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.

The school also has an impressive array of teachers from its past. Malay scholar and nationalist Za'aba, British author Anthony Burgess, historian NJ Ryan and DJ Tate (now Muzaffar Tate) have all taught at the College.

Today, the school still stands, and it is one of the many government Fully Residential Schools (SBP). It is still regarded as Malaysia's premier boarding school but many are saying that the standards have dropped throughout the years. Having old, dilapidated facilities inside its grand Greco-Roman edifice has affected the students' performances in exams and other extra-curricular activities that are placed in great importance by college traditions. Sometimes, the college seems to be fighting a losing battle against the newer SBPs, MARA Junior Science Colleges and private boarding schools like the Kolej Tuanku Jaafar and Kolej Yayasan Saad.

Nevertheless, it still has a good reputation and the limited places it offers to students remain the dream for many parents and primary school Malay boys. A certain quota of places is reserved for deserving sons of old boys. What attraction still lies in the almost-a-century institution.

Being a school modelled after the traditional British public schools in the likes of Eton and Harrow, a tradition that remains close to the college is the spirit of camaraderie and brotherhood, bound by the common experience of playing in the green fields of the college and having grown up in the ancient dormitories. The journalist, Rehman Rashid wrote, "Indeed, the Malay College Old Boys' Association has become the nearest thing to a masonic lodge this country's ever known outside the Chinese clans. MCOBA is a code with special access into every corner of governance in Malaysia: the government, the civil service, the private sector, academia, the palaces, everywhere." The binding ties of MCKK not only keeps together former classmates, but even collegians from different generations but who all, once, passed through the gates of MCKK.

Indeed, an interesting anecdote told to me once embodies the Malay College spirit. Anwar Ibrahim, who left the Malay College in 1966, was walking out of the courtroom during one of his trials, when he saw a group of Malay College old boys donning their famous burgundy striped tie among the crowd. Happily, he said, "Those are budak koleq (the colloquial term for collegians)." One of them took out his tie and wanted to give it to Anwar, but the police stopped him.

The famous Malay College networking has the single thing most associated with the college. On Wednesdays old boys don their college ties, as a symbol of pride and prestige, to be identified with their alma-mater. It was said during second Prime Minister Tun Razak's tenure, half of those who went to the Wednesday cabinet meeting would be donning the college tie. Business deals, political appointments - can be conducted simply based on this MCKK link, and have caused accusations of cronyism and elitism from other disgruntled insiders. Many Malay Collegians, the most prominent being the late Tan Sri Yahaya Ahmad and the now-out-of-favour Tan Sri Halim Saad, have reaped the benefits of the New Economic Policy.

Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad, currently Editor-in-Chief of New Straits Times, recalled how he was drawn into politics simply out of Tun Razak's affection and trust for him on being a fellow collegian. Indeed, Abdullah Ahmad often writes nostalgically about his experiences and friendships in Kuala Kangsar during the late 40's and early 50's in his writings in The Sun and The New Straits Times.

As MCKK gathers the crème de la crème of the Malays, it is a symbol of Malay achievement and excellence. In the college playing fields and classrooms, Malay feudalism was dismantled bit by bit as everyone was equal, separated only by merit and ability. Prince or son of a fisherman, meritocracy amongst the students meant that the best, regardless of birth, excelled. Up to this day, the holistic excellence in all fields, academic and extra-mural undertakings, are placed in great importance, whether in the hot, humid classrooms or in the traditionally important debate and rugby competitions. MCKK is addicted in winning, and it rewards winners greatly. The expectation and pressure as well as the intense rivalry it presently faces with other schools that are catching up can be too much for young teenagers, and not everyone can survive the experience of living in the college.

Although Anwar was popular among Collegians, MCKK old boys make up politicians from both sides of the political fence. Minister of Agriculture, Datuk Effendi Norwawi, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Hishamuddin Hussein Onn and Minister of Education Tan Sri Musa Muhammad are in the cabinet. Political secretary to the Opposition Leader, Dr. Hatta Ramli and Dato' Kamaruddin Jaafar, the MP for Tumpat, both of PAS, also came from MCKK, as well as former student leader Hishamuddin Rais.

The tradition of excellence has also reverberated from the usual fields of business and politics; eminent diplomat Tan Sri Razali Ismail, UM Vice Chancellor Prof Dr. Anuar Zaini, newscaster Suhaimi Sulaiman, actor Hani Mohsin and even rock band Butterfingers are amongst the diverse products of MCKK.

For a budak koleq, MCKK is his spiritual home. Year after year, he would take the spiritual journey, (especially nostalgic if by train) to participate in the traditional Old Boys' weekend held in the college, where alumnus and present students, old teachers and old boys' wives gather to socialise and exchange old war stories with one another. Games would be organised between the old boys and present boys, as the rest of the students cheer enthusiastically in their quartered cheering jerseys. They would recall their childish pranks of jumping out of the college fences and running to the still existing Yut Loy pau shop to supplement the poor dining hall ration. Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang, a student in the 40's reportedly still packs the Kuala Kangsar Yut Loy pau whenever he travels overseas .

The Malay College is planning to celebrate its centenary celebrations on January 2nd, 2005. The later generation of students, of which I came from, continues to face difficult challenges from old boys, and outsiders alike, to continue the impressive achievements of the previous collegians. Every year, we are told not to rely on the glory of the past, but to create our own glory. Sometimes, the students do create their own history, sometimes they fail. But failure is not something MCKK accepts easily.

NIK NAZMI NIK AHMAD left the Malay College Kuala Kangsar in 1999. He pleads the innocent to the charge of being over-sentimental about his alma-mater. http://www.niknazmi.com