Position Vacant: Executive Secretary

The Methodist Boys' School Kuala Lumpur Alumni Association (MBSalumni) is now hiring an Executive Secretary. Read More

Au Peng Wah & Charlie Ng

Alumni Associations have always faced with the challenge of membership. The numbers decrease for various reasons. But there must be an attempt to check this. The MBS Alumni, with more than 300 members, has an action plan. The number of membership is not really encouraging in view of the fact that thousands of students had walked the corridors of MBS.

So what’s the plan? Get the boys together for a Garden Tea Party in the school. There’ll be 9 contact team members or co-ordinators. Three members from each team will represent 3 years’ students from 1997 to 2010. There’ll be 5 sessions for the Garden Tea Party. A programme will be drawn up in initiating them to the Alumni. It is expected that 300 students will be in attendance. The committee also proposed an entrance fee of RM5 for each potential member. Well, the plan looks good! It should work.

There are reasons for boosting the membership of the Alumni. Leaving their alma mater after From Five is not the end of the road. It’s the beginning for doing good for the school that has given them fond memories. In so doing, there’s a growth of alumni awareness. The Alumni is also aware of the need to develop future leaders for the Alumni. This plan can be seen as a succession plan.

A more important reason is to encourage the younger generation to participate in alumni associations. Their presence will complement the thinking of the more senior alumni members. They’ve to try to listen to the ideas of the younger ones.

Dear Members,

The Adjourned Extraordinary General Meeting will take place on 22 October 2011. You are cordially invited to join us for a light lunch at the School Canteen from 1:00 p.m. Please find attached the latest Circular from the Committee, as well as the Notice of Adjourned Extraordinary General Meeting.

Circular to Members - 7 October 2011

Notice of Adjourned EGM

Proxy Form


Thank You.

MBSalumni Secretariat

Dear Alumnus,

Postponement of our EGM to October 22, 2011

At our Association’s Extraordinary General Meeting (“EGM”) held on 25 June 2011, members provided the Management Committee a mandate to seek for more and/or improved offers for our Association Property, and a resolution was made to adjourn the EGM to a date not later than 25 September 2011.

Since that adjournment, the Committee has enlisted a real estate agent to seek for prospective buyers to purchase our Association Property.

Furthermore, at the recent Committee meeting, it was decided that in the best interests of the Association the period for the offer for sale of the Association Property be extended, and the EGM shall be reconvened on October 22, 2011. A notice of EGM together with the circular letter to our members will be issued in due course.

The Management Committee would like to invite all Alumni who are, or may know people who are interested to make an offer to purchase the property to approach our appointed real estate agent, Mr. Frankie Chan of KL Homes at 012-225 1054.

We thank you for your kind indulgence and your continued support towards MBSalumni.

In MBS Spirit,

By order of the Management Committee

 (signed)
__________________
TEO CHIANG QUAN
President



The original letter may be downloaded here

Ex-teachers’ union leader John Gurusamy dies

2011/08/08

By: Rozanna Latiff & Predeep Nambiar

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(Article reproduced from New Straits Time)

KUALA LUMPUR: Dr. John Ratnasingam Gurusamy, a former trade union leader and the man behind the 1967 National Union of Teachers strike, died at Selayang Specialist Hospital on Saturday after a long illness. He was 75.

He was a teacher, lawyer, former Gerakan vice-president and, in his later years, an activist for religious harmony and interfaith dialogue.

But he made his greatest impact 34 years ago as NUT secretary-general, when he led 10,000 teachers in the first industrial action of its kind.

Between March 28 and April 15, 1967 teachers in Peninsular Malaysia went on strike for 21/2 hours a day to demand for better rights and salaries, after two commissions set up to look into the problems of teachers failed to publish their findings.

Finally, a royal commission, formed in response to the strike and chaired by former High Court judge Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Zain, published a report in 1970 recommending comprehensive changes in salaries and teaching services in line with the teachers’ demands.

Among the changes were: salary parity for teachers doing equal work (ensuring equal pay for female teachers), salary parity for teachers with equal qualifications, granting of civil servant status and ensuring benefits such as housing, medical services and pension for all teachers.

The changes streamlined the teaching services.

Gurusamy graduated in 1958 from the Malayan Teachers’ College, Penang, before becoming an active unionist, rising to the post of NUT secretary-general in 1963.

During the same period, he was also the assistant secretary-general in Malaysian Trades Union Congress.

In 1969, he left to study law in the United Kingdom before being appointed to the English Bar in 1972.

He joined Gerakan in the mid-1970s and was later appointed as vice-president in 1980.

Dr. John Gurusamy

In his final years, he was active in church work and was a prominent figure in the humanitarian community as the coordinator of the Malaysian Interfaith Network.

National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) president Hashim Adnan said Gurusamy was “a strong and spirited leader whose fight in the union will be remembered forever”.

Gurusamy is survived by his wife, Datuk Ramani Gurusamy, who is National Council of Women’s Organisations deputy president, three children and two grandchildren.

The funeral service will be held at St. Paul’s Church, off Jalan Timur, Petaling Jaya, at noon today.

Dr. John Gurusamy

The late Dr. John Gurusamy was an active member of MBSOBA and later became the vice-president of Methodist Boys' School Old Boys Association (now MBSalumni). May he rest in peace. 

It was on the 25^th of June 2011 that the MBSKL Alumni Association (MBSalumni) held their anticipated AGM and EGM at MBSKL School Hall. Members of MBSalumni were served with a light lunch at the school canteen before proceeding to the School Hall. The registration counter at the MBSKL Hall of Fame (the entrance to the School Hall) were manned by Chan Ka Kiong, the Honorary Treasurer, Darryn Chiew, Executive Secretary, and Leong Yew Zheng, Administrative Assistant of MBSalumni. With a relatively huge turnout this year, they were kept busy sorting out documents to be handed out to members, renewal of membership dues, registration of attendees and passing out stickers to signify the members’ respective voting rights.

There were 64 alumni present, with 62 as members of MBSalumni (with voting rights) and 2 as observers (non-members). This was probably the largest turnout in recent years and showed a renewed interest in MBSalumni activities. 6 former presidents of the Association were also present, namely Yoon Fook Sang, Tham Keng Yeun, Jeffrey Yue, Leong Fook Ho, Chu Tham Sang and Yee Yue Sum. The AGM commenced at 1.20 p.m with the hall filled up by members. Four Scouts from the 10^th KL Air Scout Group was also present to assist the MBSalumni staff in the election process and other general duties.

It was also the first time that members of MBSalumni got to experience the ambience of the newly air conditioned School Hall, one of the many projects undertaken by MBSalumni. The air conditioning also enabled for the windows to remain shut, thus blocking any outside noise. A microphone was also provided for the members’ of the floor to speak up during the Q&A session with the Committee, and saw its overwhelming usage throughout the AGM and EGM. In previous years, members of the floor had to strain their voices as there was no microphone provided. Despite the ongoing heavy construction in close proximity to the School Hall, the AGM was able to flow smoothly due to the abovementioned factors.

The multimedia presentation of the Committee’s report for 2010-2011 was well received to thunderous applause by the floor. The Statement of Accounts which was faithfully audited by Mr. Yee Yue Sum of Messrs. Y.S. Yee and Co. was also unanimously accepted by the floor without any queries.

The anticipated election process was slightly changed this year, with members agreeing to elect eleven committee members and give them the mandate to determine their respective portfolios. The reason for this change was so that the committee could optimize the committee’s line-up according to each individual’s respective talents and skill areas.

Under the watchful eye of Mr. Wong Chee Kheon, Chairman of the elections, the Scouts assisted the Executive Secretary in counting the ballots and after a short break, the result was announced with almost the entire outgoing committee re-elected and the outgoing committee’s president C.Q. Teo accumulated a staggering 94 votes. 3 new committee members were elected, namely Wan Heng Yuen (former Group Scout Leader of 10^th KL Air Scouts Group), Charlie Ng and Au Peng Wah.

The newly elected committee members are (L - R) Au Peng Wah, Wan Heng Yuen, Charlie Ng, Chan Ka Kiong, Dr. Ho Shu Nam, C.Q. Teo, Yap Hoy Hoong, Jonson Chong, Lai Wing Fatt and Low Kong Ming. Ho Chee Wah is missing from the picture.

The president then announced a ten-minute break followed by the commencement of the EGM regarding the proposed disposal of the Association’s property. Members were briefed by the committee regarding the rationale and factors which led to the proposal. This was followed by a Q&A session to enable members to voice their reservations and queries regarding the proposal. After a long yet fruitful heart-to-heart discussion, the Chairman of the EGM decided to allow the members to try to find a better offer, as well as have more time to consider the proposal. Thus, he made a motion to adjourn the meeting to a date no later than 25^th September 2011 and every member of the floor raised their hands in agreement.

Members in the hall

During the EGM (adjourned later)

The students once again did the school proud. 3 Form Three students from MBSKL recently won the RHB - The Star Mighty Minds Federal Territory Challenge.

Our MBSalumni Honorary Secretary Jonson Chong was featured in The Star in conjunction with Father's Day 2011. Jonson Chong is married with two children and now devotes his time between his family, law career and MBSalumni.

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28^th May 2011 marked the spirit of solidarity of MBSalumni comprising old boys and girls, teachers and the strong support from our well-wishers. A three-hour delightful presentation of music and songs and dances mesmerised the audience packed to its capacity at the KL Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC) at Sentul.