KUALA LUMPUR: It was a long time coming, but the 39th anniversary reunion for former students of Ipoh’s Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) and Methodist Girls School (MGS), was nonetheless filled with grandeur.
The roaring reunion for the ‘Class of 1978/80’ was held in conjunction with Chinese New Year celebrations at the Dynasty Dragon Restaurant at The Atria in Damansara Jaya, Selangor.
Leading the fête was Lt Col Jagjit Singh Chet Singh of the Army’s Royal Signals Corps, who, in his heyday, was the country’s top-notch hockey star.
Jagjit, who will turn 56 on April 26, had represented Malaysia as a fullback at the 1982 Kuala Lumpur Junior World Cup, 1982 New Delhi Asian Games in India, the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics in the United States and the 1986 Seoul Asian Games in South Korea.
In 1984, he was adjudged the ‘Armed Forces Sportsman of the Year’.
Jagjit was accompanied to the reunion by daughter Jillian Kaur and wife Anant Kaur, a former national hockey player and international umpire.
These days, Jagjit is still very much active as an athlete, competing in full marathons frequently, including the forthcoming Standard Chartered 2017 run on May 21.
“I have always considered fitness an element to a healthy lifestyle. Running has been part of my life since young, in school and more so in the Army.
“And what better way to stay in shape, than in competing in marathons,” said Jagjit.
Besides Jagjit, other prominent alumni in attendance were Ramunia Holdings Group chairman Datuk Azizul Rahman Abdul Samad; Genting Malaysia Berhad President and chief operating officer Datuk Seri Lee Choong Yan; women’s national golf coach Koe Lai Yin; and The Star Publication’s assistant news editor Shyla Koshy.
Reunion co-organisers Betty Chow and Chow Soong Ming conjured up a sumptuous dinner, and also helped unearth the singing talents among many of the alumni for the evening, including that of official photographer, Alvin Tay.
A majority of the alumni had studied together since Standard One at ACS and MGS, others during Secondary school; while some attended Form Six at the co-ed stage at ACS.