SAFE JOURNEY DOC ALA USAT

Royal 8th salutes our Muhamad Noorhisyam B Salleh Ajak @ DOC ALA USAT, who will be going on a humanitarian mission to Peshawar, Pakistan to aid the flood victims.

He will be one of the 40 doctors who volunteered under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' JV with the Malaysian Red Crescent Society. His mission will last for 7 to 10 days, departure on Friday evening, expected to come back on the first day of Raya..

A few years back, we had Razi Pahlavi B Abdul Aziz @ BOOT serving as a volunteer for the MERCY MISSION in Palestine..

May such humanitarian efforts continue.

Bro, selamat pergi, dan selamat kembali..

http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=167880

Mr Oi Loh Kah Passed Away

This letter was emailed earlier:

Dear OPs,

I received an email from a batchmate informing me of this terrible news, and have just got off the phone with Mark Oi, to confirm the details.

Mr Oi, or Pak Oi, as he's fondly remembered, passed away earlier this morning at HUKM due to kidney failure. He has recently underwent an operation, which led to this complication.

Allow me to stroll down memory lane, and to perhaps introduce the Oi family to OPs from other generations.

The Ois were sports teachers in RMC from the 70s to the early 90s.

I'm sure many of you remember your first swimming lessons with Puan/Ma'am/Mak Oi. Coming out of the changing room at the RMC pool, wearing the swimming trunks with the gold buckles that you got from TKR. And her telling you to hold the pool ledges as you start kicking to her count 'one-two, one-two, one-two'.

The first time, as a form 1, when you awkwardly held a rugby ball, and Pak Oi telling you that you have to run forward, but the ball could only travel backwards. The Monday morning results announcements. And how many MSSWP rugby championships were won under his guidance.

The presence of Mark Oi and later his brother, whom most of us seniors couldn't remember the name, and simply call Adik Oi. Both brother were good in sports. Mark is a pilot and you can often see him bulldozing the rugby field during the OPPP Games.

I have to admit, I really felt the loss. Feeling a bit depressed.

Rest in peace, Sir.

Wake will be tonight and tomorrow at PJ. I'm planning to attend the Wake tomorrow. Funeral service will be on Friday. Will keep you posted on details.

Please forward this sad news to other RMC related email lists. Details shall also be posted on the batchblog. Www.royal8th.blogspot.com

OP Azly Anwar 87-91 Alpha

BATCH BUKA PUASA REPORT

Nothing much to report actually..

In attendance:
ALPHA- Amril, Bandit, Mat Gan & Bear
BRAVO- Budin & Kitol
CHARLIE- Upat, Acun, Cicit, Gegek & Yusmal
DELTA- Low, Abeng (& tunang), Wan Jack,
EAGLE- Auk & Mandela
FOXTROT- Mat Yep, Penyu, Kam, Zamri & Bai
GOLF- Mawar, Mat Kong, Mat Ten, Achot, Joejo
HOTEL- Boot, Upiq, Kebu

Menu:
sup tulang/ekor/peruk/kambung/rusuk kambing/puyuh etc etc
rojak ayam
mee bandung
kuey teow
otak-otak
nasi lemak

Collection that shall be donated for the Run4Rabeka campaign: RM330

The photos below elaborates everything else.. an event filled with smiles and laughter.. there were some serious discussions, including a lecture from Low to Gegek on emergency landing procedure..

There were also the usual amusing one-liners, namely the Ganeswaran classic: "Roland tak lari, dia bounce!"

TQ Kam for the pics..

Batch Buka Puasa Gathering

At Jalan Doraisamy on 23rd August 2010.

IFTAR @ RMC

This was the first OPA function that I've attended after a few years. I make it a point to attend OPA functions when it's the AGM or if the functions are related to Puteras (RMC).

I went with OP Farouk Khalid, or to be more precise, hitched a ride. The drive down to Sg Besi was pleasant, with some minor congestions here and there.

We smiled upon arrival at Sg Besi.. it's been almost 20 years, and the town still looks the same. The same old BSN at the corner of the 'main business block'..

We parked at the Parade Square, and despite the College providing a shuttle van to ferry the OLD Puteras up to Boy's Wing, Farouk and I decide to walk up the 171 steps.

We were rewarded with a spectacular view of KL at dusk. We passed by the fully air-conditioned class rooms and canteen. We also passed by the refurbished basketball court. Refer to photos.

View from 125th step

RMC's Guard Room is reduced to this small hut, placed at the upper roundabout.

Don't tell me that you're not impressed with the basketball court.

Classrooms

We went straight to the mess as it was nearly time for Iftar. There were of course the familiar faces, OP Khiaril Annuar, OP CA, OP Amerul, OP Bustaman, OP Jamalus etc etc..

The Puteras were smartly dressed in Mosque Orders. Those with '388' military numbers were in batik (yellow for Form 4, greenish for Form 5) and kurtas. All OPs were appropriately dressed (thank goodness nobody was 'idle' enough to wear slippers into the mess).

Azan came. Iftar was simply dates + karipap + kuih gulung. Then off to Maghrib prayers. Dinner followed: nasi minyak + ayam masak merah + acar + dalcha..

I was a bit frustrated with regards to the quality of the food served... the food didn't taste anything like the nasi minyak we had in the late 80s. The food served was tastier.. cukup garam, cukup perisa.. it wasn't the mess food that I was craving.. what happened to the ayam keras, sayur layu, nasi ketul and watery dhal that I was fed with between 87-91?
Well, that's progress for you.

After dinner, it was Isya' + terawikh.. followed by pulut + pengat durian with the Puteras for moreh.. then the OPs had a private session of roti canai and teh tarik..I got home at about 12pm.. TQ Farouk to driving.

OK.. here are the college updates (took time to speak to Puteras and Staffs):

1) Commandant Company is ALPHA.. and for 2010, ALPHA is in the lead!

2) From the outside, the college look good.. which makes me wonder, why are we moving to the new venue again?

3) Ohhh.. perhaps the answer to #2 is the water issue.. and that evening, those praying rellied on a military mobile water unit for wuduk..

4) Food was improving.. and yes, you may agrue that food was 'upgraded' because the OPs were visiting.. but back in the 80s, even if the OPs came, the food was still as tasteless as any other day! hahahaaaa

5) We no longer have Company Commandant.. instead they are called OC Company. But functionally, they are the same.. I just got a bit confused on the matter because I had 3 OCs on my table..

6) The Puteras were asked to recite Asma Al Husna after the end of moreh. But then things went corny.. they made the Boys sing Inilah Barisan Kita.. WWWHHHYYYY? Why not sing Berkhidmat Memimpin? Sorry, but the song selection, was in my books, just corny.. whoever gave the orders, 'dude, that was just lame...'. the only person getting excited over Inilah Barisan Kita was OP Tajul, the Alumni Rugby's vice captain (to each his own, i guess)

7) Puteras' welfare were well taken care off. Form 5 gets RM100 allowance, with only 10% deducted for Annual Dinner. Unlike in the 80s, allowances were cut for the graduation ring, blazer, mess rations etc etc.. back then, we had less allowance and more cuts..

OK that's it from me..



Bandit

OPA BUKA PUASA

FORWADING ON BEHALF OF OPA:

As a change, the OPA Berbuka Puasa will be held at The Royal Military College, Sungei Besi on FRIDAY, 20th August 2010 together with the Puteras.

We have not done this before and the Commandant has been kind enough to entertain our request. Please inform the Secretariat of your attendance for catering purposes before Wednesday,18th August 2010 by email or sms me at 0123993125.

The best part of this will be the Morei-Teh Tarik session after the Solat Terawikh.
The dress code willl have to be adhered to, i.e. Baju Melayu/Smart.

Please spread the news to all your yahoogroups either by email or sms. It is getting costly with the new stamp charges of 60 sen to post by Pos Malaysia to all 2000 over members.

We hope that the turnout will be inspiring to the Puteras.

OP Azudin O Fuad
Executive Secretary

CORRECTION- BATCH BUKA PUASA

Dear all,

Due to many having to balik kampung, berbuka dgn in-laws etc etc..

Batch Buka Puasa shall be at Doraisamy Soup (near Dang Wangi Station)..

Details as below:

TIME/DATE: 1845hrs- Monday 23 August

VENUE: Doraisamy

I take it as a JANTAN ONLY session??

See you there and please pass the word around..

TQ

Congrats Abeng

That's it.. Delta Company boys are all hitched (OK lah.. Abeng is semi-hitched)..

CONGRATS BRO..