UPPER 6 ARTS CLASSES
of 1962

orty-five years. A veritable lifetime. At the end of 1962 some seventy boys and girls of VI's two Upper Six Arts classes went their separate ways to face the world, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Many went on for further studies, ending up as successful lawyers, accountants, academics and executives. Now, well into their 60's, forty-two of them have come together again.

And what a reunion it was! Held at the Lake Club on 4 November, it was a magical Sunday evening of handshakes and hugs, songs and riotous exchanges of jokes and reminiscences. Never mind the enfeebled joints, the wrinkles, lost hair and weakened eyesight and hearing. Never mind the croaky voices and the memory lapses. And never mind the frequent failure to recognise one another. Within minutes, old bonds were renewed. For many, it was as though the parting of 45 years ago took place only yesterday.

The overseas folk were well represented. The live wire of Upper Six Arts, John Vadiveloo, was present, all the way from the Bahamas with his wife and daughter. So was Lo Kah Hang, with his family from Spain. And there were Chooi Hon, Kim Tuan, David Yee, Parampathy, Kam Yip, Ahlan, Kashnor, Ivy Ponniah, Pak Bee and many others, some with their spouses and families.

The locals were there in force as well. Star billing was given to Rafidah Aziz, who took time off from a cabinet minister's busy schedule to be with old friends. The day was her birthday as well and the party presented her with a birthday cake and regaled her with the Beatles' song When I'm Sixty-four. Then there were, among the many, the ever-feisty Yuen King Mun, authoress Chuah Guat Eng, bubbly Kanagalingam and quiet man Kamal Din.

Among the old teachers present were U6A1 Form Mistress Miss Wong Yoke Ling (now Mrs. Lim), beloved economics lecturer John Doraisamy and history master Saw Chu Thong. They brought back hilarious accounts of their young charges of all those years ago. Another popular ex-teacher, Mrs Yiap Khin Yin, could not be present but David Yee read out to the gathering her greetings and warm wishes from Melbourne.

The six-hour reunion will be remembered for a long time to come. The sad thought is that the event is a September Song and is unlikely to happen again on such a grand scale. Kudos to David Yee Sek Kum and Tang Wing Chew for initiating it and bringing it to fruition.

Report by Shahriza Hussein

Upper 6 A1

Standing: Tang Wing Chew, Quek Huk Chua, John Vadiveloo, How Wan Hong, Siva, Yuen King Mun, Datuk M. Raja Singam, K. Parampathy, Shahriza Hussein.
Seated: Datuk Alfred Kumaraseri, Tan Choong Seng, Kanagalingam, Chuah Guat Eng, Ivy Ponniah, Quah Chooi Hon, Miss Wong Yoke Ling (Mrs Lim), Teh Pak Bee,
Wong Ah Yin, Sung Kam Yip, Loh Ka Hang, Alex Anthony, Lee Kim Tuan

Upper 6 A2

Standing: Datuk Shahbudin Mohamad, Ahlan, Kwong Lok Wah, Yee Sek Kum, Koh Beng Teck, Sier Hooi Koon, Lee Bin Siew, Foo Say Ghee, Farouk Hussein, Kamal Din
Seated: Wan Kim Woh, Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Ismail, Khashnor bt Ishan, Hasnah bt Omar, Siti Majher, Mr. John Doraisamy, Mr. Saw Chu Thong,
Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz, Siti Hawa bt Ahmad, Nor Azian, Datin Zuraidah, Hanim, Siti Maria Nor