In Malaysia, we too have public schools such as the Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) and its sister college, Tunku Kurshiah in Seremban and the Royal Military College (RMC) but they are owned and run by the government. The Tuanku Jaafar school and the Saad Foundation School in Malacca are run by the private sector. The Saad Foundation School was started by an old Malay collegian, Tan Sri Halim Saad, the Chief Executive Officer of Renong Corporation. Halim is an active member of the Malay College Old Boys Association (MCOBA). His executive office suite is just one floor below the MCOBA penthouse at Jalan Syed Putra, Kuala Lumpur.

My old school, MCKK, was founded in 1905 by the British for the children of the Malay ruling class along the lines of Eton College. It is a new institution compared to Eton which was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI. MCKK has since been democratised and, as a result, its students today are made up from every stream of bumiputra society.

Anxious old boys are worried about their alma mater because it is just one of the many residential schools in the country although it still remains the premier one. There are today nearly 50 state-funded and privately-run boarding institutions. The old boys want MCKK privatised but the government has said that it cannot be privatised because it is a national treasure and heritage.

The demise of Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah marked the end of an era. As a ruler can only hold the post of Yang Dipertuan Agong for a term, it means that the Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah was probably the last of the alumni of the prestigious Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) to become the Head of State for the country.

Dubbed as 'the Eton of the East', the 96-year old institution was once the school of Malay royalty and aristocracy. Currently, three state rulers, all former Agongs, are also products of the Malay College namely Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak, Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang and Tuanku Jaafar of Negeri Sembilan.

However, after the Second World War, when the school was closed and turned into a Japanese military headquarters, another of Malay College's famous old boy, Dato' Onn Jaafar, the founding leader of UMNO, urged the British administration to open MCKK to all Malays regardless of birth. It was from this second era that other currently prominent personalities of the country came from, and they can be found prominent in business, academic, political and civil service circles.

TEKS UCAPAN PENGETUA

HARI UCAPAN DAN PENYAMPAIAN HADIAH 2008

THE MALAY COLLEGE KUALA KANGSAR

SABTU 21 JUN 2008

Assalammualaikum w.b.t dan Selamat Sejahtera.

Ampun Tuanku, Beribu-ribu ampun.

Mengadap Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Raja Muda Perak Darul Ridzuan, Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah ibni Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah.

Patik mohon perkenan Tuanku, bagi pihak The Malay College menjunjung kasih atas perkenan Tuanku ke upacara Hari Ucapan dan Penyampaian Hadiah yang penuh gilang-gemilang ini.

Patik selaku Pengetua The Malay College melimpahkan ribuan syukur ke hadrat Illahi kerana merahmatkan Tuanku mencemar duli berangkat datang memenuhi undangan pada pagi yang mulia ini.

Sesungguhnya patik sekalian dapat berasakan keberangkatan Tuanku memberi erti yang sukar untuk diungkap dalam majlis pada pagi ini. Majlis sudah pasti bertambah serinya dengan keberangkatan Tuanku ke upacara Hari Ucapan dan Penyampaian Hadiah dan seterusnya meningkatkan iltizam diri patik sekalian untuk memaju dan membangunkan The Malay College yang bertuah ini.

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Salam Sejahtera
Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim.

Segala puji milik Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala, Tuhan semesta alam yang menguasai segala khazanah ilmu dan lautan pengetahuan. Selawat dan salam ke atas Junjungan Besar Nabi Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalam, ahli keluarga dan para Sahabat Baginda seterusnya kepara para Tabiin dan para ulama. Semoga memperoleh ihsan di hari kebangkitan.

2. Beta bersyukur ke hadrat ILAHI, kerana dengan izin dan rahmat dari Nya jua, Beta sekali lagi dapat berangkat ke Majlis Hari Ucapan dan Penyampaian Hadiah, The Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK).

3. The Malay College Kuala Kangsar atau MCKK adalah institusi pendidikan yang akar sejarah penubuhannya berkait rapat dengan istana. MCKK ditubuhkan hasil gema suara istana. Duli-Duli Yang Maha Mulia Raja-Raja Melayu berperanan sebagai penggerak utama kepada penubuhan Kolej ini. MCKK adalah produk, hasil cetusan Raja-Raja Melayu kerana Duli-Duli Yang Maha Mulia itu amat prihatin akan pentingnya anak-anak Melayu diperlengkap dengan pendidikan berkualiti tinggi. Duli-Duli Yang Maha Mulia Raja-Raja Melayu insaf betapa pentingnya anak-anak Melayu yang merupakan peribumi di Tanah Melayu ini dibekalkan dengan ilmu—diperlengkap dengan pengetahuan. Sesungguhnya, 100 tahun yang lalu, Duli-Duli Yang Maha Mulia Raja-Raja Melayu telah memiliki wawasan jauh dan pemikiran radikal untuk mempersiapkan bangsanya berupaya menghadapi cabaran dunia di hari muka. Lalu MCKK ditubuhkan dalam tahun 1905 di Bandar Di Raja Kuala Kangsar.

On 29 June 2008, Mingguan Malaysia interviewed Datuk Sri Hishammuddin Hussein, the Minister of Education, commenting on the MCKK Speech Day Address by DYTM Raja Dr Nazrin Shah. Here's the full article in Malay:

Melayu perlu bersatu

TITAH ucapan Raja Muda Perak, Raja Nazrin Shah ketika menyempurnakan Majlis Ucapan dan Penyampaian Hadiah Maktab Melayu Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) pada 21 Jun lalu menyentuh perasaan ramai orang Melayu.

Ia dengan jelas menunjukkan keprihatinan baginda terhadap nasib orang Melayu kini dan masa depan mereka. Bagi orang Melayu yang berjaya, pesan baginda “Janganlah berperangai seperti Si Tanggang, terlalu cepat bersifat angkuh, terlalu mudah berlagak bongkak, hingga melupakan asal keturunan, hingga memisahkan diri dari akar bangsanya, menjadi rakus, menjadi gopoh, hingga tergamak menebang pohon tempat bernaung dan mencantas dahan tempat bergantung.”

The Malay College Kuala Kangsar with the support from Ministry of Education will be holding an international summit. The 'Malay College - Youth Development Summit 2008' will be held at college ground from 24th to 31st August 2008 with both local and international participants. It is projected that the idea exchanged during the week-long summit will empower students to understand their leadership role in development of their respective community. 

KUALA KANGSAR, June 21 (Bernama) -- The nation should see the status of the Malay College Kuala Kangsar here from a different viewpoint and it should not be equated with any other academic institutions, the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, said Saturday.

He said based on the historical roots of its inception, the identity of MCKK in terms of its form, teaching staff, curriculum and co-curriculum had its own uniqueness.

"MCKK should constantly be infused with new ideas for the college to be continued to be respected as a leading academic institution for secondary education in the country.

Cikgu Samsudin, Senior Assistant 1(Academic), has been transferred to MOE Pendidikan Khas, to handle programs for Jabatan Penjara.  Well, he had long enough experience at MCKK to handle all sorts of cases…he’ll do okay in his new assignment with Penjara.  All the best to Cikgu Samsudin.

Annual Speech & Sports Day 2008

DYTM Raja Muda Raja Nazrin has agreed to grace the Speech Day and Prize-giving Ceremony on June 21, 2008.  This year, the College has requested MCOBA and PIBG to send representatives to be coopted into the main organizing committee for this annual function.  Function will start at 9.30 am and end at 12.30; there will be the usual cadet parade, exhibition, plus the laying of foundation for the new TAR Hall.  At 2.30pm, the annual Sports Day begins.  Old Boys and parents are invited.

MCKK-KYS Weekend 2008

Debate took place at the Hargreaves Hall in that Saturday morning.  In the evening, the annual rugby challenge started at 5.00 pm.  A couple of boys were present, including MCOBA VP Aziz Ishak.  The MCKK boys were good at their game, but fitness seemed to be lacking.  Perhaps, the mid-term exams during the last two weeks had taken a toll on their game.  Final score: MCKK 34 KYS 17.

Syukur, Alhamdulillah, the Cagers have retained the Piala Hamdan Tahir for the 5th consecutive times and 13th overall in the recently concluded Hari Kecemerlangan Sekolah Berasrama Penuh (HKSBP) in Jitra, Kedah.

Overall, The Cagers’ performance was not as good as Cagers 06 & Cagers 07. However, despite playing at about 50% of their true abilities, the Cagers managed to win all their games by more than 20 points difference. The Cagers were still heads and shoulders compared to other SBPs inspite of being off form. The Cagers 08 struggled to cope with the injuries suffered by 3 main players. They managed to recover just in time for HSKBP but their layoff affected their playing temperment and team synergy.

The updated basketball schedule for the Hari Kecermerlangan SBP in SMSAH, Jitra.

The Cagers are in Group A together with SDAR, SESMA, SBPI Gopeng and SMS Kuching.

Group B consists of MOZAC, SAINA, SMS DUNGUN, SMS H Selangor and SMESH.

Friday 23 May

9:30 am, Court A College Heights.
The Cagers vs SDAR

5:00 pm, court A College Heights.
The Cagers vs SMSKuching

Saturday 24 May

5:00 pm Court A, College Heights
The Cagers vs SESMA (K. Terengganu)

Sunday 25 May

11:00 Am, court A. College Heights
The Cagers vs SBPI Gopeng

The semifinal will be on Monday morning either 8:00 am if the Cagers win all their games or 9:30 am as group A Runners up. The Final would be at 5:00 pm, the same day.

The Court A is in College Heights, Jitra.  Meanwhile, the Cagers are fine tuning their game plan. They will be going for their 13th and 5th consecutive championships, insyaallah

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