The Rajang Basin's Chinese Teachers' Union

My uncle Hii Wen Hui was a member of the Chinese Teachers' Union in Sibu in the 1950's and so were many of my Lau relatives who were teachers.
In fact the union had started quite a long time ago, most probably under the leadership of educated scholars like Rev Yao shio Khing.

The seeds of equality, good scholarship and leadership must have been sown in those early days as some of the leaders were China born and fired by the thoughts of Sun Yat Sen who was revered as a saviour of the Chinese people.

When my mother and her sister, Aunty Yung, went to school in Kai Nang Primary School, they had to sing the Chinese national anthem every morning, San Ming Ju Yi and bowed to Dr. Sun Yat Sen. Till today mum at age 94 (same age as Queen Elizabeth and Tun Mahathir) can still sing San Ming Ju Yi and also some Japanese songs.

Her teachers were Uncle Tang Yu Dong (later Krokop Chinese Primary School Headmaster), Uncle Lau Yung Chiong, Lau Pang Huai to name a few. From the primary school, after six years, she went to Kwong Nang, the name of the school before it was changed to Chung Cheng (after WW2)

Her lessons in class were very basic then. Some Arithmetics, some memorization of the tables, and she was never taught algebra or geometry. She loved Chinese literature which was called the National Subject at that time.

the teachers were foremost in trying to instil moral values in the minds of the children. And may be for that, they were very patrotic and upright in moral values. Perhaps it was the objective of the Chinese teachers in those days to produce upright citizens like themselves.

When she became a teacher of Kai Nang Primary School, she taught Chinese literature, singing and arithmetic. She can really sing well.

Justice for all, and Patriotism.