Education - Part 7 - Schools and Social Life

Life During Secondary Schools

Sekolah Menengah Batu Buruk (SMBB)

Sekolah Menengah Batu Buruk/Batu Buruk Secondary School, Kuala Terengganu...now/presently known as Sekolah Menengah Seri Budiman. This school is located in a village called Kampung Bunut, about 1 km from my house ( Kampung Kolam Kuala Ibai ). I was in second batch when I joined the school in Form 1 in the year of 1971. I used to walk to the school every day.

During wet season I walked bare foot to school. From my house, I must have passed a village adjacent to my village called as Kampung Banggol before reaching the school compound. There was a small Muslim Cemetery, a well and a Wakaf or a hut for people to stop and rest or as a shelter when it rains. I will ware socks and shoes after cleaning my feet. Then I walked to school compound which was just about 70 meters from the wakaf.

I have made lot of friends in this school. The one I most remembered is Long bin Mamat. He was from Kampung Nibong, located not far from school. He was the one became the champion in the school badge/logo drawing contest. His drawing was accepted by the school and had officially became the school's badge until today a (subject to some adjustments as to the school's name).

the badge or logo of SM Seri Budiman

The school has a very large sports ground. One football ground, one rugby field, one grass track field, 2 sepaktakraw courts and one netball ground. Despite of excellent achievement by Punch Gunalan in badminton All England, our school did not has a badminton court. In fact, we did not have even an Assembly Hall at school. We used to gather for assembly every Sunday on the school's parking lot. Inspite having a large sports compound, our sports achievements were less if compared with SSSS (Sultan Sulaiman Secondary School).

SSSS had dominated the sports so well not only in the District of  Kuala Terengganu but also in the whole state. In football they have contributed international level players for the state and the country. Footballer like Harun Jusoh had been playing for Malaysian Football Squad against Germany football team captained by Franz Beckenbauer in Munich Olympic Games 1972 of which we lost 3-0 in the opener. Then came the players like Abdah Alif, Yunos Alif, Marzuki Ismaun and later on like Nasaruddin Yassin all of whom were the products of SSSS. They were not playing for Trengganu only but for the country in the international level.

SSSS also excellent in track and field. Their products among others was Allahyarham Kamaruddin Maidin who represented  Malaysia in Rome Olympic in 1960 together with Dr. Mani Jegathesan and Dr. Shaharudin Ali in athletics competition. Kamaruddin was the first ever Malaysian athlete who have won five consecutive Gold Medal in five SEA Games commencing from 1959. Those athletes were excellent by their own spirit and strength. At that time there was no special training or coaching or special equipments or nourishments like what have been enjoyed by national athletes today. Yet, they managed to step into the Olympic level and provided their challenges at the world class.

Me? I was not so good in athletics. I have no strength and speed for athletics or sports contest. But, I have skill for football and I played for school in competition. When I stepped into Form 3 in 1973, I have left behind all games and sports activities and concentrated in study. I wanted to go to the government's boarding schools to continue my study in Form 4. 

And, I managed to do so...