SMK MAXWELL GETS HERITAGE STATUS
Culmination of 10-year effort, says alumni chief
THE hearts of former students of SMK Maxwell here must surely have been filled with pride when the school, established in 1917, was gazetted as a national heritage.
Maxwell School Old Boys’ Association (Maxoba) chairman Datuk Badruddin Abu Bakar said the recognition from the National Heritage Department on April 2 was the result of the association’s efforts, which began 10 years ago to preserve the historical school.
“We are happy with the recognition and hope that with this status, the school will not suffer the effects of rapid development that is happening to its surrounding areas.
“The recognition is meaningful as SMK Maxwell had celebrated its 100-year anniversary last year,” he said at the Maxoba dinner here on Saturday, which was attended by about 150 of the school’s alumni.
At the event, National Heritage Department registration director Mohamad Muda Bahadin presented the certificate of recognition to SMK Maxwell principal Hanipah Endut.
Among its alumni are former auditor-general Tan Sri Ambrin Buang, former national football player Zainal Abidin Hassan and former Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia chairman Datuk Seri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman.
Efforts to gain the national heritage status for the school began in 2009 when Maxoba wrote to former information, communications and culture minister Tan Sri Rais Yatim on the issue.