MELAKA: A little Christmas cheer was all that was needed to transform a once spooky, rundown "haunted mansion" into a home of merriment and joy.
The Tun Fatimah Form Six College in Durian Daun, which had been in a dilapidated state resembling a "haunted mansion" was decked out with Christmas decorations for a Yuletide celebration.
Its halls were also filled with the sounds of carolling as students and teachers got together to organise the event.
The college's Parents and Teacher Association (PTA) chairman Mak Chee Kin said the public college emerged as the first educational institution in the state to organise such a celebration.
"I have to applaud the teachers and students for their efforts to organise this Christmas gathering with decorations and singing the melody of carols that were enjoyed by all attendees.
"The school's principal Zunita Zulkifli Stork was supportive and gave the go-ahead to organise the celebration in the true spirit of Muhibbah," he said on Tuesday (Dec 17).
He said the Yuletide gathering was organised to foster a harmonious relationship between the students and the teacher as well as to resonate the festive mood with everyone as Malaysians.
Mak added that the celebration was also organised to honour the students for their remarkable academic achievements despite the odds they faced while pursuing Form Six at the college.
In April last year, The Star highlighted that the condition of the college was so bad that it resembled a "haunted mansion" where students felt eerie when witnessing windows falling apart and ceilings collapsing suddenly during classes.
The college was earlier plagued by leaky pipes, dilapidated structures, water supply issues, termite infestation, an unusable basketball court, parking problems and flash floods.
The structure of the college was built in the 1960s and was converted from a secondary school to a Form Six college a few years ago when the earlier school faced low enrolment.
Mak said the college, with 28 classrooms has witnessed certain improvements in its facilities since the past year but more needs to be done to provide a safe and conducive education atmosphere to the students.
