The New Straits Times, 30th Apr 2014
"MEETING OLD FRIENDS: The former cadets of the Royal Military College reunite at the Bangi Golf Resort
BANGI: MEMBERS of the Royal Military College (RMC) alumni cheered with delight when Capt (Rtd) Hussaini Abdul Karim, 62, shouted "Baris... sedia!", as if to get the former cadets ready to march, when it was actually for a photography session.
Some were accompanied by their spouses and children at the reunion dinner at the Bangi Golf Resort, here.
It was a nostalgic night for the retired military officers as they shared fond memories of their college days.
A banner printed with their old photographs was displayed near the stage.
The room was filled with laughter as they joked and addressed each other by their old nicknames.
They were also treated to a slide show of old photographs of their days at RMC.
The old boys of RMC were treated to a scrumptious dinner. They also paid tribute to their fallen comrades.
Maj-Gen (Rtd) Datuk Che Yahya Idris, 61, who was a Royal Malaysian Air Force pilot, was thrilled to catch up with his friends.
"We talked, we laughed and cracked old jokes. It feels good to reminisce about our past experiences.
"We remember how naughty we were in college, how we used to be ragged by our seniors and had to put up with tough training sessions," he said, laughing.
Che Yahya also recalled how he nearly lost his life during flight training.
"In 1973, I was doing my solo training in the Bell 47G helicopter in Perak. There was a technical problem and the engine and fan suddenly caught fire.
"I had to make an emergency landing and, fortunately, I managed to land at a safe place. I managed to escape in time before the helicopter burst into flames. I felt like God had given me a second lease on life," he said.
Lt-Gen (Rtd) Tan Sri Wan Abu Bakar Wan Omar, 65, who was with the Royal Malay Regiment, recalled his encounter with the communists.
"In 1972, I was on duty in Sarawak when I bumped into a group of communists and we fought," said Wan Abu Bakar who is a TDM Bhd chairman.
"They managed to escape. Unfortunately, some of our team members were injured.
"Another unforgettable and sad moment was when two of my colleagues died in my arms during a gunfight with the communists in Kampung Batu Melintang, Kelantan," he said.
Hussaini, president of the organising committee, said it took about a year to organise the reunion dinner.
"The challenge was contacting all the batch mates.
"Some of us had not met for years and it was hard to get their contacts. After much effort, we managed to keep in touch through the Whatsapp and Telegram messaging apps.
"When we were in service, we held a gathering almost every year. We also had a small reunion during our children's weddings.
"This is the second time after three years that we are having a big gathering," he said.
The 82 former cadets were in the 20th intake of the Short Service Commission and the 14th batch of the regular intake of the military college.
The batch were commissioned as second-lieutenants in the army and air force in April 1972.
There were 197 cadets at the time -- 16 were regular cadets and the rest were SSC cadets, of whom 143 were in the army and 38 were in the air force.
Hussaini served in the Royal Artillery Corps for seven years before pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Business Studies. He then joined the corporate sector.
"Although I left the corps quite early, we always kept in touch. Our friendship remained strong despite serving in different regiments and tenures of service," he said.
BANGI: MEMBERS of the Royal Military College (RMC) alumni cheered with delight when Capt (Rtd) Hussaini Abdul Karim, 62, shouted "Baris... sedia!", as if to get the former cadets ready to march, when it was actually for a photography session.
Some were accompanied by their spouses and children at the reunion dinner at the Bangi Golf Resort, here.
It was a nostalgic night for the retired military officers as they shared fond memories of their college days.
A banner printed with their old photographs was displayed near the stage.
The room was filled with laughter as they joked and addressed each other by their old nicknames.
They were also treated to a slide show of old photographs of their days at RMC.
The old boys of RMC were treated to a scrumptious dinner. They also paid tribute to their fallen comrades.
Maj-Gen (Rtd) Datuk Che Yahya Idris, 61, who was a Royal Malaysian Air Force pilot, was thrilled to catch up with his friends.
"We talked, we laughed and cracked old jokes. It feels good to reminisce about our past experiences.
"We remember how naughty we were in college, how we used to be ragged by our seniors and had to put up with tough training sessions," he said, laughing.
Che Yahya also recalled how he nearly lost his life during flight training.
"In 1973, I was doing my solo training in the Bell 47G helicopter in Perak. There was a technical problem and the engine and fan suddenly caught fire.
"I had to make an emergency landing and, fortunately, I managed to land at a safe place. I managed to escape in time before the helicopter burst into flames. I felt like God had given me a second lease on life," he said.
Lt-Gen (Rtd) Tan Sri Wan Abu Bakar Wan Omar, 65, who was with the Royal Malay Regiment, recalled his encounter with the communists.
"In 1972, I was on duty in Sarawak when I bumped into a group of communists and we fought," said Wan Abu Bakar who is a TDM Bhd chairman.
"They managed to escape. Unfortunately, some of our team members were injured.
"Another unforgettable and sad moment was when two of my colleagues died in my arms during a gunfight with the communists in Kampung Batu Melintang, Kelantan," he said.
Hussaini, president of the organising committee, said it took about a year to organise the reunion dinner.
"The challenge was contacting all the batch mates.
"Some of us had not met for years and it was hard to get their contacts. After much effort, we managed to keep in touch through the Whatsapp and Telegram messaging apps.
"When we were in service, we held a gathering almost every year. We also had a small reunion during our children's weddings.
"This is the second time after three years that we are having a big gathering," he said.
The 82 former cadets were in the 20th intake of the Short Service Commission and the 14th batch of the regular intake of the military college.
The batch were commissioned as second-lieutenants in the army and air force in April 1972.
There were 197 cadets at the time -- 16 were regular cadets and the rest were SSC cadets, of whom 143 were in the army and 38 were in the air force.
Hussaini served in the Royal Artillery Corps for seven years before pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Business Studies. He then joined the corporate sector.
"Although I left the corps quite early, we always kept in touch. Our friendship remained strong despite serving in different regiments and tenures of service," he said.
Seated Middle Row 2nd Left, Lt Col (R) Basri Hj Omar
Sganding Left, Maj (R) Norizan Othman , Abdul Rahman Coy
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