Tuesday, April 29, 2008

南洋商报商余版

南洋商報副刊《商餘》於4月29日(星期二)刊登徐其禮校長為新加坡電訊業先驅的報導。

南洋商報《商餘》版4月22日(星期二)刊登徐其禮校長憶中化中學往事的報導。

Monday, April 28, 2008

新加坡电信业業先驱

徐其礼校长

1962年,徐其禮(右)與其他馬來西亞和新加坡工程師在紐西蘭受訓。

1960年,徐其禮(後排右一)進電話局工作不久,與同事們合照。


2008年,82歲的徐其禮校長在中化第六屆畢業同學團聚餐會上致詞。



麻坡中化中學前校長徐其禮是新加坡電訊業的先驅。三月底於馬六甲與
徐校長重逢之前,我完全不知情。這位英才,是毀家興學的陳嘉庚創辦
的廈門大學裁培出來的子弟。

在馬六甲A'Famosa度假村,我有機會與82歲的徐其禮校長一起進餐敘
舊。聽他講述他人生走過的道路,才知道他一生的主要工作是在電訊業
,不是在教育事業。

原來徐其禮校長在新加坡立國初期,參與新加坡電訊業的建設。他憶述
當年他與其他工程師如何克服困難,為今天新加坡發達的電訊業打根基


徐其禮校長是陳嘉庚創辦的廈門大學培養出來的電機工程師。他於1948
年畢業於廈門大學。目前他是新加坡廈門大學校友會的名譽會長。

受訓駁接海底電纜

徐其禮校長回憶道,1959年年底,他離開麻坡中化中學。當時他受吉隆
坡中華中學聘請為下午班校長。

他到吉隆坡吉隆坡中華中學上任前,又申請新加坡電話公司的職位,結
果被錄取了。由於他已在吉隆坡中華中學任下午班校長,便要求展延至
1960年7月才到新加坡電話公司上班。

當年由陸運濤經營的新加坡電話公司決定聘請他為助理工程師。於是,
他離開吉隆坡中華中學,離開了教育界,投身電訊業,一做就是幾十年
,直到1987年退休。

新加坡電話公司聘請徐其禮等五位本地人當公司的助理工程師。他們的
上司是英國籍的工程師。早期,新加坡電話公司都是聘請英國人工程師


徐校長說,那個時候,新加坡電話公司負責為新加坡鋪設海底電纜,為
新加坡建設國際通訊聯系。但是,當時新加坡的國際電話收費是直接交
給新加坡自治政府的國庫,不是交給新加坡電話公司,因此公司的資金
不是很充裕。

進入電話公司後,他從頭開始,什麼工作都做。從最低層的工作做起,
慢慢地升級,最後才出任部門主管。

那時他很幸運。當時新加坡的杜進才博士要推行馬來西亞化,希望培養
一批本地工程師,逐步取代英國人工程師。這為徐其禮提供難得的機會


1962年徐其禮校長被派到紐西蘭接受通訊工程訓練,學習海底電纜的銜
接技術。

1964年,他又被派到英國受訓一年,學習當時英國的先進通訊科技。他
把所學的西方先進科技帶回新加坡。徐其禮說,鋪設海底和地下電纜都
需要打入空氣,氣壓必須準確,以保護電纜和通訊效能。

初期,新加坡的電訊電話服務還不十分健全,面對不少困難。申請電話
不能很快就獲得安裝。,等待兩、三年才有機會獲得安裝電話也不出奇
。新加坡電話公司經過四次改組和合併,才健全地發展,最後成為今天
的新加坡電信公司(SingTel)。

徐其禮說,1974年,在聯合國國專家的建議下,新加坡電話局與新加坡
電訊局合併,改稱為新加坡電信局(Telecommunication Authority of
Singapore),簡稱為Telecoms。

1982年10月,新加坡電信局兼併郵政局,但名稱照舊。

他說,他於1987年退休,離開新加坡電信局。過後不久,新加坡電信局
私營化,改名新加坡電信有限公司(Singapore Telecommunications
Ltd),簡稱 Singtel 。


培養出一位大學校長

徐其禮校長專心一意在電訊業工作,直到62歲才退休。他育有兩男一女
,徐冠林、徐亞林 和徐季林。大兒子徐冠林博士先在新加坡國防部工作
,目前是南洋理工大學校長。

徐冠林校長十分敬佩和感激父親的教導之恩。2003年徐冠林以南大校長
的身份在父親的母校廈門大學演說。他在演詞中說:「我必須感謝家父
徐其禮先生。他與亡母林儀貞女士給予我們三兄弟妹的培育、教養,是
我們一生取之不盡,用之不絕的寶藏。我生平最遺憾的一件事,是家母
沒有看到我當上南大校長。」

徐冠林又說:「家父對我在南大掌校,是非常高興的。他可能不知道,
他的生平資歷與背景,對我銜接新舊南大的工作,起著關鍵性作用。他
等于是我對華社,對關心前南大的人的介紹人,讓我與關心華文教育的
人士,沒有見面之前已做好心理準備。」

身為前華文中學校長,培養出一位出任大學校長的兒子,感到高興,感
到自豪,這是理所當然。徐其禮校長參加了南洋理工大學前些時候舉辦
的〞傳承之路〞活動,認為這是一項很有意義的活動,讓很多南大校友
從世界各地回母校參觀。然而徐校長覺得,客觀條件尚未成熟,未能完
全達到預期的目標。

當年陳嘉庚在新馬經商,有遠見地,不惜代價地辦教育事業,不只有益
於中國社會發展,也有益於東南亞地區的發展與進步。徐其禮校長的人
生經歷反映出,廈門大學培養出來的人才,對推動新馬社會的發展與進
步,貢獻不小。

Monday, April 21, 2008

徐其禮憶中化中學往事

分離半世紀 師生喜相逢

1959年時的母校中化中學

在2008年老同學大團聚晚會上,徐其禮校長(右二)接受林金檳博士敬茶。左起是林倉貳博士、林鴻圖校長和陳蕾士老師。

1959年高中一年級第三班奪得獻金築路競賽全校冠軍後與徐其禮校長(前右六)和楊青峰班主任(前右七)合照。



相隔半世紀,往事如煙。沒料到有機會與82歲的中化前校長徐其禮相逢敘舊。

目前定居新加坡的徐校長,特地老遠從新加坡前來馬六甲阿羅牙
也A'Famosa度假村,參加麻坡中化中學第六屆高中畢業同學離母
校47年大團聚,會見半個世紀前的學生。

徐其禮校長看來身體健康,思維敏銳,對中化中學的往事,記憶得很清楚。

嚴元章推薦他掌校

徐其禮校長(左)告訴我,他出生於麻坡的武吉巴西小鎮。我才知道他是麻坡人。原來當年繼陳人浩校長和王秀南校長之後,麻坡中化中學是由一位麻坡人掌校。

徐其禮校長早年到中國福建省的福州中學唸書,然後進入僑領陳嘉庚創辦的廈門大學,攻讀電氣工程。他的太太林儀貞,是廈門大學物理系畢業生,也是中化中學的前老師。

為何他會回到麻坡當校長?徐其禮說,他和太太林儀貞是在1953年11月由陳人浩校長請來中化當數理教師,1957年他們到新加坡華僑中學任教。1957年底,據說在嚴元章校長推薦下,董事長龔鑄山和林振水來新加坡找他到麻坡當中化中學校長。

徐其禮說,起初,他不敢接受這個重任。但是,馬六甲育民中學的鄭泰
陽校長知道這件事,特地打電話給他,鼓勵他回麻坡當校長,並答應會
從育民中學帶一批好教師投奔中化中學,共同辦好這間華文中學。

徐校長說,有了鄭泰陽的鼓勵和支持,他大膽接受邀請,回麻坡任中化
中學校長。

先輩熱心辦華教

徐校長回憶道,我們這批同學很幸運,當年由於麻坡華人先輩們熱心華
教,我們才有機會在中化中學完成六年華文中學教育。

徐校長說,他任校長的那段時期,華文中學面對缺乏師資的困境。那時
還沒有南大和台灣大學提供所需的師資。為克服這個困難,他想方設法
,四處拉攏有資格的老師到中化授課。為此,他想出一個辦法,特別安
排教師授課的時間表,請到住在新加坡的老師,讓他們能每周有一段時
間來中化教書,另一段時間又回新加坡工作,兩頭奔跑。

他說,那時候,通過這個方法,才請到了像丁祝三、陳素平等這些老師
到中化中學執教。

在1958年和1959年掌校期間,徐其禮校長兩度發動學生展開愛校獻捐
比賽,改善學校的環境。他展開課室安置百葉窗獻金競賽,讓上課時學
生免受陽光直接照晒之苦。接著,他又發動學生展開獻金築路競賽,讓
中化校園內的紅泥路改建為柏油路。

在獻金築路競賽運動中,王振南同學、劉春源同學和我就讀的高中一年
級第三班奪得全校冠軍。楊青峰老師是我們的班主任。當時的劉春源同
學善於應用策略,發動同學們將捐款集中一人,讓我班的王振南同學榮
獲全校個人獻捐冠軍。

這一班出了兩位博士和兩位在商界有突出成就的同學。他們是蔡鴻禧博
士和林金檳博士,以及龍合集團董事長拿督劉春源和全國樹膠公會前主
席王景華。

他說,當年政府原本對每一名華文中學學生每月給予三元的津貼。1962
年,政府取消給華校中學生的津貼後,中化中學的處境艱難。要不是麻
坡華團與華族先輩的慷慨捐助,長期堅持,中化中學才能繼續發 展。到
林鴻圖掌校時期,中化獨中的學生人數高達1,800餘人。

跟隨時代步伐

徐其禮校長已是82歲高齡的老人,然而他不斷地跟隨時代的步伐,學會
使用電腦。他能親自發電子郵件,我們與他通訊和溝通就容易多了。陪
同他到馬六甲A'Famosa的次子徐亞林稱讚他的父親。他說,父親年紀這
麼大,還能應用自如現代化通訊科技,在他的同輩當中是少之又少。

徐校長的大兒子徐冠林是目前新加坡南洋理工大學校長。他說,前些時
候,南洋理工大學舉辦一項名叫〞傳承之路〞的有意義活動,很多海內
外南大校友都趕來參加。他也參與其盛。

徐校長手上拿著一份中化中學歷屆畢業同學名單。看他細心地查對1961
年畢業學生名單與參加A'Famosa 大團聚同學名字,在名單上找到了參加
者,便形喜於色。這可見徐其禮校長仍然對中化中學和他的學生有一份
深厚的感情。

感謝徐其禮校長出席在馬六甲A'Famosa舉行的第六屆畢業老同學大團聚
。同學們覺得,能與半世紀前的校長團聚,回憶中化往事,十分難得,
是人生一件樂事。

師生相見歡。右起徐校長次子徐亞林、徐其禮校長、鄭亞明、邱文強夫婦和李美少。

1958年徐其禮校長(前排右三)與捐置百葉窗獻金競賽優勝的同學合照。

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

怀旧

看到了小時候王景華、邱文強、郭景秀和郭秀珠的樣子嗎?


Thai Heng said...

Let me walk down the memory lane with my old classmates of Standard 6 Class 1 in the picture taken in 1955, more than 53 years ago.

In the row of the girls I can only recognise a few: third from left is Chiew Yik He邱玉蛾, sister of Chiew Boon Keong邱文強. She was good at maths .

Sixth from left is Wang Jn Ruan, who is the sister of our school badminton player Wang Jin Chu. She lived in the medicine shop which occupied the corner lot of the block where Ban Hing Bookstore and Bata Shoe were, the name of her shop was Sin Chee Teik.

She was sweet but very quiet, I don't remember she ever talked to any boy.

Lily 陳麗莉is on her left. I never talked to her. Those days the girls stayed among themselves all the time, they seldom mixed with the boys.

On the left of Lily is Zen Shieh Yeh鄭雪葉, she was much older than us . She was already a beautiful girl, a bit bashful but very sweet. She became teacher and married a school headmaster and now they live in Klang.

On her left is Chiew Yin Shia邱允霞, a dark girl very good at studies.One day she came to me and asked me to lend her my composition book, I was very flattered.

The last girl is Lee Yik Ying李玉瑩, a small skinny girl. I was told she got married and divorced.

There was another girl Chai Yin Zen, sister of Chai Lee Ren, she was a dark and sweet girl. I was attracted by her but dared not make any move. She is not in the picture, I really wonder.

I have not seen her since CHHS days. I heard she stayed back in Muar and remained single.What a pity.

Let us go to the boys in the row just behind the girls: can you recognise the first four from the left? Peter Khoo邱文昌, Meng Leng陳明龍 ,Chow Sien鄭昭賢 and Chai Lee Ren蔡立人.

I am sure the first three names sound very familiar to you. The chubby faces are still there, right? So innocent and boyish, I doubt Peter had developed any interest in the girls, he was the smallest among the boys,but the smartest.

Who would expect all of them to grow up to shine in their studies and careeers later?

1955 was a memorable year: this was the year when MCP leader Chin Peng and his comrades Chin Tien aand Rashid Maidin left the jungles in Baling, Perak to have peace talks with the late Tengku, Tan Cheng Lock and David Marshall.

The newspapers were full of the coverage of the talks but we were still too small.

Chow Sien 昭賢interviewed the wife of Chen Tien陳田 and published a book, the book is on sale in MPH.

Chow Sien was detained when he got entangled in the leftist activities in KL and sent to Batu Gajah Detention Camp where he remained for six years under ISA.

He studied hard and passed his Upper Six Cambridge examination.

Nobody knows what happened. Lily fell in love with him and visited him in Batu Gajah while she had time.

This is some romance CH must write one day.

Now they have a son who is an engineer but still pursuing his MA studies and a daughter who is a lawyer working in Taman Tun Dr.Ismail.

Peter 邱永昌has now settled down comfortably in Perth as an Australian citizen with his dear wife Saofong who is from Singapore and ML陳明龍 has also retired as Director General of The Environment Department.

ML married a friend of his sister, Kate Teo 張仰喬who is also from CHHS. Now she joins us for our Tuesday gathering. After taking her retirement from her law practice she devotes a lot of her time to cooking, so ML is the lucky guy who gets to taste her new dishes before everybody else. They live in Taman Tun Dr.Ismail and sometimes we meet during our morning walk in the park nearby.

As for Lee Ren蔡立人, he went to study in Australia after CHHS and we never met. Someone told me he has passed away, bless his soul. Some thought he was proud but we were good friends.

Sixth to the left is our class monitor Wang Swee Hwa王瑞華. A very nice boy but we have never met.

Can you recognise the boy on his left? That is me the Hailum boy. So you all know me already.

I was staying with my late dad in a rented room opposite the Clock Tower in Jalan Maharani. He was a kepala for a rubber holding owned by a Singaporean.

My father decided to stay in Muar leaving my mom and sisters at Pagoh after he was threatened with arrest and deportation to China by a detective.

Those were the days when these detectives were so powerful they could slam you with any accusations involving the communists and took you away from your family.

Some of my neighbours were detained and sent to China, leaving their wives and young kids to struggle for survival. Some never met again.

I remember this detective came to our room one day, he left after my father took out some money and gave it to him. My father told me he could not leave us behind.

Two seats away from me is Zang Wee Tak張維達 of the Wee Shin Bookstore 維新書局near the Rex Theatre. Two of his elder brothers were our school basketball players. Our school was famous for our strong basketball team those days.

An elder sister joined the communists in the jungles.

After the peace treaty was signed in Bangkok, she came back to work for Hai-O in KL and later Kajang as a Chinese medicine doctor. She was among a few others from CHHS who disappeared into the jungels during the Emergency rule.

Wee TAk 維達was my good friend, I used to go to his bookstore to read the many magazines for free.

Wee Tak's mom always dressed in nyonya attires and his father was already very old and fragile.

I was told Wee Tak now runs a sundry shop in Muar, I should look him up soon.
March 20, 2008 9:43 PM


請找出小時的劉實蘭、梁炳超和李文英?

Thursday, April 10, 2008

唱中化校歌

高唱校歌,懷念往事。A'Famosa 師生大團聚感人的一刻。

老同學與師長齊聲高唱中化校歌。

雪隆、澳洲、東馬和新山的老同學在馬六甲A'Famosa度假村入口處合照留念。


來自澳洲悉尼的林倉貳博士(左)向陳蕾士老師敬茶。

Saturday, April 5, 2008

大庆同学感言

(雷大慶同學(右)在大團聚晚會上作報告,介紹各領域有成就的本屆同學

Thai Heng said...

This is a nice picture of the 'outstanding' students of Class 61 of CHHS.

Our smile seems to tell our old headmasters and teacher that after all, we have not done so badly in spite of our Chinese-educated background.

But Khoo Yik Tung is not in the picture, I thought I mentioned him and he came up the stage.

Also I regret I missed mentioning Low Set Lan and Tan Leh Hoon that evening for which I have commented but I have yet to see my comments appear, really puzzling.
April 9, 2008 5:24 AM



一對恩愛的同學夫婦:雷大慶與陳桃夫婦。



Blogger Thai Heng(雷大慶) said...

Cheong Hiang(昭賢),

This is a very well presented blog for us of the CHHS 1961 Senior Middle III Classes, in pictures and words. I don't know if there is another similar one by others comparable to this in quality and frequency.

Congratulations again CH for a good job well done. Dedicated people like you give us a strong feeling of a big family, especially when we are all in our 60s.

Like many others, I felt very touched by the presence of our old headmasters Mr.Shee and Mr.Lim and teacher Louise Chen.

To realize that they at their high ages and the distance had responded to our invitation without hesitation sometimes moves us to tears.

They are great headmasters and teacher who have cared for us, we shall always remember that.

I was also moved by Chong Chit Ling and his family who brought him from Bahau to join us. I hope his attendance have given him more hope and will to prevail over his illness.

Chit Ling now knows for sure he is not alone, we are with him.

We hope after so many years, what we have accomplished in our life time has not let down our headmasters and teacher.

Life had not been easy for us as graduates of a Chineses high school and later an unrecognized university.

But many of us refused to succumb to the realities and strove to change the course of our fate.

To trudge along this long and difficult path of our life we drew inspiration and spirit from the teachings we received from our teachers and headmasters.

Thank you Sirs.

Last but not least, we were lucky to have a schoolmate like Datuk Lau Choon Guan, who was so generous to provide us with such excellent food and drinks and accommodation, without which this historical event would not have been possible.

Aslo thank you all, especially Hong Hee, Chow Sien, Boon Chiang and many others for your sacrifice and hard work behind the scene.

April 3, 2008 3:11 AM

同學們迎接剛抵步的林鴻圖校長(前排左一)。

後排右起是手抱外孫的馬六甲田春香同學、陳明龍同學的太太張仰喬、,林金檳夫婦和姚立昆同學。前排右起是蔡鴻禧同學和鄭昭賢同學夫婦。

Friday, April 4, 2008

大团聚新闻见报


A'Famosa 老同學大團聚新聞已登在本地華文報章上。

星洲日報3月28日(星期五)的新聞標題是:中化中學第六屆畢業生
後日敘舊。


4月3日(星期四)的新聞標題是:

麻坡中化中學

老同學聚會 向師長敬茶

這則新聞還配有兩張三位博士向三位師長敬茶的照片。

我們希望我們這項活動能帶動中化其他屆畢業同學也舉行類似活動,
加強老同學的聯系和與老師校長的情誼。



Thursday, April 3, 2008

谢谢大家

大團聚順利完成

同學贈送一幅對聯給拿督劉春源同學,由劉同學的兒子劉裕興(右)代領。左是來自澳洲的邱永昌同學,中間是邱文強同學。

2008年老同學大團聚順利完成。同學們感到高興,出席團聚的三位師長
也感到高興。

大家覺得,這次團聚有意義,有內涵,不僅讓老同學歡聚在一起,懷念
過去,還有傳承華族傳統文化的作用。

希望在將來,於適當的時機,以適當的方式,再有類似的大團聚。

不少同學付出時間、金錢與精力,我們的大團聚才能成功地舉辦。感謝
他們。

感謝他們,也感謝所有同學的通力合作,讓我們在 A'Famosa 度過一
段美好時光。


1.首先應感謝劉春源同學。老同學大團聚能成功舉行,劉同學的功勞最
大。

半年前,他在八打靈與幾位同學吃飯,建議在同學畢業50周年,就是
2011年舉行老同學大團聚。同學們支持他的建議,但擔心要等到2011年
,變化大,希望提早。

幾個月前,幾位老同學在麻坡會面,劉春源同學慷慨獻議在今年
29/3/08 和30/3/08舉行老同學大團聚。地點在A'Famosa度假村,吃
住費用由他負責。

2.我們感謝三位老校長與師長欣然受邀赴會,並在會上致詞,使這次集
會增添光彩。

3.新加坡的劉實蘭同學為我們與老校長聯絡,成功地邀請到他們來與我
們團聚,應記一個大功。

4.張玉英同學、她的先生李金錐以及雷大慶同學,接送91歲的陳蕾
士老師,並細心照顧老師。我們應感謝他們。

5.感謝蔡鴻禧同學為我們製作幻燈片,讓時光倒流,重現當年我們青春
活潑的影像。感謝他與邱文強同學充當大團聚的主要攝影師。

6.感謝來自澳洲的邱永昌同學擔任司儀,出色地完成成任務,讓晚會給
同學們留下難忘的記憶。

7.感謝雷大慶同學為我們介紹在各領域有所成就的同學。他的報告深獲
徐其禮校長的讚揚。

8.感謝麻坡的邱文強同學、姚立昆同學和劉春源同學的侄女劉秀珠。他
們付出保貴時間,進行組織和安排,確保這次同學大團聚順利地進行。

9.我們感謝曾正平同學為我們照顧鍾吉麟同學,讓他度過對他十分特別
的的兩天時光。



91歲的陳蕾士老師致詞,司儀邱永昌同學(右)為老師拿麥克風。


曾玉春同學(左站者)帶領孫子上前見自己當年的老師陳蕾士(左坐者)。

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

师生团聚 喜气洋洋



兩位老人相見歡。多年不見,你可好!
82歲的徐其禮校長(左)拉著91歲的陳蕾士老師的手,兩人喜形於色。

兩位老校長,徐其禮(前中)和林鴻圖(前右)抵達 A'Famosa 度假村,與迎接他們的同學合照。後排中為徐校長的兒子徐亞林。


馬六甲A'Famosa度假村老同學大團聚讓同學們有機會與半個世紀前的校長老師會面。師生團聚,喜氣洋洋,一片歡樂的氣氛洋溢青山腳下的度假村。

兩位校長特地從新加坡前來參與大團聚。82歲的徐其禮校長十分興奮,大力讚揚我們組織這類性質的老同學大團聚。

他向同學們憶述當年他任中化校長時,教師人才十分短缺,要找到好的教師十分困難。當時,他想方設法,四處找老師。為了能請到老師,他特別安排他們教書的時 間,讓他們能於周未又趕回新加坡,兩地跑,一面在中化中學教書,一面又可回新加坡工作。當時他就通過這種安排,為我們請到丁祝山老師、陳素萍老師等。

徐校長說,當年政府對華文中學本來是有給津貼,每位學生每月可獲得政府三元的津貼。在政府取消了津貼後,中化面對困難。在困難時刻,愛護華族文化的先輩們出錢出力,堅持開辦中化獨中。他說,我們這批同學是很幸運,在華族先輩們的努力下,能在中化繼續完成學業。

徐其禮校長特別讚賞在晚會上 雷大同學所作的報告,介紹在各領域有所成就的中化第六屆高畢業同學。他說,這個報告使這次團聚十分有意義,不是只為吃喝玩樂。因此這次團聚給他留下深刻印象。


陳蕾士老師(左一)喜見前學生一一來向他問候。來自馬六甲的陳雲志同學緊握老師的手。

健康欠佳的鍾吉麟同學(左三)伸出手,準備與多年不見的老師握手。右端是徐其禮校長,左二是蔡鴻禧同學。