Glorious past, solid present, bold future

The problems of the world we face Seem very small like earth in space The rainbow of the sky we chase A great and worthy race

We pupils here are happy

We're cheerful with no worries

For aren't we young Collegians

We are and proud to be ...

-- excerpts from the Sultan Abdul Hamid College school song

IF only the walls could talk, the Sultan Abdul Hamid College in Alor Star could tell thousands of stories as it journeyed through its 100 years.

It would tell you about the times when its young students began to take their first steps into becoming men of integrity and honour, men who have the distinction of being remembered as founding fathers of the country.

In fact, it could probably tell you about the time when a certain young man, who later became prime minister, used charcoal to scribble graffiti on the classroom walls upon his return to the school after the Japanese occupation in 1945.

Sultan Abdul Hamid College, fondly referred to as SAHC, was founded on Dec 8, 1908. The college boasts of an illustrious alumni roster, amongst whom are the current Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah (class of 1946-1948), Malaysia's first premier Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj and fourth prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (1932-1941) whose father, Mohamad Iskandar, was the school's first headmaster.

There were also other luminaries such as former Education Minister and president of the World Wide Fund for Nature of Malaysia (WWF), the late Tan Sri Mohammad Khir Johari, former Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Abdul Halim Ali and former Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Tan Sri Razali Ismail.

Many of its early students joined the Kedah Civil Service and a few went on to hold top jobs in the judiciary, such as former Chief Justices Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, Tun Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah, Tun Mohamed Azmi Mohamed, Tun Syed Sheh Hassan Barakbah and Tun Abdul Hamid Omar.

The school also counts on five Kedah menteris besar and three governors as among its students.

In conjunction with the college's centenary celebrations, the Sultan Abdul Hamid Old Collegian Association (SAHOCA) has commissioned a 144-page coffee table book, The Sultan Abdul Hamid College Centenary -- A Glorious Past, A Solid Present and A Bold Future.

The book chronicles the college's journey from its inception right to the present day and contains interviews with a selection of alumnis, the most senior being 84 years old and the youngest, 34.

One of the college's oldest and most notable alumni is former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who is also president of SAHOCA.

Among his fellow surviving classmates from the Class of 1932-1941 are Tan Sri Syed Agil Syed Hassan Barakbah, Ahmad Bahar, Ahmad Mohamad Said and Datuk Shaari Daud.

Dr Mahathir, in the coffee table book, said teachers during his time were respected and held in high regard.

"We were in awe with the amount of knowledge they seemed to possess and how brainy they were. We really felt they were next to God and admired them despite the corporal punishment (they meted to us)."

Though the majority of its students were Malays, SAHOCA Kuala Lumpur and Selangor chairman Datuk Syed Abdul Jabbar Shahabudin (Class of 1950-1959) recalled that race and religion had never played a part in the school.

"We would all speak amongst ourselves in the local Kedah dialect. It didn't matter one bit what race or creed we were, we all spoke the same language. We played, studied, slept and ate together. There was no difference among us."

Azlan Hussain said "When it was fasting month, the non-Muslims would fast along with us, and they would join us for the 'moreh' (feast served after Terawikh prayers)."

Everyone was equal, and those of the royal blood was no exception.

When Tunku Abdul Halim, who later became the Sultan of Kedah, and his brother Tunku Abdul Malik joined the college in 1946, their father, the late Sultan Badlishah sent a letter to the then headmaster D.H. Christie which read; "Please treat my children as you would other children."

The bane of boarding schools is the hostel food and it was no different during Tunku Abdul Halim's time.

Once a week, the palace would send food for the princes. The deliveries were very much anticipated as the food would be generously shared with the other boys.

"There was a time when Tunku Abdul Halim could not run back to his dorm in time when the hostel warden made his rounds that he had to hide under my bed," Yusof Darus recalled in the book.

These and other recollections are in the coffee table book which will be on sale at RM100 (hard cover) and RM75 (soft cover).

The book will be launched on Friday when SAHC holds the Centennial Banquet in Alor Star which will be graced by the Sultan of Kedah and his family.

The five-day celebrations start a day earlier with a treasure hunt starting in Petaling Jaya and ending in Alor Star.

For more information on the five-day celebrations and the coffee-table book, visit sahoca.org or www.sahocahunt2008.blogspot.com; email Azlan Hussain at azlan@sahoca.org; or call Norbaiti at 03-26923236 or Kamarulzaman at 019-3217273.