MALACCA HIGH .. my alma mater

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"Here We Strive For Better Things" is the meaning of "Meliora Hic Sequamur", motto of Malacca High School, the oldest school in our country. Established 7th December 1826, Malacca High School, began its day as the Malacca Free School, an establishment born of Englishman T.H. Moore's idea for an educational institution for the state. And in the 180 years since its establishment, tens of thousands of boys and girls have been educated here and many lived up to the motto and achieved much in helping Malaysia become success it is.

On the 5th January 2001, I started my first day as a student of the oldest school in this Historical City. As I walked through the grand arch entrance to Malacca High School, I doubted myself whether I will ever adapt to the surrounding of this school and if I could ever achieve and exceed the standard of success that have been set by the previous students. At the same time, I felt proud as I was given a chance to study at this prestigious school that has produced many outstanding political leaders, civil servants, and national sportsmen.

One of the many reasons, why I enjoy myself at Malacca High School is the facilities provided by the school. In the 78 years since 1928, the administrators expanded the school area (acquiring an adjacent of two hectares largely used as the school field) and built more blocks to accommodate more classrooms, hostel, 'surau' and school hall. The multi-purpose school hall is used for assemblies, indoor sports, and various other functions. The school hall has a stage, dressing rooms, store rooms, conference room, foyer and four badminton courts. And on the first floor is the 'Galeri Warisan', which is a mini-museum with Malacca High School memorabilia such as instruction books, school uniforms, trophies, and portrait galleries of the school's principals as well as outstanding alumni. Besides, the dedication and invaluable guidance of the Malacca High School teachers helps me to build strong foundation, derived strength and inspiration from my alma mater. The task of moulding the students of Malacca High School into outstanding members of the community was shouldered by a raft of highly-dedicated teachers and principals who have become legends in the field of education. Thus, the students not only instilled with values that allowed them to excel in life but also taught them the value of hard work, the need to lead a life of diligence and the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. The teachers also followed  that up by engendering in them a strong sense of social justice, honesty, integrity and loyalty.

Since 7th December 1826, the school has gone through many permutations, shifting from premise to premise, ultimately ending up at its present location at Jalan Chan Koon Cheng in 1931. The main building shaped like the letter 'E' which stands for (British) Empire and English, was erected on the new site and stands proudly today as a touchstone of academic excellence, as well as a historical monument. The heritage of Malacca High School is an indelible one, its development over the years intertwined, as it was with the evolution of the country. Malacca High School's legacy would live on in thousands of outstanding members of the citizenry it has helped to mould over the years. Therefore, I'm truly thankful that I was given a chance to be here and proud to say that I'm a Malacca High student. "Malacca High ... my Alma Mater."

Alvin WYK L6A2