Ronnie's 27-0 score

Old Free FIDE Master Dr Ronnie Lim, the Malaysian National Chess Champion in 2001, scored a clean sweep of 27 games at the first simultaneous chess exhibition organised by the Chess Section of The Old Frees' Association today. His opponents comprised OFA members, their children and grandchildren, as well as members of the Penang Free School chess team. 

Before play began, I had the privilege of saying a few words as chief arbiter. I welcomed the participants and expressed the hope that they would make full use of the occasion. A simultaneous exhibition is not really about trying to beat the master, although if someone does manage it, we'll probably be hearing about it for years to come. The real value lies in watching how a strong player thinks, learning from the experience and, above all, enjoying the game. 

I also thanked those who had made the afternoon possible. The idea had come from OFA Secretary Han Boon, and among the senior chess members our response was simply, "Why not?" With the help of Han Boon and fellow Chess Section members Tay Aik, Terry and Anthony, the idea gradually took shape. Hopefully, this will be the first of many such activities.

It also gave me the opportunity to say a little about the history of chess within The Old Frees' Association. Our involvement goes back to around 1991 or 1992, when I managed to assemble a team of eight Old Frees to compete in the Penang Chess League. That modest beginning eventually grew into more than three decades of regular participation in team tournaments around the state and in the annual Merdeka Team Chess Championship in Kuala Lumpur.

Over the years, more and more Old Frees became involved, not just as players but also as organisers and arbiters. Today, we have at least 30 members who have contributed to chess at state, national and even international level. Among them are state champions, national champions, FIDE Masters and three accredited International Arbiters. At one point during my introduction, I acknowledged fellow International Arbiter Tan Kai Ming, who was present with his grandson, one of Ronnie's challengers that afternoon.

Introducing Ronnie himself was perhaps the easiest part. I've known him since the mid-1990s when he was still a schoolboy at Penang Free School, representing the school in the Penang Chess League. Even then, it was obvious that he possessed exceptional talent. By that stage he had already been playing for several years, having taken up chess while still in primary school, and before long he was winning age-group championships around the country.

I briefly ran through some of his achievements: Malaysian National Champion in 2001, multiple national age-group champion, MSSM Under-12 champion, ASEAN Under-18 bronze medallist, SEA Games bronze medallist, two-time Penang Closed Champion, Royal Selangor Open champion, FIDE Master with a peak rating of 2349 and, away from the chessboard, a consultant radiologist by profession.

The simultaneous exhibition eventually stretched over three hours and 40 minutes. At the start, everything happened at breakneck speed. Ronnie moved briskly from board to board, making his opening moves almost without breaking stride, while his challengers scrambled to keep up. But as the middlegames began to develop and complications arose on virtually every board, his pace inevitably slowed. 

After about an hour and a half, only five games had been decided. The remaining boards were still full of life, with players hanging on stubbornly and trying to find ways to make life difficult for the master. Gradually, however, experience began to tell. One after another, Ronnie's opponents were forced to resign.

As the number of games dwindled, the pace picked up again. During the final hour, only five or six boards remained in play, allowing Ronnie to devote much more time to each position. The last player standing was Chan Kah Poh, whose steady, solid game proved surprisingly difficult to crack. As is customary in simultaneous exhibitions, once only a single game remained, a chess clock was introduced so that the contest could proceed under normal tournament conditions. In the end, Ronnie's greater experience prevailed, bringing an end to what had been an absorbing afternoon of chess.

Afterwards, Ronnie admitted that about four or five players had given him genuine problems before he gradually gained the upper hand. What surprised me even more was when he quietly confided that this had been the very first simultaneous exhibition of his life. Considering how effortlessly he had moved from board to board, calmly keeping track of 27 games at once, I would never have guessed it. Having defeated all 27 challengers at his first attempt, he could hardly have asked for a better introduction to this unique form of chess.

There was a completely unexpected moment that made the day especially memorable for me. When I invited Ronnie to say a few words before the exhibition started, he looked across at me and remarked that he had first become interested in chess after reading my newspaper chess columns when he was in Standard Four. I must confess that caught me completely by surprise. One never really knows whether one's writing has influenced anyone. To hear that it had played a small part in inspiring someone who would later become one of Malaysia's strongest players was deeply gratifying.

Watching Ronnie move calmly from board to board while children, parents and grandparents all concentrated over their games, I couldn't help thinking that this was exactly the sort of activity the Association should be organising more often. Chess has a wonderful way of bringing generations together. Judging by the smiles around the hall, I suspect this first simultaneous exhibition won't be our last.

SG Lim's run for cancer

There was a huge charity event at Penang Free School yesterday and, much as I would have liked to be there, I had to give it a regrettable miss. Not through any lack of interest, but because several weeks earlier, long before details of the event had been finalised, my brother-in-law from Singapore had already arranged to return home with his family for a visit. Family took priority as rare reunions, like this particular one, are not something I can postpone lightly.

Still, I followed developments from afar because this was no ordinary event. It marked the conclusion of Old Free Lim Shyang Guey's remarkable Run for Gold journey, which was a 2,200-kilometre run (actual distance covered was 2,390 kilometres) across Peninsular Malaysia to raise awareness and funds for children battling cancer.

Better known now as SG Lim, the Class of 1975 (Form Five) alumnus began his journey on the 28th of March from the National Cancer Society Malaysia's Home of Hope in Penang. Over the next 86 days, he ran north to Perlis, crossed to Kelantan, travelled down the east coast to Johor and then turned north again along the west coast before returning home to Penang.

The final stage took him on an 82-kilometre route around the island, passing through Teluk Bahang, Balik Pulau, Batu Maung, Jelutong and George Town before he crossed the finish line at his alma mater, Penang Free School, one day before his 67th birthday.

There was something fitting about that ending. The journey had begun in Penang and it ended where another journey had started many years earlier at the school that helped shape him.

More than 150 teachers and present pupils of the school were among the several hundreds gathered to welcome him home, alongside family members, former schoolmates, supporters, volunteers and well-wishers that included Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and Penang Island City Council Mayor Rajendran P Anthony. Standing before the crowd at the finish line, SG Lim looked skyward and spoke words that had carried him through the entire journey. "Firstly, my darling, we made it." 

The tribute was to his late wife, Goh Joo Lee, who passed away from gallbladder cancer in August 2024 at the age of 63. The couple had once dreamed of travelling around Peninsular Malaysia together on foot after retirement. After losing her, Lim transformed that shared dream into a mission with a different purpose.

"We had wanted to walk around Malaysia together, every state," he said. "But I did not get to do it with my wife. She was there all along with me. Yes, we made it."

At its heart, Run for Gold was never really about running. The name itself comes from the gold ribbon, the international symbol of childhood cancer awareness. As Lim explained, "It's for the children. Children with cancer. That's why it's Run for Gold. I am running for the children. I don't need any more gold." 

Along the way, he covered between 25 and 35 kilometres a day, staying mostly in homestays and shared accommodation, meeting families affected by cancer and listening to their stories. The journey also formed part of the torch relay for Relay for Life Malaysia 2026 which carried a message of hope and solidarity from community to community.

The campaign had initially aimed to raise RM600,000 for the National Cancer Society Malaysia. By the time he crossed the finish line, donations had already exceeded RM775,000, with funds earmarked for childhood cancer support services, including the Home of Hope programme, psychosocial care and survivorship initiatives.

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who welcomed SG Lim home at Penang Free School and announced a further RM50,000 contribution from the state government, perhaps summed up the significance of the occasion best.

"SG Lim's 2,200km Run for Gold journey across Peninsular Malaysia is far more than an extraordinary feat of endurance; it is a powerful story of love, resilience and hope. Every step he took carried a message of encouragement for children battling cancer and their families, inspiring Malaysians from all walks of life to come together for a meaningful cause."

The Chief Minister also spoke movingly of the personal sacrifice behind the journey. "Dedicated to the memory of his late wife, Joo Lee, SG Lim transformed grief into hope, raising more than RM700,000 for the National Cancer Society Malaysia and proving that one person can make a profound difference."

What SG Lim accomplished over those 86 days was not measured simply in kilometres covered or funds raised. It was measured in something less tangible but perhaps more important: one person's determination and compassion that brought people together.

As Old Frees, we often speak about the values our school tries to instil: service, perseverance and concern for others. SG Lim embodied all of these qualities. In recognition of his remarkable achievement and service to the community, he was presented with Life Memberships of the The Old Frees' Association and the Old Frees' Association Kuala Lumpur & Selangor.

And there is something more. While grief has a way of turning people inward, here was a man who chose to transform personal loss into an act of generosity that will help children and families facing challenges far greater than his own.

Long meeting

It’s been a long time since I sat through a proper long-winded annual general meeting. The last one I can remember was sometime in the 1990s when one of The Old Frees' Association AGMs dragged right through lunch and only wrapped up around 3pm. That one started at 10 in the morning and felt like a marathon back then. Yesterday’s made that look almost brisk.

The OFA AGM started more or less on time, but by the time I got up and left at 4.15pm, it was still going. The main reason, of course, was the elections. This year wasn’t the usual quiet affair. There was a serious, organised challenge for nine of the 11 Management Committee seats. The challengers called themselves the Fidelis Team, and they didn’t just turn up, they came ready to contest.

More than that, they managed to stir something. Members turned up in numbers that were not often seen. The newly renovated multi-purpose hall was packed, 238 voting members, which must be close to a record. Could feel the energy in the room, though it wasn’t always clear which way it was leaning. Questions came thick and fast, some of them quite uncomfortable, and the committee had to work hard for their answers. At certain points, I genuinely couldn’t tell whether the floor was swinging towards the incumbents or the challengers.

Running alongside all this was another flashpoint. The management committee had tabled five resolutions to amend the OFA Constitution or introduce a new project, one of them calling for the establishment of a private English school. They sounded straight-forward on paper, but on the day, it didn’t quite square with the members. Four of the resolutions were either withdrawn by the committee or firmly rejected by the floor. The one that did go to a vote couldn’t clear the two-thirds majority required, so that fell through as well. In the end, all five went nowhere, which probably added to the sense that the meeting was pulling in different directions at once.

When time came to vote for the new management committee, things slowed to a crawl. Ballot papers didn’t just get handed out, either the members' names or membership numbers, or both, were called out one by one. This process took ages. People milled around, chatted, drifted in and out. Lunch came and went, and counting started somewhere else in the building while we waited.

After the break, the hall was noticeably thinner. Maybe a quarter of the members came back, and even then, people gradually slipped away when it became obvious the results weren’t coming anytime soon. Word filtered back that the voting was extremely close; close enough to require recounts to keep both sides satisfied.

By then, I’d had enough. Six hours had passed since the chairman called the meeting to order, and it didn’t feel like the end was anywhere in sight. At 4.15pm, I joined the silent, trickling stream heading for the exit. It was long enough for me. More than long enough, actually.

And now that the election results are finally known, there’s not much point dwelling on who backed which side. It was clearly a close contest, and the turnout showed that members do care about where the OFA is heading. That’s a good thing.

What matters now is what happens next. Both sides need to close ranks and get on with the job. Many of the issues raised during the meeting aren’t going away, and neither are the expectations that came with such a strong turnout. If anything, the pressure is now on the new committee to show they can work together, settle the noise, and make steady, practical progress. No grand gestures needed. Just get the job done properly.

UPDATE: Oops, in my haste I forgot to mention the results. Alex Tan Hee Aik retained his President's position by beating Lim Wee Seong by a healthy margin which means to say that the members weren't totally convinced about the changes he proposed to make to the OFA. Daniel Ho also retained his Vice-President's position ahead of Allen Choong. However, Shannon Ong lost out to Ananth a/l Balakrishnan for the other Vice-President's post. The new Secretary is Low Han Boon who deposed Henry Ooi, Darvind a/l Kalimuthu beat Ivan Teoh to retain the Treasurer's position, Louis Loo is the new Indoor Games Chairman, Sharil bin Abdul Shukor the new Communications Chairman, Jarrod Yeoh the new Social Activities Chairman and Andrew Tan the new Membership* Chairman. Lukkman Hakim and Ezuan Ghazali sailed through unopposed as the Sports Chairman and Library Chairman** respectively. 

Now that the dust has settled and I see that the new management committee comprises people from both teams, my wish is for all of them to close ranks and work together for The Old Frees' Association. At the end of the day, we are one family. In this respect, I shall want to borrow the motto of the World Chess Federation to emphasise this: Gens Una Summus.

* Membership, Human Resource Development and Safety & Security
** Library, Archives and OFA Sesquicentenary Education Fund

CNY dinner at OFA

I was a little late attending the Chinese New Year dinner and get-together at The Old Frees' Association last Saturday because of a huge traffic congestion in the heritage zone of George Town due to the annual miaohui celebrations. 

By the time I arrived at the OFA, the fire crackers were over and all that remained was a carpet of red in the car park. But I wasn't late for the gathering or the prolonged lion dance performance. 

I also got RM10 back in a red packet that every attending OFA member was given. So effectively, my dinner cost only RM10 net. For those who consumed the beer or stout, they had practically covered their cost back, and for those who did not drink, even the food itself was wide and varied enough to make it worth the while to attend. 

But food was secondary. The main reason I signed up for this get-together was to meet up with old friends. Even though Sanan was the only old friend from my batch in school, it was good to catch up. Several of my chess friends were there too. Then of course, the other non-chess friends whoms I've known through the years. A great moment to catch up with all of them! I had to leave to eight o'clock and thus, missed out on the last item for the night which was the fireworks display. 

I'm sure it was brilliant, but I had to leave for the heritage area to meet my daughter as we were going home together. While walking the streets, bumped into several friends as well. After all, the George Town core heritage zone is such a compact place....

OFA members' chess day

The OFA closed chess tournament was months in the planning before it saw the light of day. At the beginning of this year when I was attempting to interest the management committee of The Old Frees' Association in a third edition of the OFA Open, the request came back that the committee would prefer a closed tournament instead of an open event. 

However, me and my two cohorts - Ung Tay Aik and Terry Ong - sat on it until about two months ago after we came back from the Merdeka team event in Kuala Lumpur. It has to be organised, we agreed, and we began looking at possible dates. But the bigger problem was to decide on where to organise it. 

The multi-purpose hall at the Northam Road clubhouse was out of the question because it was undergoing a massive renovation. So we thought the library on the first floor would be a good choice. Then about two weeks ago, we learnt that the OFA Office was moving there temporarily on account of the said renovation on the ground floor. Finally, we decided on using the Bay Avenue premises and that was where the players gathered yesterday for the tournament. 

Since the tournament managed to attract only 10 players, it was decided to play it on a round-robin basis. I had looked forward to playing myself but two weeks ago had to pull back when my daughter said that she would be back from Kuala Lumpur on the same day to celebrate my birthday, although belatedly. Between chess and the jewel of my life, there is no prize for guessing correctly what is more important to me. 

Nevertheless, I turned up at OFA Bay Avenue in the afternoon to watch the final three rounds before going to my birthday dinner. Though it was a closed event and everyone knew one another, the games were taken seriously, with all the players deep in thought over their boards. Naturally, there were winners and losers, but I reminded them that the results were secondary to the camaraderie which mattered more. The day gave the chess members a chance to meet and play, a fact not lost on many of the players. There were proposals to organise a get-together again for a blitz tournament. Why not, if the response is there?

Another point I'd like to make is that rather than calling it the OFA Closed Chess Tournament, I’d rather think of yesterday as the OFA Members’ Chess Day, which we celebrated with a tournament. Perhaps next year, we can have another OFA Chess Day, making it bigger, livelier and with more members joining in the fun.

PS. With this closed tournament done and dusted, the OFA chess section's annual budget has been busted. Completely depleted. We'd like to send at least one team to this year's Penang Chess League but I doubt it is now possible.

Chief Minister talking about us!

I feel elated this morning....

Remember me saying that I’d missed the Chief Minister’s speech at The Old Frees’ Association annual dinner last Tuesday because I was caught up in conversation with some friends? Well, I’d actually rued not knowing what he spoke about because normally I pay attention to his speeches for the nuggets of first-hand information from the most powerful man in the state. 

The most powerful man in Penang.
I mean, the one on the left 😄

Until this morning, that is, when I came across an article in The Vibes by Ian McIntyre. To my pleasant surprise, the Chief Minister, Chow Kon Yeow, was referring to us: mainly Lean Kang, Siang Jin, the late Soo Choon, Sue Chan, myself, and the many others who had chipped in at one time or another to help organise the Student Leadership Workshops for Penang Free School over the years.

Those workshops were entirely our own initiative. We planned, funded and carried out voluntarily, without any thought of personal gain. Every ringgit raised from friends went straight into the programme for the students’ benefit. So to hear that the Chief Minister himself had acknowledged our efforts on stage, and at such a significant occasion, really meant a lot to all of us who had been part of that journey.

Here's Ian McIntyre's story in The Vibes yesterday:

Alumni, former students can offer mentorship, help instil discipline, says Penang CM

 

PENANG Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has called on the alumni and old boys of various schools to offer mentorship and instil discipline in their respective old schools to check the indiscipline and social ills in public schools. 

"The world our students are growing up in is far more complex than it once was. I understand that some old boys had organised a series of leadership workshops for students. It is a fantastic initiative that can help shape character and confidence."

Chow said that perhaps it is time to revive such an initiative and make it widespread among all public schools - a role for the old boys and alumni to play in helping schools produce students of strong character and calibre.

While funding creates opportunities, mentorship builds people up, especially the young, Chow said at the 102th (sic) anniversary dinner of the Old Frees ' Association at the St Giles Wembley Hotel.

Old Frees who is the official alumni of the oldest English vernacular school in Southeast Asia - the Penang Free School, is also the oldest student body alumni in the country.

Chow credited the Old Frees for their role in moulding generations of exemplary students, who have gone on to be part of Malaysian history.

Among them were the nation's founding father Almarhum Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al Haj and Penang's second chief minister the late Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu.

"It pains me to see the young losing empathy and respect for one another. As someone who deeply believes in the importance of education and its values, I worry that schools alone can no longer shoulder this burden of character building."

Chow implored on their alumni and old boys to undertake the additional role of fostering good examples for the present generation.

He singled out the Old Frees for having the attributes to do such a thing.

From its founding in 1923, the alumni old boys association has weathered challenges, and yet it has stayed true to its mission to foster education, camaraderie and the spirit of service.

Among those present were Datuk Dr P.P. Shah, the trustee of the association and a former partner of former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed in his Maha medical clinic in Alor Setar, the present principal Syed Sultan Shaik Othuman, association president Alex Tan Hee Aik and organising chairperson Raman Athappan. - October 23, 2025.

Cowboys @ OFA

An absolutely grand dinner last night at the St Giles Wembley, held to celebrate the 102nd anniversary of The Old Frees’ Association. I’d arranged for most of the chess-playing crowd to be seated together in a little area of the ballroom where conversation drifted between good food, old memories and, inevitably, chess.

Just some of the chess-playing members, together!

Apart from Saw See and I, there were Han Boon and partner, and Cheng Teik and spouse. Chian Min (CM) and Ronnie came solo without theirs. Lih Fong regretted that I had arranged for the chess players to be together, and he wasn't at it. But he was lucky to sit at the next table and so, he was quite nearby, Kannan told me that he had already prearranged to sit with the pickleball group, while Peng Seng was quietly placed somewhere else, having indicated nothing to me about his arrangements. Kai Ming, having left our chatgroup some time ago, was completely oblivious to our intentions, but he has his kakis too, I'm sure of it! I'm also pretty sure that next year, there'll be more people at the chess table when the others realise how much they had missed being around chess friends!

Chess aside, the other CM, Chow Kong Yow, was the guest of honour at the dinner. He spoke at length but sorry, I missed his speech completely as someone was engaging me in some conversation regarding an old absent friend of ours. 

I bumped into numerous other friends and acquaintances from across the years and also some Present Frees who were with the Board of Prefects, the School Band and the Free School Guiders. The headmaster, Syed Sultan, too was present, which marked the ever close relationship which The Old Frees' Association shared with Penang Free School.

Some may wonder why I had not chosen to sit with my old school cronies this time. For the past umpteen years, my classmates and schoolmates have managed to fill up at least one table at the OFA dinners. But this year, despite me asking them, none of them were interested in attending. This was a great disappointment to me. A new low in my opinion. At the very worst previously, there would be some of us filling up almost the full table of 10 diners. But not this year. I checked with the OFA office and saw none of my schoolmate friends' names in the register. Asking them once was good enough, not going to ask them twice. So I left it at that. 

That said, I still had Siang Juan and his wife at my chess table to fill in the remaining two slots. The surprise was to suddenly see Hock Siew saunter across the ballroom to where we were seated. He had noticed me and came over. Boy, was I surprised to meet him. Back from Melbourne where he now resides for a wedding here, and he took the opportunity to attend the dinner before flying back to Australia. Hock Siew is one of my oldest pals. Knew him from Standard Two at Westlands Primary School and from there, to Penang Free School together. 

Here's a picture of me with the Free School Guiders: Johan on my left and Nordin on my right together with Agilan, this year's School Captain. When we first met, Agilan and Nordin were only in Form Three. They'll be sitting for their SPM examinations next month. Here's wishing them good luck! As Free School boys, I' sure they'll do good in any examination.

Of Myrmidons and Mystery Men

The Merdeka rapid chess open team tournament ended yesterday, and while our two Old Frees Association teams didn’t win anything, we were still glad to be part of it. The OFA Myrmidons finished in 43rd place while my OFA Mystery Men ended up 53rd. Still, our presence was more about taking part and supporting an event that’s been going strong for 42 years.

It was quite hilarious. We arrived at the tournament hall and discovered
that the table cloths were also similarly coloured! Someone else commented
that this was also the colour of a local fast food chain. 

This year’s tournament looked like one of the more successful editions in recent memory, with 93 teams in the Open section and another 61 in the Junior section. It was quite a crowd. Finding the venue at the KL Gateway Mall was the easiest task but the bigger challenge was finding our way to our AirBnb accommodation. Some stayed at the Gateway Residences while others at the Gateway Premium Residences, two completely different locations at opposite ends of the Mall. It was more than a bit of a maze, having to walk outside, around the mall's building, to find the entrance to the Premium Residences, but eventually everyone got there. 

The organisers had secured a wide open space on Level Two of the Mall itself, which worked well enough, except for one big drawback: the lighting. It was dim and made it hard to read the digital chess clocks properly. Hopefully that gets fixed if there’s going to be a 21st Malaysia Chess Festival next year. So far, I haven't heard the organisers conclusively calling it a day yet and thus, I am hopeful that we shall return to Kuala Lumpur for yet another year for this event. 

Remembering Tan Boon Lin

Today would have been the 98th birthday of my old headmaster, Tan Boon Lin. Instead, we marked his passing just five days earlier on the seventh of September. His was a life that spanned almost a century of change. Born in 1927, he came of age during the turmoil of the Second World War, finished his schooling at the Penang Free School where he had been both a Boy Scout and Senior Prefect between 1939 and 1947, and then returned to the same institution as a teacher from 1951 to 1955 and later in 1963 as the headmaster. His appointment made history: he was the first Asian to hold that position, guiding the school until 1968. From there, his career rose steadily through promotion after promotion until retirement, after which he spent a short period at Tunku Abdul Rahman College before finally stepping away from public life. That, in essence, was Tan Boon Lin: remembered above all as the Free School’s first Asian headmaster, but also as a man who left a lasting imprint on generations who passed through its gates.

My first real encounter with him came in 1966, the year I entered Form One at the Penang Free School. At that time, we were confined to the afternoon session under the watch of an Afternoon Supervisor, so direct contact with the headmaster was rare. Still, there were moments when his presence was felt to remind even the youngest boys who held the reins of authority in the school. Things changed a year later when Form Two was moved to the morning. Mondays meant School Assembly in the Pinhorn Hall, and that was when Tan Boon Lin became a more familiar figure. 

One can imagine almost 1,500 students packed into the hall, the Prefects trying to keep order while a steady murmur filled the space as schoolmates chattered away. Out on the corridor, a Prefect stood watch for the headmaster’s approach. At the first sight of him, a signal was sent, the bell rang and the murmur dissolved into silence immediately. Such was the discipline. Then came the unmistakable clip-clop of his shoes along the floor, each step drawing nearer until he appeared at the doorway and walked down the aisle. Decades later, that same clip-clop sound found its way into one of the videos on Penang Free School which Siang Jin and I worked on together. It was our quiet tribute to Tan Boon Lin, a simple gesture of respect for the man whose presence had once commanded the School.

When he was eventually transferred out from the Free School, that was the last I saw of him. For decades he slipped into the background of memory, until the end of 2011 when his name surfaced again in my life. That October, I had taken on the task of co-editing The Old Frees’ Association commemorative book, FIDELIS. Among the contributions was a piece by Lim Chang Moh, who had interviewed our former headmaster for the book. A few months later, in April 2012, not long after the book was launched, I made my way to his home in Petaling Jaya to present him with a copy. It was the first time I had set eyes on my old headmaster since 1968. Naturally, he didn’t recognise me (because I wasn't outstanding in school at all) but he received me with the warmth of an old friend. I’ve found this to be true of teachers and headmasters: even if the faces of their former students blur with time, the joy of reconnecting never fades. The gratitude flows both ways. We are thankful for the paths they opened for us, and they in turn take quiet pride in seeing how we have carried on.

As the Free School’s Bicentenary drew near in 2016 and I was tasked with producing another book, I found myself turning once more to my old headmaster for information. By then he was in the midst of finalising his autobiography, which included a chapter devoted to the three phases of his life at the school: student, teacher and headmaster. His daughter, Gaik Cheng, kindly shared a copy of that chapter with me on the condition that I use it only as background and not reproduce it verbatim. Later that year, on the evening of the 21st of October, he returned to the school for the Bicentenary dinner. It was a grand occasion, with former headmasters called on stage to be honoured, but it was his name that was announced first, to step forward and be introduced to the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Sirajuddin Jamalullail, before receiving a copy of Let the Aisles Proclaim.

When The Old Frees’ Association reached its own 100th anniversary in 2023, I found myself once again with the privilege of writing a commemorative book—this time simply titled CENTENARY. Months later, in March 2024, I visited my headmaster at his Petaling Jaya home to present him with a copy. He had prepared for the meeting. On the table before him were his well-kept but bookmarked copies of FIDELIS and Let the Aisles Proclaim. When I placed CENTENARY alongside them, his face lit up. Another book on The Old Frees' Association, another chapter in the story of the Penang Free School. By then he was very frail, already 97, and I was careful not to linger too long. After an hour or so of gentle conversation, I took my leave, never imagining it would be the last time I saw him.

But the story didn’t end there. There was a coda. In 2024, his autobiography was ready to see the light of day. One day I received a call from Gaik Cheng. Could I lend a hand with some coordination with the printers in Penang? How could I ever refuse? So I went down to Areca Books, looked over the proofs, checked for stray details that might need correction—small things, but enough to feel I had a part in the process. It turned out to be a privilege, a first-hand glimpse of On Making a Difference before it reached the public. The book was officially launched at The Old Frees’ Association annual dinner on 21 October 2024, a fitting tribute to the man whose life had been so bound up with the Free School.

And now, with his passing, the circle feels complete. From the headmaster I first glimpsed as a nervous Form One boy in the Pinhorn Hall, to the dignified elder statesman I visited in his twilight years, Tan Boon Lin remained a steady presence in the long story of the Penang Free School. I count myself fortunate to have crossed paths with him more than once, not only as his student but later as a chronicler of the school and The Old Frees’ Association. He lived long enough to see his own autobiography published, to place his voice alongside the history he had helped to shape. For us, his former students, that will always be his gift: the reminder that a life devoted to teaching and guiding others truly makes a difference. Rest in peace, Headmaster. Fortis atque Fidelis.

 

Reflection

I can’t say I’m particularly happy with my chess results these days. But to be honest, it’s been like this for the better part of a decade. Gone are the days when I played with real competitive fire. These days, I just want to enjoy a good game, whether win or lose. Unfortunately, it’s been more of the latter. The losses seem to pile up a bit more than I’d like.

It used to be, say 15 or 20 years ago, that when my friends and I joined chess tournaments, we’d always look forward to being paired against school kids. They were, let’s be honest, easy pickings back then. It was the adult players we had to watch out for. But not anymore. These days, the school kids are tough. Really tough. With all the structured coaching they’re getting and parents willing to fork out serious money for their children’s chess development, these boys and girls have become razor sharp. More often than not, I find myself on the losing end against them.

Ironically, it's now the "average Joe" adult players that I find easier to deal with. Maybe it’s because there’s less pressure when we’re not chasing medals or podium finishes. My mindset now is simple: if I win, great; if I lose, no big deal — on to the next round.

That was pretty much the attitude when our OFA Mxyzptlk team took part in the USM open team chess tournament yesterday. Of course, we tried our best every round, but if we walked away with a prize, that would just be a bonus. We’d fielded two teams — OFA Myrmidons and OFA Mxyzptlk — and naturally, there was always a chance our teams might face each other at some point, especially if they were on equal match points. Sure enough, it happened in the fourth round.

Ideally, we’d rather not be playing each other, but boh huat lah. That’s the way the draw goes. Still, there was a bright side. We took the chance to snap a photo of both teams, seated across from one another, hands outstretched for the pre-match handshake. A lovely moment of camaraderie and good fun, and perhaps the only kind of record I’ll be setting these days, as I slowly slide into cheerful chess obscurity!

As a final thought to this jotting. I met three ex-colleagues from my days with Ban Hin Lee Bank. I had more-or-less expected to find Wong Teik Aun playing in the tournament, but to find Vincent Ng and Sia Koon Liong participating as well was more of a surprise. Vincent, especially. He is still a pilot with Singapore Airline but he found time to return to his hometown for this event. Good for him!

CNY party @ OFA

Last Sunday, I found myself with a last-minute ticket to the Chinese New Year party at The Old Frees' Association. Initially, I had been told that I was too late to register and was placed on the waiting list. Then, just a day or two before CNY, I got a message—a seat had opened up. Would I still be interested?

At first, I thought no, as my family had planned to visit relatives and friends that day. But as luck would have it, my wife rescheduled our visits to the day before to accommodate an old family friend. So, in the end, I was free to attend the CNY@OFA party after all.

The celebrations kicked off around 5pm with a string of firecrackers, followed by a lively lion dance performance that lasted about half an hour. The troupe moved from the main entrance to the natuk kong shrine at the far end of the car park before making its way into the main building—ascending the staircase to the lounge, then down into the hall, and finally culminating in a vibrant display of Chinese New Year exuberance at the reception area. Along the way, they captivated members and their families, especially the youngsters.

After the excitement, there was a short breather before the buffet spread was opened. Everyone enjoyed themselves thoroughly, and by 7.30pm, I decided to call it a day.

These photos below were taken from The Old Frees' Association's facebook page, Liong Chian Min as well as my own mobile.