A plaque found on the porch to the administration office.

Come and sing a rousing song,
Tap your feet as you go along,

Sing of MBS Penang,
Sing of MBS Penang,
Pykett came to blaze the trail,
There's no room for hearts that quail,
Learn that there can be no rest,
Till you given of your best.

MBS...MBS...

For you a name for us a flame,
Shining steadily and lustily,
To show us life's a game.

MBS...MBS...

O come what may we vow to play,
Life's a great game with courage and spirit gay,
M...B...S....

More often than not, you'll hear of people visiting their alma mater and recounting the good times they have had during their school days. However, seldom are the visit to their alma mater a visit to their former high school but rather a visit to their college. So why is that?

Simply because visiting one's high school does not bring back lots of good ol' memories. On the contrary, it brings back days of mischievousness and suppressed memories of childishness.

On the sunny morning of 29-Jan-2009, a bunch of cohorts from class of 1990s to early 2000s visited their former high school and recounted both the good and bad ol' days.

When I started my Form 1 in 1988, MBS was inheriting a "4th-world" facilities. Things were in bad shape - the tables and chairs were well seasoned; ceiling fans were unheard off, and our classrooms were almost always dirty - all the basic amenities were either missing or not functioning.

And I remembered that we were always doing all sorts of "some-fund-raising-thons" to help improve the school's facilities. And it was that as the years went by, things improved a little bit but there were always so much more that could have been done to improve the school's condition. On top of the school's worsening facilities, disciplinary problems were brewing - gangsterism and vandalism were on a rise.

The headmaster that was hired in 1989, Mr. Lim Yeang Phai, wasn't successful in improving the school's facilities in his 8-year tenure. But what he lacked as a visionary, he compensated with his harsh discipline style - he had instilled a fear of punishment so great that he was disliked by majority of the students (as well as teachers). Apparently, under his dictatorship, law and order were established to clam the rise of disciplinary issues.

So it was that I felt a sense of belonging and thankfulness to God when I stepped into MBS and found that the school administration under the present leadership of its Principal, Mr. Khor Hong Yin, has brought back the shine and luster that the school had lost for more than 3 decades.

Today, not only is MBS one of the best facilitated high school in Penang (a feat considering that MBS is not a government-owned institution - thereby not getting any $$ from the Education Ministry), it has once again, become an inspiration to its students to see beyond the 4 walls of the school.

MBS is now a school that stands out amongst the best schools in Penang. It may be my own opinion, but I dare to say that MBS has once again became the beacon for providing the youth of Penang with a well-balanced high school education. In fact, if you have been reading the news lately, you will find that the pupils in MBS have been making news both in and outside of the academic community.

History
Now, why should a high school sought after titles, glory or a name for itself? On the contrary, why not? Why be "just" a typical and boring school when it can be a life-transforming institution?

I will tell you the 'why not'? MBS was founded by Reverend Balderstone, a Christian Missionary back in the late 1800s. When MBS was formed, it was a ministry by the Methodist Church to provide education to the youth of Penang.

And I am convinced that with the free education provided by the church, the Good News of God's grace was also experienced by the pupils. If you dig up on the history of MBS (in Wikipedia), you will find out about the rich history and achievements of MBS in the early 1900s; showing that the mission was a success!

With what started out as a 1-teacher-1-student classroom back in 1891, MBS is, today, the epitome of the story of the mustard seed as described in the parable found in the following verses: Matthew 13:31-32, Mark 4:30-32 and Luke 13:18-19.

It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade." Mark 4:31-32

I believe God is always faithful to those who have the faith to believe and persevere through the hard times. Imagine if you open a school and only 1 youth walks in - I believe many will be discouraged and call it quits. But when you are in the kingdom of God, you have to believe in the impossible.

Today, we can see good leaders who are committed to God's calling; serving in various offices in MBS. And alumni and ex-teachers are also coming back to help with fund raising activities as well as reviving the Old Boys' Association (Anglo Chinese School Union - MBSACSU).

The success of MBS is to the glory of God. So to give MBS a name is to give God the glory!

Restoration

In His perfect timing, God has restored the old ruins. One of the most timely development in MBS was the restoration of the Suffolk House - which is part of the history of MBS. The Suffolk House, which has been recently restored and tendered for operation, will hopefully, bring back more alumni to contribute to the growth and revival of MBS.

This will also serve as a reminder to all Penangites as well as MBSians of the rich heritage and history of MBS and Penang.

MBS wasn't the perfect school during my time - I have seen and experienced a fair share of good and bad teachers. Nevertheless, I hold no grudge whatsoever against any teachers. After all, MBS was my 2nd home in all the 7 years I have been there. Just as home was never perfect, I have learned to appreciate the negative things in my life as those are the lessons in life that you'll never stop learning from. And as the Bible puts it, we are to count it a blessing when we go through difficult times.

I am grateful to Mr. Khor for giving us the tour on what's happening to the present-day MBS. It was thru the tour that we were able to see for ourselves the transformation that he and his administration have achieved. We were given such a thorough tour that it felt like we were VIP tourists visiting a historic site. And best of all, the tour ended with a simple makan-makan!

To all fellow ex-MBSians reading this, let's help to keep the flame of MBS burning as bright as possible.

The first step I am taking is that I am signing up to be a member of MBSACSU.

There's simply so much to write on my alma mater but I will bring this to a close. Before that, I'd like to quote MBS' school motto:

whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report

It is taken from the Bible (Philippians 4:8) :-) Meditate on these things and you may know why the missionaries used this as the school's motto.