School turns 100 with flourish

Lion dances on stilts wowing the guests at the centenary dinner.

CHUNG Ling High School in Penang marked its centenary with a grand dinner.

More than 3,000 current and former teachers and students attended the event held at the field of the school in Jalan Air Itam.

The occasion was enlivened by electrifying lion dances on stilts as well as an orchestra performance, dances and a traditional drum and wushu performance.

Sing! China 2016 finalist Jeryl Lee Pei Ling, who is a student of the school, delivered two songs to the delight of the crowd.

Many guests grabbed the chance to take photographs and videos of the local celebrity songbird who made waves on the China reality show.

Jeryl, 17, polled 14,227 votes to place sixth overall in the Sing! China final that was held in Beijing in October last year.

Twenty-seven teachers who had taught at the school for more than 30 years were honoured at the event.

Chung Ling deputy honorary secretary Tan Yok Cheng said the event gave the guests a chance to foster closer relationships with each other.

“We have a souvenir counter for those who want to buy memorabilia of the centenary celebration,” he said.

Among the old boys was former Penang chief minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon from the Class of 1964.

Dr Koh said he was delighted to meet his old school friends at the dinner.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who was the guest of honour, said the state was proud of the achievements of the school which had produced many prominent figures.

He announced a RM100,000 contribution to the school from the state government.

Among the VIPs present at the dinner were state executive council members Chow Kon Yeow and Lim Hock Seng, China’s consul-general to Penang Wu Jun, Penang MCA chairman Datuk Tan Teik Cheng and the school’s board of governors chairman Datuk Koay Hean Eng.