary
of the Prefects Board in 1965/66, A King Scout and Troop Leader in 1964, vice-president of Friends of Heritage of Malaysia Society (1987/90 and 1993/95) and a honorary council member of Badan Warisan Malaysia Trust (1995 to 1997). He is also on the Board of Trustees Malaysian Nature Society.

Economy and Business

  • Datuk Rastam Hadi (former Deputy Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia and former managing director of Petronas)
  • Ong Sek Pek (School captain and editor of The Optimist in 1948, President of the HSOBA (1959-66) and chairman of the Board of Governors (1969-82))
  • Tan Sri Geh Ik Cheong (The editor of The Optimist 1941, trustee of the Kuok Foundation and Chairman of Development and Commercial Bank Bhd)
  • Datuk Mohd Said Ali (former Chief Executive Officer of Telekom Malaysia)

Law

  • Tan Sri Lal Chand Vohrah (ad litem judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Judge of the High Court of Malaya, Chairman of the Special Commissioners of Income Tax and Co-editor of Man's Inhumanity to Man)

Literature

Education

Medicine

  • Professor Anthony S.Y. Leong (Chairman of the Discipline of Anatomical Pathology at the University of Newcastle, Australia; Fellow of the Royal Colleges of Pathologists of Australasia and the United Kingdom, the College of American Pathologists and the American Society of Clinical Pathology.)

Sports

  • Major General (Rtd) Datuk Shaharuddin Mohd Ali
  • Robert Choe
  • Ismail Ali
  • Ong Cheng Watt (gold medal in the 1954 Malaysian AAA championships in Long Jump)

Miscellaneous

  • Julian Chee, Ben Chiew and Peter Eu (co-authors of World Polymer Banknotes — A Standard Reference)
  • Tan Sri Datuk Wira Abdul Rahman Arshad


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