High School Bukit Mertajam, established on 18 January 1927 with approximately 300 students, is one of the oldest schools in Malaysia. Over the years, it has grown into a distinguished institution, producing many high achievers and prominent national figures, including former Prime Minister YAB Datuk Seri Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi, current Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim, and former Governor of Penang Tun Ahmad Fuzi bin Haji Abdul Razak, who also serves as the current Patron of the HSBM Alumni.
In the beginning years, morning assembly was held in the school hall. as the Headmaster strode up the stairs leading to the stage, where the teachers were seated in a semi circle, the Colour Captain (or House Captain) on duty would step on to the “Castle”. The “Castle” was a platform about one and half feet high and yard a square. It had four massive but beautifully carved legs, and a couple of steps led up to it. The “Castle” was placed immediately in front of the stage on the cement floor. In his hand the Colour Captain held a wand ended in a knob on whic was mounted a trophy which the Colour or House has won. The trophy was usually in the form of a statute. The Colour Captain led the boys in reciting “The Compass” and in singing the “Colour Song” .
The value of this ceremony cannot be expressed more briefly than in the words of our founding headmaster, Mr E. La M.
Stowell; “As, in Malaya, the boys have so many regions, I think something, like the Compass or Statement, is the best kind of substitute we can give them for good, shared, basic ethical purpose with which to start the day.” Moreover he said, “They lend solemnity, and a little ceremony and formality to the opening of the School Day”
CAPTAIN
It is…..
ASSEMBLY
It is…..It is our bounden duty to uphold the Honour of the School at all times and in all places, noth now as boys and later as men and old boys. The Honour of the School will not be upheld by talking or writing. It is by his conduct that a man is judged: his deeds speaks louder than words, and in a little exampl persuadeth more than precept.
From the School more is to be learnt than the wisdom of books: the conduct of a good man and true may be learnt at school.
A good man and true scorns to succeed by means that a re dishonest. He never gives in, he never admits defeat. After being punished or blamed, he does not sulk or complain. He never deerts his friends, his Colour or his School under any circumstances. Above all he will stand up for the king, the king who keeps his enemies beyond boundaries within which we live and without which, mud\rder, oppression, amine and robbery would stalk through province. To him while we shelter beneath his flag, gratitude and goodness demand our outspoken loyalty.
A School by the Bukit
A High School Bukit Mertajam Song
In the land that is north,
There’s an old great school we hear,
Famous sons and daughters have sailed forth,
borne their honour far and near.
Some have fought and conquered ‘dragons’,
others nature’s secrets won.
Here within out sunkist province
Deeds are waiting to be done.
At the high school by the Bukit where Mertajam lies her plain.
Rears her head the boys are ready,
to face danger, conquer pain.
To the future we’ll preserve.
with these proud words as our guide
Aut Coepisse Noli Aut Confice
We’ll take everything in stride, Everyday you’ll see us toil,
without grouse without whine.
And everybody you’ll see us stand tall,
till the sun has ceased to shine.
Everyday, you’ll see us stand tall, till the sun has ceased to shine
Throughout the years, High School Bukit Mertajam has produced many notable figures in civil service, politics, corporate, military and many other areas. These “old boys” have done us proud in shaping and molding Malaysia by being pioneers:
This section is dedicated to just a few of them ….
Tun Dato’ Seri Utama Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak
Alumni Patron
Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim
Prime Minister of Malaysia
Tun Mohd Salleh b Ismail
1st Malaysian Inspector General of Police (IGP)
Mr Ng Kim Siong
1st Inspector General of Police (IGP) Singapore
Tan Sri Prof Emeritus Chin Fung Kee
Queens Scholar & Former (Acting) VC of University Malaya
YB Tan Sri Dato Hj Lamin bin Hj Mohd Yunus
President of Appeals Court, Malaysia
Tan Sri Ahmad Kamil Jaffar
Ketua Setiausaha (KSU), Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia
Tun Mohd Salleh b Ismail
1st Malaysian Inspector General of Police (IGP)
Dato L. Krishnan
Pioneer of Malaysian Film Industry
Mr Goh Hock Guan
Architect & Town Planner behind Subang Jaya township
Currently, restructuring town planning in Vietnam
YBhg Dato’ Dr Ibrahim Saad
Former Minister of Transport, Malaysia
Prof Ishak Thamby Chik
Former Vice Chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
Tan Sri Mohd Radzi Mansor
Chairman of Telekom (M) Berhad
YBhg Dato Seri Hj Mohd Shariff bin Hj Omar
Deputy Minister Agriculture Ministry
Dato Jegathesan
Former Secretary General, Ministry of Housing Malaysia
Gen (Rtd) Abdullah Shamsudin
General, Malaysian Army
Gen (Rtd) Mohamad Shah Yahaya
General, Malaysian Army
Datuk M. Kuppan
Former National Football Coach
Tan Sri Izzuddin
Secretary General Ministry of Finance (Retired)
Tan Sri Dato Dr. M. Thambyrajah
Founder Sri Murugan Centre
Mr. P. Kanason
Retired Asst Auditor General
Mr Chan Boon Teik
Retired as Dy Director General (Waterworks) PWD
Stephen Sim
Deputy Finance Minister
The original staff to assist Headmaster E. La M. Stowell comprised the following:
Some of our very senior ALumni will find this nostalgic. These are personalities who by example and precept, have in many ways influenced them in their careers.
Mr Ong Chin Huat was for years the Games Master of the school. He was all-round sportsman, of a very genial nature, painstaking and sound in judgement. He left his mark on the games of the school right up to the time of the Japanese Invasion when he died in the enemy prison.
Mr Philip Aeria will be best remembered as the boxing instructor. In the middle 1930s, he trained the likes of S.Plainiandy, A. Rahim and Mohana Krishnan who, upon leaving the school made their pugilistic fortunes in Singapore. Captured by the Japanese he survived the war but came out a broken man and though given light duties at HSBM he succumbed t his wartime incarceration.
Mr Oh Boon Tat will live long in the memory of High School old boys for his dedication to both classroom and outdoor duties. There was not a single department to which he had not contributed useful ideas and given practical help – even the HSBM crest wsa designed by hi,. In class he taught only mathematics, but on the field he was concerned with all games, particularly cricket, rugby and atheletics. He was fastidious about the grounds and spared neither himself nor the kebuns and members of the Jacob’s Green Society. He would spend hours coaching promising atheles and players and even more hours every week giving extra tuition to boys taking Higher Mathematics for the School Certificate Examinations.
Mr Chan Ewe Pin was a man of the world even when he joined the staff as a young man of 24 from the Anglo-Chinese School in Bukit Mertajam. Respected and looked up to as teachers generally were in those days, he mixed with the upper and the lower classes of the society alike without demening himself. He was mainly instrumental in bringing back to the HSBM offers of scholarships, games trophies and help in various forms. His efforts brought philantorphic personalities like Soon Eng Kong, Heah Seng Whatt and M Sarvanamuttu, to the aid of the school. He capped his service to the Bukit Mertajam with a term as Town Councillor and there is a road in town bearing his name.
Mr Kam Kee Hock was chosen from the very start to help Mr Stowell in scouting. The Headmaster, himself the strict Scout Master, personnaly took charge of this activity as he strongly believed it was the best medium for charecter building. Kam Kee Hock took a like long interest in scouting, eventually being appointed Asst District Commissioner for Province Welleslet. He was also successful as a gardening master and its reported the lettuces his gardeners produced for several seasons became famous even outside the province. He later became the supervisor of Stowell School – the feeder primary school to HSBM. He was truly a dedicated teacher and a perfect gentleman.
