From: Dato V L Kandan
Date: Mon, Jun 8, 2015 at 3:07 PM
Subject: Kirkby Report 3
To: Dato V L
8th June 2015

My Dear Fellow Kirkbyites,

1.Introduction

Exactly a year ago today we parted company in the Four Points by Sheraton Penang, after a joyful Reunion organised so efficiently by P Ramakrishnan (1959 – 1960) (Rama) and his team, Leo Turner and LiewPoh Yuk (both 1960 - 1961). I had sent you two reports since then, the first on the 4th of July, 2014 and the second on 4th August 2014. I had intended to send you periodic reports, at least bi-monthly. However, T Balasubramaniam (1958 – 1959) (Bala) announced and proceeded to organise a Kirkby Get Together in Genting Highlands on the 5th and 6th of May 2015. I did not want to confuse you with information, notices and requests coming from two sources. So, I laid low. Bala’s Get Together in Genting Highlands was an unprecedented success and everyone who attended enjoyed himself/herself. Thank you Bala.

2.This, the third report, covers not only preparations for the Reunion 2016, but also developments on the mandate given to me at the 2014 Reunion in Penang. Let me therefore start with that mandate.

(1)The quest for identity and permanence.

This included bridging the gap between the Persatuan Alumni Maktab Kirkby Malaysia (the Alumni) and other Kirkbyites who are not members of the Alumni. There were two issues that were cause for the division: firstly, it was the intention of the Alumni to amend their Constitution to provide for Associate Membership to the graduates of the Kirkkby International College in Cyberjaya. The second was the perceived elitist attitude of the Executive Committee Members of the Alumni. On the first issue I am pleased to inform you that soon after the reconstitution of the Exco of the Alumni at the Biennial General Meeting last year, the proposal to amend the Constitution has been abandoned. On the second issue the new Exco, especially Alumni President Tan Sri Yahaya, has taken all steps to remove any vestige of elitism and is committed to bridge the gap. It is therefore imperative that all of you change your perceptions of the Alumni and join it to bring about the unity we all want. To this end ALL of you are invited to attend the next Annual General Meeting of the Alumni which will be held as part of, and not just in conjunction with as was the case in Port Dickson in 2012, Reunion 2016.

(2)The request for a recording of Kirby’s history and heritage.

The book produced earlier is being extensively revised by a committee headed by Tan Ling Suan (1959 – 1960) and Tan Sri G Vadiveloo (1952 – 1954) and others. Further, a project first mooted by Mohamad Talha (1955 – 1957) in 2001, that of creating a permanent memorial at the Kirby College site in Liverpool, has now wind in the sails. The project is revived and will be moved forward. It is my wish that this project be moved by the 2016 Reunion Committee jointly with the Alumnii. More details on this in due course.

(3)Proposal for Kirkby College

As you are already aware, this is a challenge, because of the existence of the Kirkby International College in Cyber Jaya. We have to achieve the unity spelt out in (1) above before tackling this trick issue. We are working on this.

(4)Establishment of a Kirkby Co-operative Society

At the first Alumni Exco Meeting I attended it was announced that there already was a proposal to for a Cooperativ3e Society for Teachers. So the proposal to form a separate Cooperative Society by and for Kirkbyites has been temporarily shelved.

3.Re-Union 2016

(1)Organising a Reunion in the Klang Valley is really very challenging. With less than a year left before we reunite here in Kuala Lumpur the Organising Committee of Kirkby Reunion 2016 (OCKR 2016) has begun to work doubly hard to prepare for the Reunion. This is no normal Reunion. Yes, there will be all the fun and nostalgia of the previous Reunions and the overnight Get Together in Gentings last month. Additionally there will be real efforts and programmes to bring about unity amongst us and the planning of the projects mentioned above. A comprehensive program is still being worked on. Thus it is hoped that as many of you as possible will attend the Reunion 2016.

(2)We had earlier announced the dates for the Ruunion as 19th to 22nd May 2016, 4 days and 3 nights. The hotel expenses being much higher than in Penang or Port Dickson the OCKR 2016 has at its meeting on 30.05.2015 decided to make it a three days two nights affair. We have received quotation from the Boulevard Hotel in Mid Valley Kuala Lumpur, the Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur and the Hilton Hotel in Petaling Jaya. By initial count, much as we have tried to keep the cost as low as possible, the registration fee this time around will be in excess of RM500-00 per person. Even those resident in the Klang Valley may have to register paying the full fee as we are constrained to make commitment with the hotel selected to be the venue of the Reunion.

(3)At this time we need an indication as to the number of participants at the Reunion 2016. Please therefore let me know, preferably by email, if you will attend, indicating the number of accompanying persons. This information is essentially needed to make reservations in the hotel venue. A reply by the end of this month will be very much appreciated.

I will try to come back to you with my next report in the first week of July. In the meantime PLEASE CONFIRM YOUR INTENTION TO ATTEND THE REUNION 2016 as soon as possible.

Kandan