School where leaders are moulded
LEADERS are made, not born. For more than 100 years, the oldest school in Johor has produced notable figures in the state and country.
Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar, better known as English College (EC) among locals, is a premier school that has certainly lived up to its slogan “EC must lead”, in both education and sports.
The school was founded by the father of modern Johor, Almarhum Sultan Sir Abu Bakar, who always emphasised the importance of education to his people.
EC was established on March 21, 1914, with 21 students selected from Bukit Zaharah School and placed under the tutelage of two teachers brought over from England.
At the time, the pioneer students had no idea that their school would go on to become a leading institution in Johor Baru.
At the end of 1930, the school moved a short distance to its present location on Jalan Sungai Chat.
The school’s education system was based on the English public school system. It adopted the British syllabus and later became a model for other Englishmedium schools in Johor.
As one of the 10 oldest English institutions in the country, the Education Ministry awarded EC the status of Cluster School of Excellence in 2009 due to its many academic achievements over the years.
The school is also well known for its distinguished and influential alumni, ranging from royalty and politicians to sportsmen and corporate figures.
Among its famous alumni is the current Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, who followed in his father’s footsteps by studying in the school.
Other famous EC alumni include Malaysia’s third prime minister Tun Hussein Onn, former deputy prime ministers Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman and Tun Musa Hitam, tycoon Robert Kuok, writer Adibah Amin and current Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
When EC celebrated its centenary celebrations in 2014, it published a book on its 100 most influential former students, with Sultan Ibrahim ranked in the top spot.
The school also played a role during Malaysia’s darkest hour in the Second World War as the Japanese army turned the school into a weapons factory and changed the colour of its building from white to black.
EC principal Anuar Sukiran said the school also established its own museum to inspire current and future students.
“Instilling leadership qualities within our students has been a long practice at EC. In fact, it has not changed in the last 100 years, which is why EC is quite different from other schools,” he added.
Anuar said the school has always encouraged its students to be active in education, sports and other curriculum activities that bring out leadership attributes.
He also said the school promotes a sense of belonging among students and teachers.
“We always give each student a platform to showcase his or her leadership qualities. This has since become the school’s DNA as we believe that in every student, there is a great leader,” he added.