Years ago I kept this photo very carefully.
These were my school mates from the other divisions who would come in with the coastal steamer called Keningau. A few of the girls also had to travel in this manner - it was the cheapest and perhaps the only means for many of us. So going to school in those days was risky and there was no insurance. (No one has heard of insurance at that time.) If a life was lost it was lost. Gone.
Ting Hie Siong was one of the best friends I ever had and we met up often in Sibu when I was working there for a while.
Then there were Rony Assim (now Ahmad Assim) Alec and his brother Angki and YB Hamden.
My journey to and from home was by walking through the jungle- long boat - government boat from Limbang and then the old coastal bus from Brunei. I do not think any 9 year old would do that nowadays.
