By Mikhail Raj Abdullah
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 (Bernama): “Once a Maxwellian, Forever a Maxwellian,” a motto that best describes the late Nadarajah Pasupathi – the no-nonsense but dedicated headmaster of SMK Maxwell from 1968 to 1979.
At almost every reunion of the 107-year-old Maxwell School, his name — rather his mighty cane, which he unleashed on those who failed in their exams, inevitably crops up.
The 50th year of the 1974 Golden Jubilee reunion dinner last month was no exception, as ex-students remembered their beloved headmaster (HM) who passed away in 2010 at 81.
Some 100 “old boys” from as far away as the United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore reminisced a journey full of bittersweet memories at Maxwell, and of course, the dreaded cane!
“All of us surely remember the mighty cane he lashed on our backsides for failing our exams,” Eusuff Ibrahim, a Maxwellian and former senior bank executive said in his speech as the dinner’s Master of Ceremony.
“The fear of the cane prompted some smart alecs to pad their backs with extra clothing to dull the pain. How wrong they were!”
No doubt the all-boys school had a somewhat notorious reputation, but the HM saw it in a different perspective.
“I was looking out for the gangsterism and vandalism, but I found none, only naughty boys,” Nadarajah had written in a letter.
Born on May 19,1929 in Rawang, Nadarajah married fellow teacher Ivy Chia Choon Hock, who stood by his side through thick and thin. They have two children, daughter Sunita and son Arvin.
Mainly teaching Maths and Geography, he was first posted to SK Tunku Besar in Tampin at the age of 19 and later to Maxwell School at Jalan Tun Ismail here.
His son Arvin Nadarajah told Bernama: “Maxwell School defined my father’s teaching career. He couldn’t wait to go to school each morning. He was stern but greatly respected for his fairness and dedication. The boys could see that he really cared for them. He had their best interests at heart.”
Having only compassion for the boys who he described as “his chaps,” Nadarajah nurtured them with strict discipline to prepare their young minds to face real world challenges.
Firmly believing in motivation being the panacea to guide students to the right path, he managed to churn out not only those who excelled academically but some of the finest athletes and sportsmen the nation had ever seen.
Maxwell School’s Hall of Fame sportsmen included footballers Datuk Dell Akbar Khan, Zainal Abidin Hassan, Yeo Swee Hock, Azhar Md Sharif and hockey player ManinderJit Singh.
Fellow Maxwell teacher Poovan Raj, says “Nada”, as he was fondly called, was himself active in sports.
He encouraged “his chaps” to excel in football, hockey, rugby, volleyball, basketball, winning numerous championships with the assistance and coaching of other dedicated staff as well.
“He was a gem of a person, I loved that man. As HM, he was fair to all teachers,” Poovan, an active all-round sportsman himself and a national soccer referee, told Bernama when contacted.
Many students went onto to become successful doctors, lawyers, engineers, bankers, accountants, consultants, public administrators, service industry professionals as well as businessmen.
These Maxwellians played a crucial role in contributing in their own way to the brisk social and economic development of Malaysia from the mid-1980’s.
Eusuff revealed that despite Nadarajah’s strict nature, not many knew the softer side of him. Arvin concurred, saying that his father was also very generous, giving free tuition to underprivileged students and paying school fees for some students whose families faced financial difficulties.
“From his own pocket, he gave money to students who couldn’t afford to eat during recess,” he said.
“I cared for you chaps all the time,” the deeply compassionate Nadarajah wrote in the letter.
Eusuff said the many exams, games, clubs, societies, outings and fights the boys got into actually created bonds of brotherhood and friendship, and they evidently exist among Maxwellians even now.
Being an all-boys school, “we looked forward to the socialising which many of the school’s clubs organised, particularly when girls from other schools were invited,” Eusuff said of the boys, who at that age, were typically described as having raging hormones.
“We took the trouble to dress smartly and it was the only time we used a splash or two of cologne that we borrowed! We used to have games, music and dancing.
One notable feature about school life then was that students spent an immense number of time outdoors like camping, roaming around neighbourhoods, hanging out, cycling, catching spiders, playing cards, spinning tops, flying kites, playing marbles, watching movies at discounted fares then known as cheap matinees.
Eusuff recalled that “the 1970s was also a time when we could buy ice cream for five sen, cendol at 10 sen and a bowl of mee for 15 sen” and claimed that the popiah sold at Maxwell’s “tuck shop” at 10 sen was the best in town!
An unforgettable incident for the students were the big floods of the 70s, which inundated the school as it suffered huge losses when books, files and office equipment like typewriters, printing machines, furniture and blackboards could not be used anymore.
The Maxwellian spirit shone through as “we rallied behind the teachers and staff to help clean up, only to be hit by other round of flood months later” said Eusuff.
Arvin also said that his father had a profound impact on many. “My father inspired me, and everyone who knew him, to reach out and help others. To live a life that makes a difference to your community. That was his legacy,” said Arvin.
Maxwellians were saddened when their beloved HM passed away on October 17, 2010. In memory of their beloved HM, a group of students from the Class of ’74 set up the P. Nadarajah Award in 2006 for students from Maxwell who excelled in their SPM and STPM examinations. This is the 19th year of the award which included monetary rewards.
On an encouraging note, Eusuff said Maxwell School, which turned 100 years in 2016, was classified as a Heritage Building. That meant that it cannot be torn down to be redeveloped into a commercial project, like what happened to a girls’ school in downtown Jalan Bukit Bintang in 2001 to make way for a shopping mall.
“The Maxwell landmark will always remain and we can have a glimpse of the school and reminisce whenever we cruise pass,” said Eusuff, who added that the school for him and many others was more than that: it’s a reminder of Nada – gone but not forgotten – who taught “his chaps” to be useful Maxwellians — BERNAMA