Chinese creeds and customs

Sometime in the late 1970s or early 1980s, I picked up a rather worn copy of the first volume of Chinese Creeds and Customs by VR Burkhardt from a second-hand bookstore in Penang. Even at that time, I was already quite interested in Chinese customs and found the book useful as a reference whenever I wanted to look up something about traditional Chinese beliefs and religious practices. Unfortunately, despite looking around, I couldn't find the second and third volumes anywhere in Penang. After a while, I simply left it at that and made do with Volume One.

Then, during one of my trips to Hong Kong in the 1980s, I came across something quite unexpected. I was there to play in one of the Asian Cities Chess Championships which the Hong Kong Chess Federation used to hold rather regularly in those days. While browsing the bookshelves in a bookstore, I spotted an attractive hardback book with the title Chinese Creeds and Customs and the author's name, VR Burkhardt, prominently displayed on its red cover. But what caught my attention was that this was not just another copy of Volume One or Volume Two or Volume Three. The subtitle on the cover read, "A compilation of the best-selling trilogy". It was the complete work, bringing all three volumes together in a single book!

Immediately, I bought it. No hesitation. One doesn't hesitate when a gem is discovered. The book was published in 1982 by the South China Morning Post Ltd in Hong Kong, with printing done by Yee Tin Printing Press Ltd, also in Hong Kong. It was a substantial hardback, with red cloth binding and gold lettering on the front cover and spine.

And there it has remained in my book cupboard all these years. More than four decades later when I brought it out, both the original red dust jacket and the hardcover book are still in excellent condition, almost as good as new. The dust jacket has survived particularly well, which is something I am quite pleased about.

I suppose this is one of those occasions when a chance find during a trip abroad turns out to be more rewarding than expected. I had started out with a worn copy of the first volume, unable to locate the other two in Penang and then quite unexpectedly, I found the complete trilogy in one book in Hong Kong. And unlike many other books that have come and gone from my shelves over the years, this one has stayed with me.

I don't know how many times I have actually taken it down from the cupboard to refer to its contents, but I have certainly been glad to have it around me. Some books are worth keeping, not necessarily because they are valuable, but because of the story behind how they came into our possession. This is one of them. 

Now about the book itself. What makes Chinese Creeds and Customs particularly interesting to me is that although Burkhardt wrote mainly about the Chinese in Hong Kong, much of what he describes is also recognisable to someone who grew up in a traditional Hokkien family with Baba-Nyonya roots in Penang. After all, many of the customs and religious beliefs practised by the Chinese communities in Hong Kong and Penang have their roots in southern China, particularly Hokkien province, from where many of our ancestors came. Over the generations, however, these traditions developed along somewhat different paths, influenced by the local environment and the communities in which they took root.

Take the Chinese festivals, for instance. Burkhardt devotes considerable attention to the lunar calendar and the various celebrations throughout the year. There is Chinese New Year, the God of Wealth, the Beginning of Spring, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Hungry Ghost Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Double Ninth, among others. For a Penang Hokkien, many of these are familiar territory. We know Cheng Beng, when families visit ancestral graves to pay their respects; and the seventh lunar month, when Phor Thor committees organise prayers, food offerings and traditional performances for the wandering spirits. Then there is the ninth day of Chinese New Year, when Hokkiens celebrate the birthday of Thnee Kong, the Jade Emperor. This is an especially important occasion among Penang Hokkiens, with elaborate offerings and prayers at midnight. And towards the end of the year, there is the Tang Chek Festival, marking the Winter Solstice.

There are also the subjects of marriage, betrothal, funerals, ancestor worship, fortune-telling, Fengshui, charms and talismans. These are not merely descriptions of old Chinese practices. Many of them would have been part and parcel of family life in Penang, particularly among the older generations. Some of us would remember how our parents and grandparents consulted the Chinese almanac before choosing an auspicious date for a wedding, moving house or undertaking an important activity, and we still do it today! Even the mourning rituals were governed by traditions passed down through the generations.

Of course, not everything described by Burkhardt would be familiar to us. His accounts of certain Hong Kong religious practices, the customs of the Boat People and some local beliefs reflect the particular communities he studied. Penang, too, has developed its own distinctive Hokkien customs, with influences from the Malay environment and the local Baba-Nyonya culture. The way we celebrate certain festivals, prepare food offerings and conduct religious ceremonies may therefore differ from what Burkhardt recorded in Hong Kong.

So in this book, we can look back at a period when traditional Chinese beliefs and customs still played a much greater part in everyday life. Some practices have changed or disappeared, while others continue to be observed quite faithfully in Penang. Flipping through Burkhardt today, I recognise certain things from my own cultural background, while discovering others that I might never have come across. And that is perhaps the attraction of this three-volume compilation. It is not just a collection of descriptions about Chinese customs in Hong Kong. Rather, a useful point of reference for understanding the cultural heritage that many of us in Penang have inherited from our forefathers.

The gift of the truth

Kathina Day was celebrated at the Nandaka Vihara last Sunday. It was a whole-day affair, beginning at about six in the morning and carrying on until two or three in the afternoon. I had dropped Saw See off at the Vihara at 6am before returning home for a quick snooze. Then I made my way back to the monastery at around nine. As I was locking my car, an official-looking vehicle carrying Steven Sim arrived. He is now a Minister in the Federal Government, but had found time to return to his parliamentary constituency and join in the Kathina celebrations here at Nandaka Vihara.

"Steven!" I called out as he alighted, and we shook hands. Some people might be horrified that I don't address him as YB, short for Yang Berhormat, the honorific normally used for elected representatives in Parliament or the State Assemblies. But that's not my style. Besides, we are not exactly strangers to one another, although I suspect he probably still cannot remember my name. But I don't mind.

So there I was, practically arriving at the same time as a Federal Minister and walking into the Nandaka Vihara alongside him. We parted company at the main gate, as I got caught up with the procession of monks going on their alms round. There was quite a sight: a line of 46 monks, comprising resident monks and those who had come from elsewhere, all gathered to celebrate Kathina Day. As they walked round the perimeter of the monastery, devotees lined up to scoop rice into their alms bowls.

Leading the procession was a visiting monk from Thailand, the Venerable Chantharathat Phramaha Prachuap, who had completed 53 vassa. That made him the most senior monk among the 46, even more senior than Nandaka Vihara's own Chief Abbot, Venerable Dhammasubho, who had completed 37 vassa.

A little later, before the food stalls were officially declared open, came the speeches we had expected from Penang State Executive Councillor Lim Siew Khim and the Guest of Honour, Steven Sim. I was particularly impressed by the depth of Steven's speech and I thought it was worth reproducing here: 

"Dear friends, ladies and gentlemen, salam sejahtera, salam Malaysia Madani. A very good morning to all of you and blessed Kathina. Is this your first time here, Ms Lim? YB? This is your first time. Then we should give her a round of applause because this is her first visit. 

"Everyone knows that I've been here since 2008 when the Vihara was set up. But the first time I came, it was not good news. When I first came, the Council wanted to tear down this place. So that's why they called me. But I feel that over the years, almost 20 years now, this Bukit Mertajam is my area. I feel that I have also grown up not just with the people of Bukit Mertajam, but I have also grown up with Nandaka Vihara.

"I always say in Penang, there is freedom, there is diversity, not just in religious belief and culture, but also in language. Today is the celebration of Kathina. Even though I'm not a Buddhist, as I said, I have grown up with Nandaka Vihara. Sometimes I come here to listen to the guidance and advice of Bhante Dhammasubho as well as some of the seniors here. And of course, today I saw when I arrived that everyone was giving rice or dana, and later they are giving the robes.

"There is a verse in the Dhammapada that says sabbadānaṁ dhammadānaṁ jināti. And I was reflecting on this: what does it mean to me, who is not a Buddhist? Of all gifts, of all dana, the greatest gift that you can give is the gift of the Dhamma, the gift of the truth. I think this is very important in an era where there is so much fake news, so much hatred, and so much anger. If you look into the internet, you look into your WhatsApp, every day somebody is scolding somebody. 

"So, I think as we are giving our dana to the elders and to the monks, let us also remember the teaching of the Dhammapada: that the best gift is not the material gift, but really the gift of the truth. And the truth, as we Chinese say, fo fa cibei [佛法慈悲], the truth is compassion. This is about compassion. 

"Last Wesak Day, I was thinking, what is the difference? Why don't you just say love? What is the difference between love and compassion? Then I realised from my reflection and my reading that love has a specific target. You love your wife, you love your husband, you love your political party, you love your race, you love your religion. But compassion is universal. There is no boundary to it. You love everyone, including people you don't think that you can love. So I think every one of us, including people like me who are politicians, if we practice this -- the gift of the Dhamma, the gift of compassion -- then I believe our society will be a better place.

"Thank you, and blessed Kathina to all of you."

Finally, our son is wed

It's been more than a year in the making. Our son and new daughter-in-law registered their civil marriage in October last year and at the time we'd thought the Chinese wedding ceremony could be held sometime in April or May. As it turned out, that wasn't to be. They preferred to have it towards the end of the year instead and so, after consulting a date selection master to determine an auspicious date compatible with both of them, we settled on 01 November 2026.

That left us with roughly a year to prepare. To be honest, not much happened during the first six months. Like many things in life, the deadline seemed far enough away that there was always another day to think about it. It was only around June or July that we started looking at the preparations in earnest.

Saw See bore the greater share of the burden. She's the sort of person who delves into the details and makes sure everything is in proper order. That's simply her nature. I'm rather different. I tend to look at the broader picture and trust that somehow things will fall into place. Between the two of us, perhaps we struck a reasonable balance. Still, as September rolled into October, there was no escaping the fact that the wedding was fast approaching and preparations began accelerating accordingly.

The first significant event was the sang jeet (送日) on the 11th of October. We enlisted the help of my sister-in-law and her husband who made the trip to the bride's family home bearing a Nyonya siah-nah filled with gifts, angpow, biscuits, fruits and other customary items. It marked the formal betrothal ceremony and the beginning of the final stretch towards the wedding day.

Then on the 28th of October came the ahn chhng (安床), the setting up of the bridal bed. Traditionally this would have taken place at the couple's future residence but after some discussion we decided to hold it at our house instead. My son's home in Tanjung Bungah was simply too far away. Given the timing requirements surrounding the wedding ceremonies, it would've been inconvenient for the newly-weds to travel back there afterwards. So his old room upstairs was temporarily transformed into the bridal chamber.

On the eve of the wedding day was the lau tniah meh (鬧廳夜), one of the more memorable customs in the Nyonya wedding tradition. The sangkek-mm or matrimony matron (送嫁庵) arrived early to oversee the proceedings. My son was instructed to change into his wedding pyjamas and, when the prescribed time arrived, we led him downstairs. There followed the ritual combing of his hair, the eating of sweet glutinous rice balls and prayers offered to Thnee Kong (天公).

Meanwhile, our own preparations over the preceding months continued relentlessly. Looking back now, it seemed an endless list of arrangements. We had to book the siah-nah from a wedding shop, engage the outdoor canopy contractors, order endless quantities of fruits and kueh and organise catering for both the wedding eve gathering and the wedding morning. The food came from my brother-in-law's eatery, Sampan Garden, in Kulim. At some point I completely lost count of the number of fruits involved. Every time I thought we'd bought enough, another basket seemed required.

Perhaps the most important task was distributing the invitations. The wedding dinner venue selected by my son was Wu Jia Chinese Restaurant in Taman Pekaka. It was a suitable venue but could accommodate only 34 tables. The bride's family requested 15 tables, leaving us with just 18 for our side, excluding the main table. Space was at a premium.

Faced with limited seating, I gave priority to Saw See's side of the family which is considerably more extensive than mine. From my own side, I invited only my sister and brother-in-law from Singapore, two Quah cousins and the three Oh cousins with whom I am closest. I had also invited another cousin who was my best man at our own wedding but he was unable to attend. We also made sure to invite our immediate neighbours. Not only have we enjoyed a good relationship with them over the years, but practical considerations also came into play. The wedding canopies would occupy part of the road and inevitably affect roadside parking. It seemed only right that they should share in the celebration rather than merely endure the inconvenience.

As often happens, circumstances changed. After the initial invitations had gone out, we discovered that a few additional seats were available. So invitations were extended to several friends from Nandaka Vihara, Swee Cheok Tong and The Old Frees' Association.

Then came another challenge which anyone who has organised a wedding will understand. Attendance confirmations began arriving and with them the complicated matter of seating arrangements. Who should sit together? Who definitely should not sit together? Where should senior relatives be seated? Which tables needed vegetarian food, or a baby chair? I soon realised that filling tables could sometimes require as much diplomacy as arranging an international summit. Alongside this, I had to prepare the list of relatives who would participate in the morning phang teh or tea ceremony (奉茶).

By the wedding eve, relatives and neighbours were gathering at the house and the atmosphere had noticeably changed. What had been months of planning suddenly became something real. My daughter and her friend had returned from Kuala Lumpur to lend a hand and the house, which had been relatively quiet just days before, was now bustling with movement and conversations from every direction. At this stage, maybe I should cue in the inquisitive relatives. Every family gathering seems to produce a few. They are so charming!

On the morning of the big day, several of my son's friends arrived early to accompany him as part of the groom's entourage. They left at eight o'clock to fetch the bride and that gave us a few precious hours to straighten the house and steady ourselves for the arrival of relatives attending the phang teh ceremony.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly. The senior relatives, I should note with some relief, displayed exemplary behaviour and did not require the customary persuasion to take their seats. In earlier generations, this ritual reluctance could sometimes become a prolonged affair as the honoured guests were expected to decline repeatedly before accepting. Thankfully, practicality prevailed.

After the tea ceremony, the couple proceeded upstairs to the bridal room where our youngest nephew performed the khui tham pooi (開探盆), breaking open the cover of the bridal chamber pot as part of the wedding ritual. And with that, the principal daytime ceremonies were essentially complete. 

But there still remained the wedding dinner at Wu Jia that evening. Thankfully the dinner went well and everyone appeared to enjoy themselves. There was good feedback on the food, even praise for the name cards that were thoughtfully prepared for some of the tables. I, of course, rose to give a brief speech to thank everyone for their presence, saying:

Good evening, everyone. On behalf of my family, I would like to thank all of you for joining us to celebrate this special occasion. Your presence means a great deal to us. To our daughter-in-law's parents and family, thank you for welcoming our son into your family. We are very happy that our two families can come together today to celebrate this happy occasion. To the newlyweds, may your marriage be filled with love, understanding, patience and happiness. Remember to take care of each other, respect each other and learn to give and take as you build your life together. Thank you once again for being here. Please enjoy the evening and have a wonderful time.

By the time everything finally concluded and we returned home after midnight, exhaustion had set in. The guests had departed, the ceremonies were over and a year of planning had come to an end. The house was quiet once more. 

And that was that. Our son was married. The young couple were beginning a new chapter of their lives and we ourselves were beginning a new chapter too. For the first time in many months there was nothing left to do. No more planning, arranging, confirming or worrying about. 

Well, almost nothing. Actually, there was still the cleaning up to do the next morning, and the afternoon, and the night, and for the next two days after that. Some traditions continue long after the wedding is over...

Baju kebaya

At our son's wedding dinner on Sunday, we had cousin Amy, cousin Peggy, dear wifey and sister Judy surprising everyone, including themselves, by their Baju Kebaya attire. Totally unplanned but the message was very clear: you can take the Baba Nyonyas away from Penang but you cannot take Penang away from the Baba Nyonyas. With the Baju Kebaya at the dinner, we revealed our true-blue Baba Nyonya identity. Despite some of us not staying in Penang any more, these are still our roots, and they are not something to be easily forgotten.

What's with the 21st of October?

The 21st of October is one of those dates on which quite a number of important events took place, spread across different parts of the world and several centuries. Some changed the course of wars, some helped shape the countries we know today, while others had a lasting effect on everyday life. What follows is based on what I have uncovered in my reading. And for us in Penang, this date has a special significance of its own.

The earliest event in this collection goes back to 1097, when the forces of the First Crusade began the Siege of Antioch. The siege, which started on this date, lasted until June the following year. The capture of Antioch became one of the major episodes of the First Crusade, although the crusaders themselves paid a heavy price in hunger and disease during the campaign.

On 21 October 1520, the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan reached the entrance to the passage at the southern tip of South America that would later bear his name. The Strait of Magellan eventually provided a sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It was a significant moment in the expedition that would go on to complete the first circumnavigation of the world, although Magellan himself would not survive the voyage. It is worth distinguishing between sighting the entrance to the strait and completing the passage through it, which took longer.

Moving to Japan, 21 October 1600 was the date of the Battle of Sekigahara, one of the decisive battles in Japanese history. Tokugawa Ieyasu’s Eastern Army defeated its opponents, leaving him in a position to consolidate his power. In 1603, he was appointed shogun, establishing the Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. 

The 18th and 19th centuries also saw several important events fall on this date. On 21 October 1794, Captain Francis Light, the founder of the British settlement on Prince of Wales' Island, died of malaria. His death came just eight years after the British established their settlement on the island in 1786. Light's name remains closely connected with the early history of George Town. 

On 21 October 1797, the American warship USS Constitution was launched at Edmund Hartt’s shipyard in Boston. Nicknamed Old Ironsides after its celebrated engagements during the War of 1812, it became one of the best-known ships in American naval history. It is still afloat today and is recognised as the world's oldest commissioned warship afloat. 

Eight years later, on 21 October 1805, the Battle of Trafalgar took place off the coast of Spain. The British fleet under Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson defeated the combined French and Spanish fleets, thwarting Napoleon Bonaparte's hopes of challenging Britain at sea and helping secure British naval dominance for decades. Nelson was mortally wounded during the battle and died later that day aboard HMS Victory. The victory came at a great personal cost to the British, but Trafalgar became one of the most celebrated events in their naval history. 

For Penang Free School, 21 October 1816 is particularly important. On that day, the Prince of Wales' Island Free School first opened its doors to boys on the island, initially operating from rented premises in Love Lane. The word “Free” referred to the principle that education should be free from racial and religious prejudice. It did not mean that every pupil necessarily received a free education, as fees were paid by families who could afford them, while assistance was provided to those who could not. The school is widely recognised as the oldest English-medium school in South-east Asia. 

Another event on this date concerned a woman who would change the way nursing was regarded. On 21 October 1854, Florence Nightingale left England with nurses bound for the military hospitals at Scutari, in the Ottoman Empire, during the Crimean War. The conditions there were appalling, and her work in improving nursing care, hygiene and hospital administration would help shape the development of modern nursing.  

There is also a familiar American story associated with 21 October 1879: Thomas Edison and his team working on the incandescent electric lamp. The date has long been celebrated as a milestone in the development of the light bulb, but historians who examined the laboratory records have questioned the claim that the decisive experiment took place on that particular day. While Edison and his team developed a practical incandescent lamp as part of a wider electric lighting system, the system was publicly demonstrated later in 1879.  

The 20th century brought its own share of significant events on this date. On 21 October 1943, Subhas Chandra Bose announced the establishment of the Provisional Government of Free India, also known as Azad Hind, in Singapore. Bose and his supporters hoped to end British rule in India, and the government was closely associated with the Indian National Army. Its declaration was an important episode in the wider struggle for Indian independence during the Second World War.

On 21 October 1944, the German city of Aachen surrendered to American forces after weeks of fighting. It became the first major German city to fall to the Allies during the Second World War. The capture was an important step in the Allied advance into Germany, although the fighting in Europe would continue for several more months. 

On 21 October 1966, Penang Free School was celebrating its Sesquicentenary which marked 150 years since it first opened its doors. Yet, almost halfway around the globe, a tragedy was unfolding. A coal-waste tip had collapsed onto the Welsh village of Aberfan, and the black slurry engulfed another educational institution, Pantglas Junior Schoolm and nearby homes, killing 144 people that included 116 children. While Penang was marking a proud milestone in its educational history, the people of Aberfan were plunged into grief by one of Britain's worst mining disasters. 

On 21 October 1967, tens of thousands of people gathered in Washington DC to protest against American involvement in the Vietnam War. After a rally at the Lincoln Memorial, many marched towards the Pentagon, where clashes took place between demonstrators and security forces. An estimated crowd close to 100,000 people. The demonstration became one of the best-known protests of the Vietnam War era and reflected the growing opposition to the conflict within the United States. 

There is also a notable birthday to record. Alfred Nobel, the Swedish chemist, inventor and businessman whose will established the Nobel Prizes, was born in Stockholm on 21 October 1833. He made his fortune through inventions including dynamite, but his lasting public legacy is the series of prizes that bears his name. The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901, five years after his death. 

It is quite a collection of events for one day in history. And for many of us in Penang, the reason to remember the 21st of October as the day in 1794 when Superintendent Francis Light died and in 1816 that the Prince of Wales' Island Free School first opened its doors. More than two centuries later, that date continues to hold a special place in Penang's history.

The Light-Hutchings connection

Since 1948, the Prefects of Penang Free School have attended an annual commemorative service at the grave of Robert Sparke Hutchings in the old Protestant Cemetery along Northam Road. The tradition was started by Dennis Roper, who was the headmaster of the school at the time, and it continues to this day.

Normally, once the service is over, that's about all the formal activity at the cemetery. There would be the usual photography sessions, with the schoolboys and prefects getting to know some of their Old Frees seniors, before everyone headed back to the school for Speech Day. But this year, things were a little different. There was time to spare because Speech Day had already been held on the first of October. There was no rush.

After the service, I brought the boys and the Old Frees along to see the grave of Francis Light, which was only a stone's throw away from Hutchings' resting place. From their reactions, I could tell that almost everyone had never seen Light's grave before, not even known that he was buried there. Well, there's a first time for everything, I suppose!

Will I show the grave to next year's batch of Prefects as well? That will depend on whether I can drag myself out of my warm bed early enough next October. Let's see how things go.

Anyway, while we were there, I posed a question to the boys and the Old Frees. What is the one surprising fact that connects Francis Light and Robert Sparke Hutchings, even though the two men never met each other? Light died in 1794, while Hutchings arrived in Penang in 1814, a gap of 20 years. What connects them?

OFA annual dinner 2026

I've attended so many OFA annual dinners that I've long stopped counting them. In the early days, the dinners were held at the club premises, first in Leith Street, then Hutton Lane, Mandalay Road and finally Northam Road, until this latest clubhouse was renovated in 1997. Since then, the dinners have been held elsewhere, usually in hotels with big ballrooms, although restaurants have also been used once or twice. For the past several years, St Giles Wembley has become the venue of choice.

Last Tuesday, the 103rd OFA annual dinner was held there, and I attended with five other mates from my batch in Penang Free School. I had hoped more of our old schoolmates would sign up, but that wasn't to be. They all had their own reasons, of course. Still, with those of us from the 1970 Form Five and 1972 Form Six batches getting on in years, I thought this would have been a good opportunity for more of us to get together again for old times' sake. Better response next year, perhaps?

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed myself at this year's dinner, catching up with these mates and bumping into many more old farts along the way. At our age, there's always plenty of pleasantries to share and talk about, even if we sometimes have to remind one another of names and events from years gone by. Never mind. That's part of the fun of meeting up again. Some of my personal pictures follow below.

Dr Amir Shah, Ivan Ooi, Dr PP Shah and Dr Choong Sim Poey

See Swee Sie (present PCA President) and Dr Choong Sim Poey (former PCA President)

Penang Free School Prefects

My batch mates

My chess kakis

Miss Asia Global 2026 brought dozens of beauty contestants from multiple countries to Penang this week, and they chose to introduce themselves at our OFA annual dinner. I had bumped into five or six of them earlier when they squeezed into the hotel lift. As I left on the 10th floor, I gave them a bye-bye and said, "Too bad, we can't follow you up to the 26th floor."

Remembering Hutchings 2026

Every year, I tell myself that this shall be the last time I attend the annual Robert Sparke Hutchings commemorative service at his grave in the old Protestant Cemetery in George Town. But when the 21st of October comes around again, I somehow find myself dragging my body out of bed at five o’clock in the morning, getting ready for the 45-minute journey from home to the cemetery. There is something about this little service that keeps drawing me back.

I first attended the service in 2012 and, over the past 15 years, I have missed it only twice. The service itself is a fairly brief affair, usually lasting just 10 to 15 minutes, but it brings together representatives from Penang Free School, Hutchings Sixth Form College, The Old Frees’ Association and St George’s Church. An Anglican priest from the church leads the service at Hutchings’ grave, where those present gather to remember a man whose influence is still felt in Penang today.

Each of these four institutions has its own connection with Hutchings. Penang Free School is perhaps the most obvious, as he founded the school which opened to boys of all races, religions and creeds on 21 October 1816. Hutchings Sixth Form College, formerly Hutchings Secondary School, inherited his name after Penang Free School moved from its Farquhar Street premises to Green Lane at the end of 1927. The Old Frees’ Association is the alumni association of those who passed through the Free School, while St George’s Church has its own historical connection with Hutchings, who was the colonial chaplain in Penang and was associated with the church in its early days. The church itself was completed in 1818 and consecrated the following year.

There are usually a few other Old Frees who turn up as well, myself included. Although I attend as a member of The Old Frees’ Association, I suppose each of us has our own reason for making the early-morning trip. For me, it has become one of those annual occasions that I keep telling myself I can do without, only to find that I am back there again when the date comes around.

The Old Frees at the commemorative service

Triangular chess match

Only the second year that the OFA-OXA-MBSU triangular games had included chess but we're quite happy to have won it this time. Last year was a disappointment because we had only managed the second spot. This time, we made sure to have our reinforcements ready: a line-up that included Chern Ee, Ronnie and Jonathan. Plus, a steady back-up from Ing Kiat, Thean Keat and Kah Poh ensured we would take full points from the Old Xavierians' Association and the Methodist Boys' School Union. There's more of what I want to say about the triangular games but I'd rather prefer to show these pictures below to commemorate the event.