Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman

Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman STAR
Ilmu Panduan Hidup Knowledge Guidance of Life
Location
Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, 31400 Ipoh, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Information
Type	Secondary School, Boarding School An elite SBP Sekolah Berasrama Penuh All-Boys School
Established	January 13, 1957
School district	North Kinta (Kinta Utara)
Principal	Tuan Haji Abdul Hashim bin Abdul Karim (AMP, PPG)
Number of students	Approx. 600
Color(s)	Red, White
Yearbook	Perintis
Affiliations	Sekolah Berasrama Penuh Ministry of Education (Malaysia)
First Principal	Tun Hamdan bin Sheikh Tahir (1957-1960)
Previous Principal	En. Guffri bin Hj. Alpiah (2008-2010)
Sports House	Blue, Black, Red, White, Green, Yellow
Website	http://www.staripoh.com/

Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman (or more commonly known as STAR) is a public fully residential school in Malaysia fully funded by the Government of Malaysia. Named after the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) of the Federation of Malaya, Almarhum Seri Paduka Baginda Tuanku Abdul Rahman ibni Almarhum Tuanku Muhammad, it is located in Ipoh, Perak. The school started at an army camp in Baeza Avenue (now known as Jalan Hospital). Formerly known as Malay Secondary School, this all-boys school was built by the Malayan government in 1957. In 2011, STAR was awarded the prestigious High Performance School title by the Ministry of Education Malaysia.

The beginning

In 1956, with the identification of a few hundreds promising rural children who had completed their Malay primary level education, and their placement in a few selected schools in Ipoh, Pulau Pinang, Kuala Lipis, Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bharu; the children were chosen to be the pioneer students of the first three Malay residential secondary schools for rural children which were being planned in Ipoh, Tg. Malim, and Melaka. These schools were later known as Sekolah Tuanku Abd Rahman (STAR), Ipoh; Sekolah Dato' Abdul Razak (SDAR), Tg. Malim; and Sekolah Tun Fatimah (STF), Melaka.

In 1957, 360 of these 13–15-year-old children were placed in five old wooden military barracks vacated by the Malay Regiments, at what was then known as Baeza Avenue, Ashby Road, Ipoh (the site where Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Kinta, Jalan Hospital, Ipoh, now stands).

For these children, the military barracks, with twelve wooden classrooms, were to become their “home” and their school, known as the Malay Secondary School (MSS), Ipoh. Classrooms, sleeping quarters (dormitories), dining hall etc. were all cramped in the barracks within barbed wire fences surrounding the 4-acre site. There was no space for the school to have a hall, or a playing field.

History

View over Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman indicating the Academic Block, Six Hostel Blocks, Three Fields and the Dining Hall. Picture circa 60's

The school started on January 13, 1957, with the admission of 200 of these children into Form One. And in the first week of March, another 160 joined the school to commence their study in Remove Class. A year in what was called “Remove Class” was deemed necessary for every intake of students at the start. The purpose was to equip the students with sufficient command of English language that would enable them to commence their secondary education with English as the medium of instruction. Hence nearly as much as 60-70% of the time in Remove Class was devoted to the teaching and learning of English Language. The Remove Class, however, ceased to exist when Bahasa Malaysia was made the sole medium of instruction in secondary schools in the country in the early 1970s.

Teaching was done by a group of 15 teachers led by En Hamdan b Sheikh Tahir (Allahyarham Tun Hamdan b Sheikh Tahir) as the first principal. Classes were conducted following the standard curriculum offered in the English medium secondary schools of the day. A firm believer in the provision of well-rounded education, En Hamdan ensured from the beginning that co-curriculum activities became an important part of school life. Hence associations such as the English and Malay Literary and Debating societies were initiated. as soon as the boys settled in. A Boy Scout group, a Red Cross Society and a St. John Ambulance Association group were also formed within the first few months. The lack of a school hall did not deter the boys from staging a school play for the town folks using another school hall at ACS Ipoh. The absence of a school field of their own did not prevent the boys from playing soccer, hockey and rugby two days a week on “borrowed” ground at the Anderson School new field. The tradition of having Annual School Sports Day was also started in the first year when on 12 July 1957, using the Anderson School field, the school held its first School Sports Day. In essence, despite the constraint of space, and other shortcomings, under the sterling stewardship of the Principal, En Hamdan, supported by a group of young energetic teachers, the school was kept busy in lying the foundation of a school tradition that was to become the pride of all STARIANs.

The busy first year also saw a number of VIPs visiting the school. Since it was the first fully residential school to be established for rural children in the country, and indeed it was a new phenomenon in the country’s education system, the school was visited by many distinguished officials including YB Dato Abd Razak Hussain, the Deputy Prime Minister and the former Minister of Education; Mr JN Davies, the Chief Education Adviser, Federation of Malaya; and Sir Donald MacGillivray, the British High Commissioner to the Federation of Malaya.

The official opening

The scene overlooking the Main Hall and Academic Block

May 14, 1958, is one of the most significant dates in the school history. The day marked the beginning of STAR as it is now known. On that auspicious day the name Malay Secondary School (MSS) gave way to the new name “STAR” after the school was officially opened and renamed “Sekolah Tuanku Abd Rahman” Ipoh, by the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Allahyarham Tunku Abd Rahman Putra.

The hope and the aspiration the government placed on the school in helping the Malays were reflected by some of the words of the Yang Dipertuan Agong, the Prime Minister, and the Minister of Education in their messages commemorating the day:

"The main object of your school is to impart knowledge more particularly in English and to mould character, and it is imperative that there should be schools of this kind in Malaya, if the Malays, as a race, are to be able to climb the educational ladder and to enter technical colleges and universities."

—Yang Dipertuan Agong, Istana Negara, KL., 26 April 1958

"The official opening of this residential secondary school is an event of vital importance for all young Malay boys. Coming from kampongs all over the country they will find here every facility for training under the best conditions, providing a firm foundation for their work and study in the years to come……….As Tuanku Abd Rahman School is the first of its kind, it can be both a spur to the ambitions of the people and an inspiration to all Malays."

—Tunku Abd Rahman, Prime Minister, Fed. Of Malaya., 8 May 1958

"The ceremony today marks a new chapter in the history of Malay education, a milestone for the Malay secondary education, since the first primary Malay schools were started about ninety years ago……The school, as well as the other Malay Secondary Schools and classes, have been established with the purpose of meeting the wishes and resolution of the Government and the people of independent Federation of Malaya towards raising the standard of Malay education, and through it, to attain further development of the Malay language and the improvement of the living standards of the Malays."

—Mohd Khir Johari, Minister of Education, Federation of Malaya., 10 May 1958

The official opening and the renaming of the school was symbolized by the Prime Minister unveiling a brass plaque with the inscription of the school name mounted on a granite boulder placed in the roundabout in front of the main school block. The ceremony was witnessed by the whole school in the presence of many dignitaries including the Deputy Prime Minister, YAB Dato Abd Razak Hussain, Federal Ministers and the Menteri Besar of Perak YAB En Ghazali Jawi. The occasion was celebrated with an exhibition of handiwork put up by the boys, a mass drill and a display by a military band, a soccer match between the young school team and the junior team of the Malay College Kuala Kangsar, and a variety concert.

The motto

A month after MSS was established, on 20 February 1957, the school launched its motto - “Ilmu Panduan Hidup” . It also decided to have red and white as the school colours. Following that the school flag and the school badge were designed. And later in the year the school song “Ilmu Panduan Hidup” was composed. Indeed the motto and the song “Ilmu Panduan Hidup” could not be more in reflecting the mission and the tradition the school wanted to establish.

Hostel and houses

The boys were accommodated in six blocks of hostel. Each hostel was supervised by a teacher-warden who lived in the warden’s flat in the same building. To look after the discipline and the well being of the boys in the hostels, the warden was helped by a few prefects appointed among the more senior boys.

Each hostel was identified as a “House” simply named after a colour: Green, Blue, Black, Red, White and Yellow. This “house system” promoted cooperation and a deep sense of esprit de corp among the boys in the same house. And it also provided a basis for competitions in many areas such as games, athletics, and debates. hostel-based House System was changed and modified a few times during the course of the school history to suit the situation of the day.

Sunday inspection

One of the many steps taken to instill discipline and to train the boys to keep themselves and their surrounding neat and clean at all times was the enforcement of Sunday Inspection.

School anthem

Bangunlah wahai teman-temanku,
Berkorban segenap tenagamu,
Bersama berusaha memajukan bangsa,
Serta tanah air kita.

Bangunlah tuntut segala ilmu,
Tunjukkan kebaktianmu,
Jangan membuang masa,
Dengannya sia-sia,
Kerna ILMU PANDUAN HIDUP.

Sports

School's fields, consisting of two rugby fields and one football field

Sports have been synonymous with the development of STAR. It has excelled in many areas of the sporting activities. The students take to the game seriously as serious as they are in their academic pursuits. They are encouraged to immerse themselves in sports. This not only serve to break the monotony and the regimentation of living in boarding schools but serve to inculcate the self-confidence, the can do attitude and the "gung-ho" spirit. The games that they competed and won against the best in the nations analogise breaking of mental paradigms for many. This illustrated the self-empowerment philosophy of positive mental attitudes.

In rugby where STAR's dominance went unchallenged for many years. STAR was Perak state champion for many years. Its apex was winning the Mori Trophy in 1968. Many of the players went on to don state and national colors . During its glorious heyday STAR's team is well-known and a mere mention of their name struck fear in the hearts of many opponents. The rugby's team battlecry of "Cobra tasha, Cobra tasha, cobra tasha sina sina ooiii" is the embodiment of the school's spirit. The most exciting event in school's rugby calendar looked forward by everybody is the match with Malay College Kuala Kangsar; a traditional rival for many years.

Cheer songs

A rugby match between Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Sekolah Dato' Abdul Razak in which both are contesting the line out; the cheer group can be seen on the background.

Cheer songs are part of the tradition of the school. The cheers are sung to support the school team in sports (usually in football and rugby). The cheers are a compilation of catchy songs in malay and English. The cheers are always led by one or more cheerleaders, who are final year seniors. There are about fifty cheer songs of the school, for example:

Rouse Up (considered as second school song)

Rouse up rouse up young Starians all,
Through out the land our voice resound,
It's Tuanku Abdul Rahman's call,
To win for him our youth our town,

Stand stead fast Starians for your right,
Your word your dignity your pride,
Come march along we'll conquer all the world,
Young Starians side by side,

To this glorious school we give,
Our pledge of loyalty and love,
Oh teachers always in our heart,
Behold the golden age of STAR,

Stand stead fast Starians for your right,
Your word your dignity your pride,
Come march along we'll conquer all the world,
Young Starians side by side

Co-curicular achievements

80's - 90's era

Year	Competition/Championship	Achievements
1981	Sulaiman Cup 10-aside rugby	1st champion
1985	National Inter-Residential Cricket	Champion
1988	Enter 3 finals during Piala Perdana Menteri	Won English and Malay debate, runners up in Basketball
1991	Interschool rugby in Perak	Champion
1994	Cricket Team in Piala Perdana Menteri	Champion
1996	Malay Debate Team in Prime Minister's Cup (PPM) Debate Championship	Champion

00's era

Year	Competition/Championship	Achievements
2001	Rugby U-15 State of Perak	Champion
2002	Basketball North Zone PPM (HKSBP North Zone)	Champion
2004	Under-14 SBP North Zone Football Tournament	Champion
2004	Under-14 Rugby Sultan Yusuf School 'Gajah Cup'	Champion
2006	Penilaian Menengah Rendah (Standardized Exam)	Best in the country
2007	State Band Marching Competition	Third Place
2007	IIUM Interschool Debating Championship	Runner-Up, Zuhri Kamil Best Speaker Overall
2008	IIUM Interschool Debating Championship	Champion
2009	SBP and CLUSTER Festival Winds Orchestra at PICC	Finals
2009	Northern Zone of Biennial SBP Drama Competition 2009	Champion
2010	National Premier Schools Rugby Cup	Champion
2011	MCKK Premier 7's Rugby Match	Plate Champion
2011	Malay Debate Team in Piala Perdana Menteri (PPM) Debate Championship	Champion

1956-1965

• 2 January 1957 - MSS operated from a temporary site (a former British Army Barrack) at Baeza Avenue, Off Ashby Road, Ipoh, Perak with 360 students. The first Headmaster of the School was Tuan Hj. Hamdan Bin Sheikh Tahir.
• 26 July 1957 - the last British High Commissioner to Malaya Sir Donald MacGillivery paid a visit to the School.
• 6 January 1958 - the school moved to its present site along Tiger Lane, Ipoh ( now Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah).
• 14 May 1958 - official opening and renaming of the school by the first Prime Minister of Federation Of Malaya YTM Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj.
• The school is now known as Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman, named after the first Yang Di Pertuan Agong of the Federation, His Majesty Tuanku Abdul Rahman.
• 23 September 1958 - Royal Visit by the His Majesty Yang Di Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Rahman.
• November 1959 - first batch of students sat the Lower Certificate of Education examination.
• January 1960 - Form Four classes started.
• 14 September 1961 - the US Ambassador made a visit to the School.
• November 1961 - STAR’s first batch of candidates ( 155 ) sat for the combined Cambridge Overseas School Certificate/Federation of Malaya Certificate examinations.
• January 1962 - Form Six Classes started.
• November 1963 - STAR’s first batch of Upper Six Classes ( Arts and Science ) sat for the Overseas Higher School Certificate examination.
• January 1964 - girl student was admitted (STAR is a boys’ residential school) to the school joining Lower Six Science class.
• January 1965 - 13 girls were admitted to the School entering Lower Six classes.
• 26 June 1965 - the British High Commissioner to Malaysia His Excellency Viscount Head paid a visit to the School.

1966-1975

• 1975 - The School stopped the enrolment of pupils into Remove Classes

1976-1985

• January 1981 - STAR witnessed the enrolment of first 2nd generation Starian. Alimin Ismadi the son of Ismail Salleh ( second batch ) joining Form One.
• June 1981 - official launch of Kelas Matrikulasi Sains with Universiti Sains Malaysia.
• 1982 - STAR celebrated Silver Jubilee.
• 15 August 1982 - Hussein Salleh ( first batch )created history when he returned to the School as its Principal.

Alumni

Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman Old Boys Association logo

The alumni of this school is affiliated as STAROBA; the concise term of the word Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman Old Boys Association. This association includes all levels of students who had studied in school during the past years. The society is also often involved in various activities either within or outside the school grounds like Old Boys Weekend and other sporting events involving alumni of other premier schools. President of the association currently is Datuk Mohd Nasir Ahmad, CEO of PUNB Bhd.

Notable alumni includes:

• Y.B Datuk Mohd Nasir Ahmad - President of Malaysian Institute of Accountants
• Y.B Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin - Deputy Finance Minister
• Y.B. Tan Sri Annuar Musa - Former Minister of Youth and Sports; presently President of Kelantan Football Association (KAFA)
• Y.B. Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin - Deputy Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Community
• Y.B. Datuk Seri Idris bin Jusoh - Former Terengganu chief minister, Chairman of MARA (Majlis Amanah Rakyat)
• Datuk Zamani Abdul Ghani - Former Deputy Governor, The Central Bank of Malaysia
• Y. Bhg. Professor Datuk Dr. Zainal Kling - Former Vice-Chancellor of University Malaya

External links

• http://www.staripoh.com
• http://www.psbstar.watch-media.info
• http://www.budakstar.net
• http://obw2006.blogspot.com/
• http://star50yearbook.blogspot.com/
• http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ipoh-Malaysia/Sekolah-Tuanku-Abdul-Rahman-Ipoh/36249439403?v=info
• http://www.staroba.org/