In 1957, the Colombo Plan initiated the Tanjong Lobang School with the sole objective of helping rural, poor students of all races to become students at a boarding school. It started with the collection of Primary Five to Form Five students.
The school was thus created and was officially opened by the High Commisioner of New Zealand, Mr. R.L Hutches and the Director of Education, Sarawak.
The school was temporarily sited at a building belong to SHELL, behind the Old Mosque (which is opposite Mega Hotel Miri today). In 1959 the school moved to its present site at Lot 187 Jalan Bunga Tanjong 2, Tanjong Lobang, 98009, Miri.
The Principals of the School from 1957 to 1969 were:
1. Rev. Fr. D.R. Rawlins - 1957-April 1958
2. Mr. A. L. Whiteman - May - Dec 1958
3. Mr. E.C Hicks - Jan - Jun 1959
4. Mr. W.L.S.Britton - Jun 1959 - Jun 1961
5. Mr. G.G.Dearnley - Jun 1961 - Dec 1961
6. Mr. A.D. Ruthe - Feb 1962 - Dec 1963
7. Mr. H.A. Henderson - Jan 1964 - Dec 1965
8. Mr. Robert Nicholl - Jan 1966 - Aug 1969
Thus Tanjong Lobang became the first Government Secondary School in the history of Miri.
Its name was changed to Kolej Tun Datuk Tuanku Haji Bujang in 1972. However, because the school has such a long history, the local people.especially the older people, will always call it Tanjong Lobang School.
When it was announced that the name of the school was to be changed to Kolej Tun Datuk Tuanku Haji Bujang, after the then Governor, some of the students held a rally, with one student standing on a roof in fact.The Education Department called it an Emergency and the school was shut down for a day. It was deemed an unnecessary episode or occurence by the authorities and the then Principal, Mr. William Hsu, was transferred out. No student was hurt or treated as criminal though. Teachers kept mum about the whole incident. To this day, the leader of the student rally was never identified. But the new name of the school remained unchanged.
As I have gathered recently from many people, the name of the school should never have been changed,with due respect to our then Governor. Our school established in 1959, named Tanjong Lobang School, Miri, Sarawak, and sitting on a 50 acre promontary, could have been alongside the famous Victoria Institute and the various Anglo Chinese Schools of West Malaysia, with the best of possible grounds in Malaysia. The alumni of Methodist Secondary School for example would not allow a change of the school's name to Sekolah Tinggi Datuk Wong Soon Koh, for example. And finally I do not think it acceptable to change the name of Oxford University to Blair University in Britain. I am just trying to think along some political possibilities.....and legal implications.
And with all the possible endowments that the State can grant, there can surely be a great Kolej Tun Datuk Tuanku Haji Bujang some where in Sibu as he hailed from Sibu. And that could be a huge and successful college sitting perhaps on a one hundred acre of land, with the best of architecture and engineering structure, the best of teachers Sibu can produce,etc,etc...That would make not only Sibu proud, but Sarawak proud.
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Mr James Foh was a most distinguished teacher and headteacher at Bintangor, Kapit and Miri. Many former English and other European volunteers like VSO and Australian Volunteers Abroad who were teaching with him are returning to Sarawak this year in July and would like to revisit him and his old colleagues and students. He still lives in Miri with his family. It would wonderful if anyone in Sarawak has information on how he can be contacted.
With best wishes
David Phillips
(VSO teacher Betong 1966-68)
Mr. James Foh continues to live in Luak Bay and a phone call to Samling Corporation may just get you his mobile phone.
He is still very healthy and active.
Tanjong Lobang students are planning a reunion on 23rd August this year!!
Mr. James Foh was also Principal in Kanowit's Sedaya. Any Volunteer related to Kanowit coming back?
thank you for visiting.
Dear David Philips and others
I am not sure if it is a done thing. But perhaps it is alright if we let you all know that our good brother James left this world on Jan 23rd 2008.
It was a sad day.
Many thanks for sharing this very sad news. I hope it may be possible to express our condolences from all in the UK who knew and respected James to his family and friends in Malaysia.
David Phillips
I found this blog while doing a search on my father, attempting to find out more about the earlier parts of his life, as a student, teacher, headmaster.
He told us bits and pieces of stories from those old days, but I regret not having amassed a more coherent collection of his memeories. I am sorry for not knowing those old friends he was so obviously fond of.
He passed away on the 22nd Jan, 2009, after spending close to 2 months in ICU. He gave his all to fight the diseases that afflicted him. He had Sweet's syndrome, Dengue, myelodysplasia, a mixture of improbable, bizzare ailments with conflicting treatments, resulting in complications that brought on multiple organ failures.
He had plans for more days in this world, with my mom, with his grand children. He kept working, and actually expected to recover and resume working. He only reluctantly accepted a less involved consultancy role with a private firm at the insistence of his family about a year ago.
Anyway, thank you all for your thoughts of my father, and this space for me to vent a little of what I cannot say to my father anymore.
With best regards,
Chris.
The change of name from TLC to KTDTHB was in 1971..I clearly remember this as I was among those who were not agreeable to the change..we staged a demonstration / appealing for TLC to remain the name..but it was a wasted effort though..the namen change proceeded..thus the long name.Call it by any name , to me it remain Tanjong Lobang...
Hello,
I'm the new generation of college student. I'm very fascinated with the history of our school that I'd like to archive them, so the future generation won't forget.
Share your stories on cover or undercover, myth of the school, sweet memories or darkest moment of the school.
Or, if there are such "archiving" college memory on other places, please redirect me to them. I'm volunteering to such a cause.
As the new gen, my friends and I always thought that Tanjong Lobang College name is cooler than the current, lengthy name. -_-"
I'm ex-college of (2005-2011)
My father was the first principal, Douglas Rawlins.
I think he may have left to go on leave as I know he chaperoned Sarawak athletes competing at the Empire Games in Cardiff in July 1958. On his return he moved to Kanowit to establish a school there - that was where I was born a year later and I'm hopeful of visiting sometime next year.
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