Mrs Ang Siew Khim with the writer in batik
by Leang Tian Loong
On Sept 11, 2024, I had the rare privilege of meeting Mrs Ang Siew Khim, my former English language and English literature teacher, after 55 years. The reunion took place at a restaurant in Petaling Jaya’s 3 Damansara Mall.
Our last encounter was more than half a century ago in 1969, the year I left school!
The journey to this reunion was far from easy. Over the years, I made numerous attempts to trace Mrs Ang’s whereabouts, contacting schools where she had taught and even reaching out to alumni but every effort proved fruitless. I had long resigned myself to the thought that I would never meet her again.
Fate, however, had other plans during the 10th anniversary dinner of the Boys’ Brigade (BB8PJ) earlier this month at Dewan Dato’ Tan Leong Min, SJKC Yuk Chai in Petaling Jaya. Mr Bryan Lee, a former superior (he was Vice President of a company involved in the oil and gas industry where I previously worked), invited me to the function.
Bryan was someone whom I have always held in high regard. Somehow, I casually mentioned Mrs Ang’s name, and to my surprise, Bryan took it upon himself to help locate her. Thanks to his efforts and by God’s grace, the long-awaited reunion became a reality after my decades-old search.
Mrs Ang had been my favourite teacher during my schooldays despite my initial disinterest in English. It was under her tutelage that my passion for English blossomed. Her dedication and encouragement led me to ultimately score a distinction in English in the Senior Cambridge, earning me a prize for the best result in English among the Form 5 students in 1969.
I couldn’t help but liken her influence on my life to the storyline of the famous movie “My Fair Lady”. Just as Professor Henry Higgins transformed Eliza Doolittle from a flower girl with poor English into a refined lady, Mrs Ang had reshaped my linguistic abilities, turning a disinterested student into one with a deep passion for English.
Mrs Ang’s husband, Mr Ang Chui Cheng, and Bryan, also attended the lunch filled with much nostalgia. As we reminisced about the past, Mrs Ang quipped with a smile saying she still harboured memories of the essays that I wrote in class. She could still recall that I was then living at the staff quarters of the Eastern Hotel, Nightclub and Cabaret along Jalan Ampang where my late father was working as a waiter.
Mrs Ang seated with her husband, Mr Ang Chui Cheng, with Mr Bryan Lee (standing on the right)
I too surprised Mrs Ang that I could remember her son’s name and her former residence at Hillside Estate near Ampang Jaya where she used to give free tuition on English literature to her students. She is truly my lost and found treasure, gem of a mentor and a teacher extraordinaire who had always been more than willing and ever ready to walk the extra mile for her students’ sake.
During that special lunch, I also brought along three English literature books, a class photo, a hand-written postcard that Mrs Ang sent to me in 1973 as well as the prize which I won for the best result in English among Form 5 students in 1969; precious items that helped to rekindle sweet memories as we walked down memory lane.
To me, Bryan was the architect of what I now refer to as the “Reunion Bridge 55″, a connection that allowed me to reunite with a teacher who had always been so dear to my heart. The reunion was a dream fulfilled after more than five decades. It was a day I will cherish for the rest of my life.
WE