Much of my writing has revolved around the town of Raub, where I spent my childhood. But it’s about time I turned my attention to Kuantan, a town that holds memories of a different chapter in my life.
In 1969, I moved to Kuantan after my father was transferred there on a promotion. While it was my first time in the town, my parents were already familiar with it, having lived in various parts of Pahang over the years.
This time, however, we had to rent a house due to the unavailability of government quarters. Our belongings were loaded into four lorries and transported to a modest, single-storey terrace house at No 174 Kuantan Garden – a far cry from the spacious government houses we were used to.
I began Form Three at St Thomas School, where I met future national footballer Davendran, and fondly remember the frequent raffles held to raise funds and the church bell chiming at 6pm nearby.
In Form Four, I moved to Sultan Abu Bakar School. My friends Thong Thiam Seng, Ahmad Shukri, Rajeswaran and I trained secretly at the district dental clinic compound for a district badminton tournament – until we were caught – but despite the abrupt end to our sessions, we still performed commendably.
Our class monitor, Wong Teck Sing, was a studious and pleasant classmate whose much-teased hairstyle now amusingly mirrors the trendy cuts of today’s Premier League footballers – perhaps a visionary ahead of his time.
I was introduced to cricket at Sultan Abu Bakar School by Chin Yoong Wah, with support from sports secretary Shaharuddin Abdullah, and later played for the Old Thomasian Association Kuantan (OTAK), thanks to Kenneth Sta Maria, the headmaster of St Thomas Primary School.
Though I may not have left a lasting mark on the school, I am proud to have written a short piece years later about the legendary Sudirman Hj Arshad, who was also a student there.
While in Kuantan, my second brother would coax me to join him at Teluk Chempedak beach for swimming lessons – lured mostly by the promise of an ice cream cone – but despite his patience, I knew the sport wasn’t for me.
One of the highlights of my Kuantan days was watching Malaysia Cup matches at Darul Makmur Stadium, where underdog Pahang was transformed into a formidable side under the leadership of the Sultan of Pahang and the Tengku Mahkota, even challenging giants like Selangor with stars such as R Arumugam, Soh Chin Aun, Santokh Singh and Mokhtar Dahari.
Then came the monsoon season – my first real experience of East Coast weather. Heavy, incessant rain and strong, howling winds created an eerie atmosphere. Drains overflowed, and the road outside our house was submerged. Fortunately, the water stopped short of entering our home, though the backyard was completely flooded. The experience was harrowing and taught me to always be on guard during monsoon months.
These recollections from Kuantan – some amusing, some sobering – remain etched in my memory. They’ve become treasured moments that I now look back on with fondness and perspective.
