The Mighty Ducks Project: Tribute

Dedicated to the Bapak Itiks, coaches and all who have helped throughout the last four years, especially from the Class of 94

Finally we come to this. It’s a lot to write for the last few days when I am not in the best of health, but we have been yearning for this closure for a long time so we should get over and done with it. As always, I planned a while back what to write but with only Kristi sleeping by the laptop and a hungry stomach, I have forgotten everything.

The natural place to start is to thank all of you for agreeing to be a part of this journey. The lesson that you should learn is to be careful before you agree anything with me, because it’s always more than meets the eye (ha ha). To be fair to me, I didn’t expect that we would be drawn so much into it that it consumed us the way it did. By the end of 2008, it has become so personal and intertwined with us that extricating ourselves from this venture would not have been easy.

The first part of the journey was so melodious and happy that I wish it stayed that way throughout, before we started to encounter dead walls all around us. However, with a benefit of hindsight, it was the dead wall that tested our friendship and understanding of each other – though it was not always happy and easy, we stayed true to the reason why we agreed to this on that fateful night at Pelita in 2007.

So what was the reason?

My reason was simple – to keep company with each other and we needed a reason for us to come together. I have this complex in my mind that everything happens for a reason and I over-read in everything that happens around me. Each of us has a specific purpose and role to play – in all of us, I see very special roles that we will have to play for each other in the future, so keeping the bond intact was important.

Hockey in MCKK was a convenient cause. We couldn’t touch rugby because it is sacred to some others; football was not as neglected as hockey. As I travelled to and fro Kuala Kangsar in between 2004 and 2006, I realised the hockey boys came down on their own without any adults. The attendance was poor, but some of them persevered. That must have counted for something.

And I was fairly proud of our hockey team because you guys were close and continued to play for MCOBA. The arrangement was convenient (and fated) because among us, we had the expertise to help a team so abandoned in MCKK. It was most convenient for me because in all sincerity, I needed the company more than the longing to see MCKK excels in hockey again (ha ha).

Of course, true to our culture, we predicted correctly that the school wouldn’t have agreed to our assistance without any big names. Our culture suppresses the talents and contributions of the smaller people; there is an obvious bias for establishment and power. The decision to include Thorsten was perhaps the best decision we had made throughout the project.

I had enjoyed every moment of the Mighty Ducks years although occasionally we went through arguments, but then I am notorious for tantrums and mood swing (which is not a new thing as you guys have known me for the last 20 years). The early years were the best, as we were full of ideas and determination to see this through. Looking back, obviously a thick fitness instruction sent all the way from Beijing, for the boys to follow was a bit too ambitious. We forgot that it required the boys to have self-discipline; which obviously remains a key issue till the end.

Or who can forget the first Mighty Ducks Cup that we organised in Manjung? We were asked to cancel last minute and on the day itself, we found out there was a double booking before the boys arrived from KK. The list of dramas from Mighty Ducks years can fill up an entire book!

But what is most precious is when it was all over we would regroup and had a blast. The customary big dinner full of jokes and fun time after each big event would go down as the best part of the Mighty Ducks experience.

I can go on and on recalling every single moment but we will bore others to death. It’s very difficult to understand how much it means to us unless you go through it yourself. I went through the photos and videos over the years (and in between us we have thousands of photos and hundreds of videos) – just as much as the eagerness in the eyes of the boys was genuine, the happiness on our faces was equally priceless.

It’s precisely because those moments are priceless to us that I feel we should keep it where it belongs – privately in our hearts. As we grow older, may we look back at those moments as one of the best moments growing old; in the same way that we cherish the MCKK years as one of the best moments growing up.

At the stadium last week, I did have tears in my eyes – not because the boys lost, because we were at the end of the road. We were at the end of a journey that was so perfect in every sense and frankly I don’t know whether we can find the time (or have the patience and energy) to walk down a similar road in the future (the optimistic part of me keeps saying “we may yet Mr Frodo, we may” but we all know it is not going to be easy).

So what did we achieve?

The most certain part is we did not win Perak championship (if there is one) as carelessly set as the final target by KNO at the beginning. We didn’t even beat Clifford ha ha (though we did narrow the gap and each year the Clifford boys must have admired the fighting spirit of the MCKK boys). We did come close to the national final for SBP twice (losing by penalty flick in 2007 and losing by one goal in 2010 in the equivalent of semi-final) but that is nothing to shout about.

So did we fail?

Depends.

We definitely failed in the winning department, but we won their hearts big time. The ability to touch someone’s life, to have an impact on his memory for a very long time, to inspire someone to go beyond what he thinks he was capable – is an achievement far bigger than any cups in any tournaments. And we did this constantly each year with each batch as we extend our hands and hearts to them.

When they lost, the teary eyes betrayed their sadness for letting us down; more than for the loss itself. Each year or after each of our visit, the SMS sums up their feeling and warmth for having us around. The capacity to bring the best out of a quiet boy and turn him into a cheerful person who returns the trust back to us; is a victory that cannot be exchanged with any goals.

So when we look back to our years in Mighty Ducks, I hope we all see the smiling faces of these boys – not the heartbreaks we went through trying to stay on course when everything was stacked against us. Not only we had to contend with limited resources, we had personalities in and out of the school trying to bring the whole project down in any ways they could.

Hopefully, one day these smiling faces will reflect and return our kindness to the next generation. May they find rooms in their heart and small pocket to extend assistance to those after them, because throughout all this we taught them that life in service of others is the only life worth living.

But perhaps the biggest achievement of Mighty Ducks was never a target to begin with. Our painful experience observing and going through the troubles on the ground of MCKK convinced us of what needed to be done for the sake of Malay College. When the trumpet was sounded and the battle line drawn, it took its toll and dragged everyone that was ever connected with Mighty Ducks into it. It did not occur to me that it would take that long to accomplish (therefore I under-estimated the pain it would eventually inflict on all of us), but in the end the outcome was the best for MCKK. We may not win any tournament, but we won the bigger battle that was more critical for the well-being of MCKK in the long run. If we had not been so close to the ground, we wouldn't have witnessed the continuous damage being done to the school and we wouldn't have had the conviction to push through what had to be pushed through.

As we withdraw into our small existence, don’t despair that all was in vain, because Allah in all His greatness rewards what is due. I used to tell this to everyone and I still believe this – the kindness that we invest in other people’s children, Allah will return in other people’s investment in ours in the future. Teach others so that others can teach ours in the future.

Finally, let me end this journey in the same way that we had started it years ago (what seems to feel a long time by now) – by thanking you for believing in the whole enterprise and by apologising for being ultimately a human being.

I thank you for the sacrifices of time that you have made, leaving your wives and children (especially on the eve of her birthday leaving for a game at 1 am!) to cheer for a group of boys whom wouldn’t even remember your face the next time you turned up.

Thank you to the wives – I do not need to mention names here because we go by heart by now – for understanding that your husbands have to do this at this stage; that they need to reconnect with things beyond the daily confine of a family life in order not to lose touch with the bigger picture of life. Thank you for looking after the children while they were happily having fun (ha ha!) or for cheering for the team, making it feel homely as one big family.

I apologise for my transgression, harsh words and impatience – it’s a mark of how close we are that I know you would take all of them in good faith knowing I have little time for anything that I touch.

Sorry for my hot-headedness, thinking that I know best for everything and I have the final call for anything – when in reality the Mighty Ducks Project shall remain a figment of our imagination without the collective efforts of everyone.

Thank you to everyone from the Class of 94 who never fail to give a ringgit or two to lift our financial burden, although you don’t have much to begin with. Thank you for taking pride in the boys as much as we had. Thank you for the cheering and support as we follow the boys as a groupie from one tournament to another.

Thank you to the ex-hockey players from various batches (in particular from the Class of 92 and Class of 96), who had provided great support throughout the years and willingly travelled to Kuala Kangsar to become sparring partners for the boys.

Thank you to a few individuals (whose names I won’t put here) who drew inspiration from the whole Mighty Ducks journey and contributed financially to the efforts, though they are unrelated whatsoever to MCKK.

Lastly, thank you to 3 great individuals whose magnanimity and big heart beat all of us – for in their sincerity we see value in the whole project; from their kindness we drew strength to finish it.

Thank you to Mr Thaman Singh, Mr N Jeyapala and Mr Thorsten Heidelberg who showed us that kindness knows no boundary, colour, religion or place. What a fate that of all the things in the world, we were brought together by a struggling hockey team in a small place called Kuala Kangsar.

We can’t see into the future, but I for one know that I come out of the whole experience more level-headed and mellow as a person. I am sure as much as we have touched the boys’ lives they too have touched ours in various positive ways.

Thank you for believing – may the spirit of giving is alive on the hockey pitch of MCKK for many years to come. Rain or shine, the show must go on.

THE MIGHTY DUCKS PROJECT were:

Hafiznizam Hashim - Epit (E27)

Mohd Nadzrie Azhar – Mpro (E46)

Ahmad Johari Jaffar – Joe (E67)

Didee Ezral Rashdi – Chibiok (E – ha ha aku dah lupa!)

Affendi Rashdi – Badut (E – pun aku dah lupa)

Khairul Nizam Omar – KNO (OK aku give up with no dobi)

Idzam Noor Shahidan – Ezam (errr E135?)

Wan Azman Wan Mahmud – Wong (E24)

Mohd Hazly Abdulah – Chamat (shit Chamat is going to kill me)

Syed Asrul Shahrim Syed Abdullah – Pak Tuan (he he E..... 82?)

Radin Mazlan Radin Baharuddin – Radin (E99), the resident t-shirt & banner artist

Syahril Nizam Jumaili, Class of 93 – Canoe (D – kalau aku tahu ni scandalous la)

(did I miss anybody?)

FOOTNOTE

Don’t Stop Believing is a natural choice no matter how corny it is. Besides, it relates better to their generation (ha ha ha).

I was actually quite impressed with the cheering considering we had to compete with the jeering STAR boys ha ha. We attracted more attention with the girls compared to the game (who snapped a few pictures or two), unfortunately much to Chibiok’s frustration they were all underage.

The Mighty Ducks Project: Parting Gift

Dedicated to all hockey players who had gone through us, 

from the Class of 2007 to Class of 2014.

Dear boys

By the time you receive this letter, it would have been almost a week since the national tournament. We said a lot of things back then I am not sure whether you kids can memorise all.

Truth is, you don’t need to memorise lessons in life – they will come back to remind you. Lessons in life are almost like dejavu, you only recall it as you go through a similar experience in the future.

It’s been a very long time since I last wrote to you kids. I checked my records and that was in 2008. It will be ironic that to many of you, this letter is the first and the last. Most of you will not understand what is written here, and you don’t need to understand half of it until you achieve adulthood. So I ask you to keep this letter and revisit it one day, when your mastery of the language is a lot better and it will make a lot of sense.

I must congratulate all of you for playing well and showing a fighting spirit worthy of MCKK. That couldn’t have happened if you had not worked hard and understood the meaning of this all – for that I must thank all of you.

When I was in Form 5, your present HM was my English teacher for 2 years. He was also very close to me by our association in the debating team – Mr Anand was the debating coach as well as football coach. His age then was more or less our age now. My batch was very close to him and Cikgu Yati because we came in together in 1990 and he coached our football team, but towards the end of our Form 5, he had to attend a long course in Singapore so he didn’t have the chance to say goodbye face to face to us. He faxed us a simple letter from Singapore, dedicated to all of us in Class of 94, as follows:

“To the Class of 94 – you gave so much joy and so less pain. A teacher couldn’t have asked for more”

Growing up in the shadow of an old boy like one Anand Baharuddin taught us many things that subconsciously we brought into our daily lives. As we grow older, our worldview of tolerance and “happy go lucky” was not much different from what he was at our age. He was not judgmental and so we became as we grew older. The influence of a mentor to look up to when you grow up is one the most important difference that Malay College had offered in the past – I grew up in the shadows of great people who have great talents and offered themselves for services to the society.

That was the cornerstone of the Mighty Ducks Project – to ensure that the MCKK boys, drawn from all corners of Malaysia and represented the best and ablest of our Malay boys – can grow up in a shadow of people they can look up to and in the process realise their greatest potential. Sports is a medium, through which we learn brotherhood, pain, agony, joy, laughter, hard work, discipline, leadership, gentlemen manners, perseverance and all the traits that set us apart from others.

The Mighty Ducks Project was conceived over teh tarik in one mamak restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. We didn’t have money, we didn’t have big budget or big names to back us up, we only have one thing. We have honesty and the foolish (and naive) worldview that when your heart is right, Allah will guide and help you.

True enough, money was never the biggest problem although you boys consumed a lot. In the early days, we had to pamper your seniors a lot to build the bonds with us – so they had a lot more meals and privileges compared to you. Over the years our trips to KK increased exponentially that took a big toll on our monthly expenditure. There came a point that we have to buy all your sporting equipments for the team that was not cheap for one whole hockey team.

But we managed and we survived. Somehow there’s always someone from our batch, or other ex-hockey players, who chip in to pay.

We managed and we survived because we wanted to continue to go back. We wanted to continue to go back because you kids were worth every little second and ringgit we spent on you. We beamed with pride when your skills improved from week to week and we never stopped talking about you kids after each game – recalling who did what, or how this kid has grown etc.

You and your seniors represented one of the best parts of my (and our) life for the last four years – because you provided so much joy and escape from the world that we are in. You represent innocence, honesty, originality and most importantly hope. You are my hope that I can provide hope to strangers I meet in my life. You are our living evidence that there’s still so much kindness in this world despite whatever dirt we go through each day. Your eyes represent eagerness that is hard to describe – I wish you never lose that look in your eyes as you grow older because the world will be a better place if everyone has the same honesty.

Of course I had a laundry list of wishes unfulfilled too. I wish you were as close to us as your seniors had been, but I also understand that over the years our age gap widens and I am close to your parents’ age to some of you, so it’s only natural that there is a communication wall. I wish you write and express yourself more so that I don’t have to guess what goes through your mind, but then I also wish the same thing with my nephew and he too had difficulty expressing himself. I wish you picked up things a lot quicker and win more games, yet I know this is not about winning.

And most importantly, I wish this could go on forever but you and I know it has to come to an end. It is not our place to be around you all the time and it was never meant to be this way. We were meant to supplement whatever support you have from the environment you live in.

So with a heavy heart, we have to say good bye. We will come back occasionally for events that had become landmarks for Mighty Ducks Project i.e. the annual camping and The Mighty Ducks Cup. We will try to be at your tournaments but that will be increasingly difficult as our schedules won’t match (or we won’t be able to bend backwards to match our schedules anymore). I know that going to tournaments without us for the first time might be awkward, but you are Malay College boys and you know how to carry yourself to our standard.

Finally, what is to become of you and me and the whole Mighty Ducks experience.

I want you to know how much you have been loved and how lucky to have been loved unconditionally. You kids have formed a major part of our life and we took interest in you as much as we took interest in our own kin. Your smile and laughter moved us, your sadness and sorrow pained us. My hope is one day you look back and return our kindness to the next generation – knowing that as much as Mr Anand had had a great impact on our upbringing, we hope that we too had a similar impact on your upbringing for the last four years.

I also want you to know that you are a bunch of talented kids. When I see you, I do not see Nasa, Zul, Azu, Mizan, Amo, Haziq, Mirza, Syahmie, Nash, Apai, Tuan or Amir – I see great doctors, lawyers, leaders in your own right in the future. We want you to go as far as you can in the future, much better than anyone of us had been thus far – so that you can give more than you take.

For that, you must believe in yourself and all the things you are capable of, in the same way that we believe in ourselves when we first wanted to do the Mighty Ducks Project though the odds were stacked against us. Faith and belief is a powerful combination – I hope if you learn anything from Mighty Ducks, you learn to believe in yourself.

So we come to this point when we must say good bye formally to you. I hope you had given thoughts about how to do one final appreciation for Mr Thaman, before he goes into his next adventure.

As for us, we do not ask anything in return – only to remember the best of Mighty Ducks years, because that is how we remember each one of you. When you look at the jerseys, we hope you remember us. When you go down to the turf, we hope you remember how difficult it was to bring you to the turf in the initial years. When eventually you will have a cheering squad supporting you, we hope you remember how it used to be a group of 5 – 10 mad old boys who sang endlessly for you at your tournaments, since no one else ever bothered. When one day hockey has made a come back as a major game in MCKK, we hope you remember it was not always the case and you and us had fought a long battle and journey for the recognition.

Beyond that, the pleasure has been ours all along. One day when you are at our age, I hope you too see the wisdom of doing this and why it is so important for the sanity and purity of your soul.

I wish you all the best in your future endeavours, we are always a phone call away. Have a nice rest because rain or shine, the show must go on. Mr Pala will see you on the hockey pitch each day at 5 pm, sharp.

FOOTNOTE


You Found Me is apt to describe how we found each other and provided emotional cushion for the last four years. We found each other among ourselves and re-make a friendship and brotherhood that otherwise would have drifted away. The boys found us and though certain things could have been better, deep inside I know they will go through withdrawal as much as we have to, because the bond has been much stronger than a normal old boy - present boy relationship.

The Mighty Ducks Project: The Final Chapter

I have thought about this final piece for a very long time. How and where to start; and lately I thought I should just let it pass.

But Mighty Ducks represents a lot more than just hockey or an unexplainable obsession with a team of boys trying to play good hockey or the world of Malay College. Mighty Ducks was a four year journey that had formed a significant part of our lives. To let it pass without a good closure, is to allow a significant part of our lives in the last 4 years to linger on without a finality.

"For Sam to be whole, all the baggage of the past must move on – and that includes Frodo." 

Poignant as any tale of good-byes can be, The Mighty Ducks Project has to move on too. We have to say good bye to the boys whom we have watched over since their first year playing hockey to the time they learn to express themselves more adroitly. We have to suppress the guilty conscience of leaving Mr Pala on his own to look after the boys as we withdraw our physical presence drastically after this. We have to contain the sadness of seeing Mr Thaman off, knowing that we may not have much time left with each other.

But moving on is not necessarily a bad thing.

The boys should never have to rely on a group of old boys for emotional and physical support during their most formative years of growing up. Looking back, with a benefit of hindsight, there’s a limit to how much we can be around for them and it’s never a substitute for the adults around them. With a new leadership who was once in our shoes (attached to a group of young boys eager to learn about the ways of the world) things can only get better. Our hope is the people after us can look after the boys and the team much better than we had had in the past.

So, how do I end this final chapter?

The national tournament at Stadium Azlan Shah in Ipoh was a culmination of four months of differences of opinion that split the Mighty Ducks. Over the last few months, we had been hitting a wall when it comes to getting a safe passage to deal with the school. There were roadblocks all over the place and lesser mortals would have given up.

There were 3 school of thoughts among us – to confront and call the bluff; to walk away and don’t even bother and to manage the school just to hold on to the final tournament. We had too many disagreements that finally there was an impasse.

It was against this backdrop that all of us went to the final tournament last week. It was meant to be a final celebration of Mighty Ducks albeit with mixed feelings and a sense of unfinished business.

I drove to KK on the last Sunday before the tournament to give the boys their new jerseys and wished them luck. It was short and concise. I bet my words did not change much as far as their motivation was concerned, but I wanted to see them knowing that I will see them less and less before we all become strangers in the future. The boys did not say much (apart from Amir, the others were with the usual shyness and difficulty to express themselves) but Mr Thaman did pass a letter. I somehow felt I knew the content of the letter and it was confirmed as I read it on the way back to KL.

I was only back in Malaysia the night before the tournament began. Mpro, Pak Tuan, Chibiok and Badut were already in Ipoh. I thought of going to Ipoh with Chibiok and Badut but I arrived late and was too tired to go to Ipoh straight away. The next morning, Epit, Radin, Ezam, Canoe and myself made our way to Ipoh separately.

Due to a slight change in the tournament schedule, I missed the first game. Mpro sent a message that the boys were down 1 – 0 with SDAR, so I thought that was the end of the tournament. Losing in the first game most probably means losing the psychological advantage for the rest of the games.

15 minutes later, apparently we were already leading by 2-1. We won against SDAR and the boys did the same thing again with SHAH Pekan. They scored first and we managed to come back. At the end of the first day, we were through to the next round. By this time, we were joined by Fadhil and Bo(b)utcher .

I decided to give a final pep talk of Mighty Ducks Project (from me) at the end of the last game on the first day, as the boys’ game came down from one game to another. At the rate they were going, we would have a tough day facing the giants like Sains Machang or Sains Johor.

We bought the boys ice cream and when the last one got his ice cream, I realised there was an Alam Shah boy among them. He asked us whether we were old boys and I can see in his eyes how he wished he could have the same for his team too.

The problem with MCKK is we always take things for granted – we take for granted that our boys are the smartest and ablest, we take for granted that there will always be a group of crazy people with undying devotion to it. We take this for granted, while others watch us forlornly and with a tinge of jealousy wishing that the same thing could have been true to other schools too.

I didn’t plan to give feedback about their games to the boys. I knew it would be my last pep talk as I already decided not to say anything on the last day – it would have been too sad to say good bye and I was never good with good bye. So I set out to tell them what I have kept in my heart – our hopes and dreams of them, of why Mighty Ducks is more than just winning a hockey tournament, of what a special bunch of kids they are and not to ever forget what they can do, if only they put their minds to it. This bunch of boys are not expressive, so apart from sad faces all around, I did not get much response.

I did not join the rest of the group at Chibiok’s place because I was not well and needed some rest (they have a high stamina to laugh at everything under the sun and sleep late, as Mighty Ducks is also their escape from their daily routines).

Finally, the day of reckoning - we scored against Machang first and if we held on, we would have been in the final because Machang had defeated STAR and STAR never won against us. But things didn’t work out and we lost 2-1.

The best we could achieve was to repeat the achievement of 2007 at 4th place. Somehow STAR boys could not contain the need to jeer (ha ha hence the return of MCKO Kopi O jeer that I had become accustomed to), so we had to return the favour with our own cheering. There were many crazy things I could develop in my head, but 10 fat people (Epit, Mpro, Chibiok, Fadhil, Pak Tuan, Canoe, Ezam, Radin, Pyan and me) singing on top of their lung cheering songs that all have forgotten was not part of it. There were moments that it was more of a snippet of “Jangan Lupa Lirik”.

We were through to 3rd/4th placing in the afternoon – so armed with a new determination to give the best for our final stand, Bapak Itiks adjourned for cheering practice at Chibiok’s place (ha ha). By this we mean downloading the lyrics of the songs so chosen for the afternoon into our blackberry and trying to remember the tune. The most difficult to remember was Samudra, but once you recalled it got stuck in your head.

If the past four years of Mighty Ducks was beset with more heart breaks, at least I can look back and smile that the last stand of Mighty Ducks was romantic, sentimental, full of indomitable spirit and in one final stroke, encapsulated what we wanted to achieve through Mighty Ducks all along.

Holland (Class of 09) came back from Penang to watch the game and he was there by 4 pm. What was more touching was that Zul and Nasa (Class of 2010) left the school without permission to watch the game (and Nasa is a senior prefect) taking wrong buses from KK to Ipoh and nearly missed the opening whistle blow. The most perfect moment was when the new HM, Mr Anand arrived with a Mighty Ducks t-shirt that I passed to him over the weekend. That gesture symbolises a greater victory than winning any tournament.

We cheered, they jeered. I wonder how the boys could have felt if we were not there, playing amidst of curses and jeers though that has become a part of standard checklist of our boys. We scored first, unfortunately SMS Selangor came back with 3 goals by the same player, who obviously was the most talented player of the lot. The boys did not give up and fought till the end, but we lost to a better team.

And so we ended Mighty Ducks Project with some sense of victory and satisfaction, though there was more sadness than joy at the end.

As we drove back that night, we knew that it’s almost impossible to relive the moments of the last 4 years because we will age and move on – so the best way is to look back with warmth and big heart, so that we don’t feel bitter or disappointed of the whole enterprise.

One day maybe as we pass through Kuala Kangsar, we may yet see a banner that constantly reminds the boys that “we stand for honour and we will fight with valour” because “rain or shine, the show must go on”. And I hope as the remnants of the Anak2 Itik leave the school batch by batch by 2014, they will always tell the story of Mighty Ducks Project to their juniors, hoping that they get enough inspiration to come back one day.

Photos here and here


FOOTNOTE 1

“Mr Thaman & Mr Pala, thanks for being there today. I know we may be at the end of the road, that's why I really appreciate your being there. Spoke @ length to d boys b4 they left, some of them cried. I hv pulled & exhausted all rabbits I hv in my hat. The rest - the boys will hv to earn it themselves, we've done what we can. And I (the ever optimist) think somehow they will make it to the final. Just one more day & 2 more games :-). I c u tomorrow”

“Ariff, u boys can and should play better. This is ur last chance and I'll feel very sad if ur friends wont give ur dedication and commitment. 2morrow we'll how much u boys luv mc. Do u luv guys mc as I do ~ willing 2 sacrifice my time and looking 4 no money rewards. I am quitting after tournment and I have told old boys. Thaman”

“We r in d second round but u sounded very emotional. I wonder why. The team is where it is today due to ur mates collective efforts with mr thaman n mr pala.”

“Dear boys, thanks 4 good showmanship. It was sad that it has to come to an end. We hv loved u (ur seniors & u) frm day 1 in 2007. Remember everything we taught u. U r in better hands now, do what is best 4 mckk. Maybe one day we'll meet again. Keep in touch, we'll miss u so much. Grow up to be someone we can be proud of. Take care”

“tq for bringing the mighty duck project to the boys and mckk.....very proud being alongside with u and the others for the past 4 years...it was certainly a memorable event...so touched bila dpt sms kau...as an ex-mckk hockey player...tq of making the project a reality and sustainable for the past 4 years...”


“ thanks for everytng that u hve done for us... It is hard to say goodbye because all of your sacrifices towards anak-anak itik... Lastly once more thanks for guide us on how to be true bdk koleq n making our last biggest trnmnt as a success.... :-)”



FOOTNOTE 2

The songs are corny, but that’s the most appropriate songs I can think of.

The first describes our never ending struggle for achievements and each and every one of us is destined for greatness if only we seize the moment.

The second describes the stage that Bapak2 Itik is and the feeling of the last one year:

"The town is colder now, I think it’s sick of us
It’s time to make our move
Stop and stare
I think I’m moving but I go nowhere
Yeah I know that everyone gets scared
But I’ve become what I can’t be
Stop and stare
You start to wonder why you’re here not there
And you’d give anything to get what’s fair
But fair ain’t what you really need
Can you see what I see”

Jejak Kasih: Ustaz Rock

Apai berjaya menjejaki Ustaz Rock @ Ustaz Ariffin di Alor Seaq awal bulan ini.

Mula2 payah lah jugak nak kenal muka dia, dah lama benor tak jumpa. Apai cakap ni bodyguard dia, tenung punya tenung barulah perasan ni bodyguard batch masa Kak Ramlah mengganas dulu.

Ustaz Rock terkenal kerana beberapa perkara:

1) Dia suka mintak budak2 buat PhD pokok nyiok. Aku haram paham benda lain yg dia cakap, kecuali part PhD pokok nyiok. Nak benor dia anak murid dia buat PhD pokok nyiok ha ha.

2) Dia gelak ala2 Mutley dlm cartoon yg race giler2 (ala, yg dia jadi partner si villain and selalunya yg menang race tu minah2 etc, I think it's called Whacky Race).

3) Dia selalu berjaya completekan syllabus by March, kemudian from there tido all the way dalam class. Sekali tu, satu class kena caught ngn HM tido sekali ngn dia ha ha.

4) Ustaz Rock berani, masa Gedebe dok mengamuk lari2 kejar Taufik Ali (Class of 93) kat Admin Block, Ustaz Rock sorang je yang berani tahan Gedebe suruh berhenti ha ha.

Anyway, welcome back Ustaz Rock and Apai patut dapat points sebab Jejak Kasih yang berjaya :-)

Siri Yengko Wuz Ere: Kami Bergambar dgn TS Khalid & YB Nik Nazmi

1) Yengkoz telah bersetuju untuk membei sokongan moral &; perut kepada a fellow budak koleq, YB Nik Nazmi yang telah mengadakan majlis kutipan derma bagi KEADILAN cabang beliau.

2) Hubungan saya (dan arwah Adlan Benan Omar) dengan YB Nik agak lama. Selepas saya keluar dari MCKK, saya (dan arwah) sentiasa mencari-cari junior2 yang boleh dipimpin bersama dan kebolehan/bakat mereka dilentur agar boleh menyumbang kepada masyarakat, dalam apa jua kapasiti.

3) Ini janji kami semasa budak-budak di MCKK dahulu - to seek out and nurture a great sense of national service among our peers and ablest (bunyinya sedikit seperti Star Trek: to seek out new frontiers, to go boldly where no one has gone before - ha ha tipu jer, Star Trek ada connotation tidak sesuai di MCKK dahulu).

4) YB Nik adalah antara junior paling awal menggunakan internet untuk berkomunikasi. Beliau dulu ada sebuah laman web peribadi, berwarna merah dan hitam. Lama-kelamaan kami mula perasan kebolehan beliau menulis, lalu pada usia beliau 15 tahun (rasanya), saya mula menghantar email kepada beliau dari UK.

5) Ditakdirkan beliau juga berjiwa reformis, selepas 1998 beliau banyak menulis mengenai reformasi dan pandangan yang lebih matang dari pelajar seusianya. 

6) Arwah Ben memberikan galakan sepenuhnya kepada beliau untuk menulis, mulanya melalui SuaraAnum dan kemudian, tulisan beliau mula disiarkan di banyak penerbitan.

7) Semasa beliau mula-mula datang ke UK untuk menyambung pelajaran, saya, Fadli dan Allen sudah sampai ke penghujung masa kami di UK (saya sudah pun menamatkan CA saya dan dalam proses untuk pulang, sementara Allen pun di hujung kajian PhDnya dan Fadli tengah berfoya-foya seperti biasa).

8) Kami sambut beliau di Heathrow dan penerbangan lewat beberapa jam (Fadli kept saying: this better be jambu gler ha ha ha). I think he stayed at Fadli's place for a night and we sent him to a hall of residence the next day.

9) Walaupun YB Nik tidak pernah berjumpa dengan kami di MCKK, beliau sudah tentu pernah terdengar reputasi kami sebagai batch kurang pandai dan kurang ajar dan berjaya mencuri line telefon Telekom sehingga bil mencecah beribu-ribu semasa mula-mula masuk MCKK. Melalui hubungan dengan saya, his path with Class of 94 crossed a few times.

10) Jadi kami bersepakat untuk menunjukkan semangat UniteFect! dan TNGGGGGGG dengan memberi sokongan moral kepada junior MCKK kami! Yeahhh!

11) Tapi, sebab sebenarnya adalah untuk memungut mata bagi rumah masing-masing dalam siri Yengkoz Wuz Ere. Jadi tanpa segan silu, kami berjaya meminta TS Khalid bergambar dengan kami semasa beliau menghampiri meja kami.

12) Bukti Yengkoz Wuz Ere telah disiapkan lebih awal lagi. TS Khalid tak kisah bergambar dengan Yengkoz Wuz Ere walaupun dalam hati dia mesti ingat budak MCKK ni giler2.

13) TS Khalid adalah salah seorang hakim pertandingan akhir PPM 1992 yang memberi kemenangan kepada MCKK ha ha, so our path did cross before too.

14) Kemudian, kami berjaya menarik YB Nik pula untuk bergambar dengan Yengkoz Wuz Ere.

15) Oleh kerana ramai yang bekerja kerajaan atau agensi kerajaan, mata-mata mereka perlu dihitamkan untuk menyembunyikan identiti. Bagi Encik MN Kuasa Dua, perutnya juga perlu disembunyikan, kerana dia boleh diID dengan berpandukan perutnya yang unik itu.

16) Selepas itu, kami semua berjalan kaki kononnya nak mencari gerai minum2, bagi meraikan Sdr Mior yang pulang bercuti dari Australia. Gaya jalan yengko seperti biasa ala2 keluar town haram, sambil buat roadblock di tengah jalan.

17) Beberapa minit dah sampai di jalan besar, barulah kami sedar tempat itu sebenarnya Sg Way, nak cari warung halal bukan senang.

18) Terpaksalah kami berpatah balik macam budak2 kena caught keluar town haram, cuma kali ni tak kena tibai di Fects Room (ha ha ha).

19) Akhirnya kami sampai di Maple (kat mana tu?) yang menurut Ir Gadap merupakan port budak2 UM dulu.

20) Kami tertarik kepada Nasi Lemak Yati yang panas2 dan menurut Ir Gadap merupakan nasi lemak paling sedap. Kata Ir Gadap, zaman2 dia student dulu, kalau dia teringatkan Cikgu Yati dia akan makan nasi lemak Yati yang panas2 tu.

21) Malam2 buta, kami pun lahap la sekali lagi nasi lemak Yati (panas memang panas, best memang best, tapi tak de bilis! Aku tak biasa makan nasi lemak tak de lauk ni), telur masak separuh dan otak2.

22) Discussion banyak berkisar kpd cerita koleq. Kawan2 terbelalak mata bila tahu khidmat dobi di MCKK dah tak macam dulu. Kereta Pak Mat Dobi ala2 kereta dalam Crime Story (siap dengan sound track) sudah tak de, Brahim Dobi pun dah buat business lain kot.

23) Encik MN Kuasa Dua menawarkan diri untuk menyamar sebagai pelajar (dia YAKIN dia boleh pass as budak sekolah lagi ha ha ha) untuk membantu menjadi spy Mr Anand ha ha ha.

24) Selepas itu kami masing2 pulang untuk sambung tengok bola (bola World Cup la, bukan tengok bola sendiri).

NOTA KAKI

En Jam Mahal tak mau join(t) kami pergi minum2 sebab tak sabar2 nak balik jumpa bini. Bahang tetap bahang!

Perbincangan mengenai aktiviti UniteFect! ini menjadi lucah spt biasa:

----------------------------------------------------------------------

"yengko sungguh.

akan dapat point.

baju ruff tu kenapa? pancut tala ke atas ke? ke kena kincing?"

"Pancut...Definitely...Gila Banyak!!"

"aku dah agak, soalan ni akan keluar...

aku dah bagtau kat raf prepare jawapan yg logik sikit...

biar raf ajer yg explain."

"tetek aku keluar susu banyak2.

tak dapat nak ditahannya.

dekat dgn gadap, jd deria gadap sungguh kuat automatically susu memancut2. biasa lah gadap = kopek = konek tidak dpt dipisahkan"

"Apsal aku sorang jer dikaitkan ngan kopek? Semua org suka kopek kecuali Nik Azhar sbb tu dia ngaku tak pernah usha kopek kak ramlah dulu."

"ruff = self love.."

"dia order kat suamiperkasa.com, pancut lebih lama."

"lebih lama? lebih banyak & deras?"

"lebih messy

cuba check kat rambut korang. ada terpalit tak ?"

Siri Yengko Wuz Ere: Gadap Belanja di Sari Ratu

Untuk memperhebatkan Siri Yengko Wuz Ere, satu gimmick telah dibuat dengan menjemput budak-budak batch datang ke Sari Ratu, Dataran Sunway Kota Damansara atas alasan untuk meraikan Mr Anand & Cikgu Yati, sebagai terima kasih pengorbanan Mr Anand sanggup buat kerja gila menjadi pengetua MCKK ha ha.

Padahal hari tu, rasanya Mr Anand ada di KK and memang last minute pun inform dia, mustahil lah dia boleh datang (lagipun dia bukan Bochap, sebut makan free je sanggup drive dari Johor).

Laporan-laporan langsung dari Kota Damansara:

Fadli:

Dengan rasa penuh rendah diri dan rasa syukur ingin mengucapkan ribuan terima kasih kepada Ir Gadap kerana telah sudi membelanja rakan rakan makanan yang enak lagi lazat di Sari Ratu Kota Damansara berhdapan dengan bangunan pejabat yang dipunyai beliau sempena meraikan pelantikan Cikgu Anand sebagai HM Yengkoz!

Rugi siapa siapa yang tak datang !!

Gambar gambar akan dilampirkan oleh Ketua Majlis makan makan Rafizi Romeli.

sekian melaporkan dari Kota Damansara

Gadap:

Sama2. Saya juga ingin mengumumkan pemilik jam rolex berharga 25k adalah En Fadli Riza Bin Dato'Ramly dan beliau juga adalah pemilik jam Omega yg berharga dalam 19K. En Rafizi penasihat ekonomi Selangor pula kenching sbb maklum Yatex dan Anand akan datang,sedangkan tidak.Ini kenching kedua beliau selepas kenching pakai Full Malay dirumah Chamat dahulu. Sekian Maklum....hahahaha

Jures:

Ingin juga dimaklumkan cubaan Fadli untuk mencari video Ariel Peterporn gagal apabile apek penjual DVD sendiri tunduk malu apabila diajukan soalan 'itu porno punye takde ke?'.

Oh..ye, makanan di Sari Ratu sungguh lazat terutama 'Tunjang' yang berlemak itu. Terima kasih sekali lagi pada Ir Gadaffi.

Gadap:

Sama2. Dimaklumkan juga saudara Jures hadir memakai baju t-shirt ketat bagi menayangkan kotak belah 6 diperutnya....hahahaha.

Fadli:

Sangat Ketat dan jures datang dalam keadaan sungguh berpeluh peluh selepas lari 10KM

Jures:

Tipu ah tu hahahah.

Gadap:

Jgn bertelagah kita sebagai E51,E52 dan E53 harus bersatu padu!

NOTA KAKI

Presiden Yengkoz Wilayah Utara, Pak Tuan Syed Asrul sampai lambat sikit, so kami dah lahap semua sambil tunggu dia sampai. Lepas tu order la pulak second round kononnya untuk dia, tapi last2 dia makan sekeping dendeng, kitorang dah makan 5 ketul ayam! Kesian Pak Tuan.

Lepas melahap, kononnya nak balik cepat2 nak tengok World Cup - aku sambung bersembang dgn Fadli dlm kereta sambil park tengah2 jalan kat The Curve. Epit mesti jealous, nasib baik tak de RELA lalu lalang kalau tak dah kena tangkap ha ha ha.

Yengkoz Wuz Ere ditulis atas tisu nipis, punyalah payah aku nak bagi nampak. Sebab unlike dulu yg Jures dah print siap2, this time kurang bersedia.

Phantom Menace: Part I

The letter was issued yesterday.

Chamat and I had dinner with Mr Anand, Cikgu Yati and Faiz last night.

So I guess finally it has come to fruition. Not in the way I once imagined it would happen, but it happened nevertheless. There are still a lot of gaps to close and loose ends to tighten in the next few months.

When we plan for something, we always picture the moment it materialises. I learnt a long time ago that it never turns out the way you picture it. Most of the time it is an anti climax.

But a good news is still a good news, especially when in the last few years there was hardly any good news at all. We learn to count our blessing.

When I first thought of it (and started writing a long piece on it) about 2 years ago (October 2008), I never thought it would be bloody and long drawn; that it would drag so many innocent people in its trail. But any "war" is never short and precise, US of A is still in Afghanistan 10 years later ha ha despite the shock and awe tactic made popular in the last decade.

I had always referred to the whole thing/campaign/plot as The Phantom Menace, for reasons only known to me (mostly because I am a Star Wars geek).

After the bruises and exhaustion, the news/outcome does not make that much difference, at least not in the manner I thought I would react.

Yet I am also reminded that anything that is good is worth fighting for, it couldn't have happened any other way.

Good luck MCKK and the batches who will come after this, we finally find a closure.



POSTSCRIPT


I will blog more narratively this weekend, then we all can move on. It's been a tiring 2 years.