The 40th Anniversary of NJC & 1st Tahan Expedition

Exactly 40 years ago, in April 1969, 4 very adventurous gung-ho teachers decided to do the unthinkable...attempt to scale the highest mountain in West Malaysia. As they were all teachers representing the teaching profession, they made the 2nd decision to train a small party of students and make it the first student-teacher group to climb a reputable mountain outside Singapore.



Read the FULL story of Singapore's 1st Gunung Tahan Expedition 1969 in the pages of this blog beginning...here.


There were just 10 of us. The 4 teachers and 6 students that we picked after a gruelling selection process. The 6 students all hailed from the only Junior College then in existence...the National Junior College ( NJC ).
The principal of the JC was then Mr Lim Kim Woon and the Head of the PE Dept was Mr Seah Lye Huat, a known badminton player.
Today, May 16 2009, NJC is having a big celebration in their college grounds.
They are celebrating their proud 40 year history and achievements.
They have much to celebrate about...being the country's 1st and premier college in the early days.
Many of our top leaders in government and industry hailed from there...including
our Prime Minister Mr Lee Hsien Loong.

Unk Dicko has accepted a Dinner invitation by the Project Sweet Sweet Team for the function. This team, comprising some very devoted and dedicated members of the 1st batch of NJC students from 1969, got together 5 years ago and made a promise to write a special book documenting their student life and the founding of the college. It was no empty promise. The special Commemorative Book titled," And they called us car park attendants "documenting the "original " people of the founding year 1969, has been produced and will be officially launched at the grand dinner. Inside will be a featured account of the "1st NJC Tahan" story of 1969. Most of the photos came from my personal archives...which I had enhanced
before sending to the key members of the Project team namely Wong Moh Keed, the Editor and the Project Co-ordinator Julia d'Silva ( aka Pau Ka Liau ).
It was Moh Keed who first contacted me after she chanced upon my blog while doing some research on Gunung Tahan and NJC last year. The rest as they say is history.
I am looking forward to meet some of my fellow Tahaners and others.
I have not seen some of them since 1969!
40 years ago!!!

Singapore's 1st Gunong Tahan Expedition, part 2

At the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station we assembled for a proper send off by a party of well-wishes from our supporters, family and friends. The date was 12th April 1969. We took the night train. All our expedition gear was loaded on board our bunks on the Malayan Railway train which will take us to the rustic town of Jerantut, Pahang. Each of us was carrying between 40 to 50 lbs of personal and group items all packed into a single haversack. Everyone had an assigned role and different responsibilities.
We had taken the chosen 6 student climbers on repeated hill climbs at Bt Timah Hill and on long, endurance hikes in Mandai, Jurong and elsewhere. Taught them all the camping and outdoor skills necessary for jungle and mountain expedition. In the end we felt they were ready for the big challenge confronting us.
Twang Peck EE, Balbir Singh and myself ,being members of the very respected TTC YLTCC, came with rock-solid outdoor experience and background. The only slight uncertainty was Tng Kim Guan. Although he was physically a strong chap, had an easy-going personality and a sportsman, he was not moulded and trained like the 3 of us.
Still we had vowed to work as a team and everyone got along extremely well.
To cover the expedition we had at least 2 cameras. One was mine and I was the official photographer besides another. Most of the photos were from my camera as the other valuable rolls of films were accidentally submerged on the return journey during a river crossing by the other member.It was no easy task to keep the camera handy, yet safe and dry, throughout the expedition. Traversing in deep, humid jungle with many deep river crossings, posed great difficulties.
Photos:
Top - From Jerantut train station, a chartered old rickety bus took us to this place...Ferry point at Kuala Tembeling...where we boarded 2 chartered motorised launch for the up river journey to Kuala Tahan . Left to Right: Tham Han Chew, Louis Hwang, T Jesudasen, Balbir Singh[ Asst Leader] and Tng Kim Guan posing at the jetty...assigned boat 2.
Centre - Boarding the launch. The person walking towards the left is myself.
Bottom - Each launch carried 5 of us. The 5 of us in boat number 1....Twang Peck Ee[ Leader] Francis Lee, Tan Yam Tee, Tan Yeow Huat and Dick Yip [ Asst Leader ].

[ story will continue in part 3 ]