Former TLC students hold reunion after almost 38 years
LAWAS: Students of Tanjong Lobang College ( TLC) in 1976 and 1977 came together for the first time after leaving the school almost 38 years ago last Saturday night in Miri to renew bonds and friendship.
They included classmates Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan ( Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment), Datuk Seri Idris Jala ( Pemandu CEO and former minister in the Prime Minister’s Department) and Datuk Medan Abdullah (a senior executive in the oil and gas sector).
All wore name tags the size of a name card and came from all over the world.
Awang Tengah who had earlier engagements in Limbang, Lawas and Miri arrived almost at 10pm for the reunion at Imperial Hotel where his former classmates and schoolmates were already singing, dancing and chatting away.
He was delighted to re- connect with them, reminiscing the good old days as students in the college where they shared laughter, tears and ambitions.
He said he used to study, play, sing, walk and go hungry together with Idris, Medan and other close friends but they were a close bunch who were determined and cared for each other.
“Our good friend from Lawas, Bong Kuan Sin, always brought noodles for us to cook after our night studies, and we were really grateful as we were so poor and would go for months without money,” he recalled.
Bong went on to become a successful entrepreneur with business interests in China, Indonesia and Spain while his
Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment
other schoolmates progressed far in their respective fields in many parts of the world.
Earlier on the same day, the greying former students visited their alma mater for a walk down memory lane, to relive the good old days and take pictures of the college that was once their home.
Though he could not join the visit, Awang Tengah vividly recalled the kind operator of the tuck shop there, ‘Gemuk’ and his wife ‘Nonya’.
He also remembered the many picnics, camp fires by the beach, and how they burned midnight oil preparing for their exams.