FAREWELL, MRS HEW
Former students recall time with her
IT was an emotional affair as family members, friends and former students bade farewell to an extraordinary English teacher, Lee Siew San, depicted as Mrs Hew in Lat’s Kampung Boy series.
They paid their last respects to their teacher at the Our Mother of Perpetual Help Church in Taman Canning.
A teacher in National Type Primary School (English) Jalan Pasir Putih, Lee was in charge of 40 Malay students from rural areas in the state, including Datuk Lat, whose real name is Mohd Nor Khalid.
Lee taught all the subjects in the special Malay class, known as a Remove class for rural students, in English.
Former student Baharuddin Hashim, 65, said he best remembered Lee for asking him what he wanted as a present at the end of school term in 1962 and 1963.
“She gave me a replica of a steam ship and an aeroplane. But, I also got a few strokes of the rotan and feather duster as punishment for talking in class and fighting with other students.
“She wanted to teach me a lesson, to become a better person.”
Former Bernama chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Annuar Zaini, 66, said he had limited English vocabulary when he was transferred from SK Jalan Pasir Putih.
“The first time I met her was on Jan 2, 1962. Lee was a strict, but loving teacher. She taught me and my friends until we could master the language.”
He said Lee always encouraged her students to read a book weekly to improve their vocabulary, and it was then that Annuar was introduced to the Enid Blyton series.
Lee’s remains were brought to the Kek Look Seah Crematorium in Bercham for cremation yesterday.