From Johor Bahru Directory
Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar, previously known as English College
Front compound of Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar
Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar (MSAB), formerly known as English College (EC) is the oldest college in Johor Bahru. A premier secondary school catering to students from Form 1 up to Upper Form 6 (pre-university level, preparing for the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia, equivalent to the Advanced Level in the United Kingdom) in Johor Bahru. All students for the Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary levels, ie. from Form 1 to Form 5, are males whereas the pre-university levels (Lower and Upper Form 6) are co-ed in view of the shortage of such facilities in Johor Bahru at that time. Many of its graduates have go on to become national leaders, successful entrepreneurs and national athletes.
2. Established on 21 March 1914, MSAB's initial enrolment comprised 21 students, selected from the Bukit Zahrah School. Its first site was in the vicinity of the Istana Sungai Chat (Sungai Chat palace), facing the Lido Beach. The students were to study under the tutelage of two English teachers, namely Morrison and Holman, who had been specially recruited from England for the purpose. The educational system then was based on the British curriculum and became the model for other English-medium schools in Johor. The school initially recruited a few teachers from w:Europe, but eventually took in locally-trained teachers to teach subjects pertaining to Malay customs. After World War I ended in 1918, English College held its first Junior Cambridge examinations, followed eventually by the Senior Cambridge. Both the results for both examinations were rather dismal. As a result, the school was closed for a few months in 1928. It reopened in May the same year after the school administration did a post-mortem and undertook some remedial actions. By the end of the year, English College achieved its ambition when it selected 143 students for the Mathematics, Science and English course.
3. New location: At the end of 1930, the school relocated to its present location at Jalang Sungei Chat and was officially opened in 1931. During the Japanese occupation (1941 - 1945), the school was in turn used as a military headquarters, a factory, a military hospital and finally as a concentration camp. After the end of the war, the school was reopened, with H. L. Hill as the school headmaster. Under his charge, the school became a prestigious school in Johor Bahru. In 1960, the name English College was changed to 'Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar' (MSAB), in honour of Sultan Abu Bakar, the Father of Modern Johor, after the British withdrew from Malaya. The school badge and uniform was introduced the following year. This was followed by the school song, the lyrics of which were written by Yusof Bin Karto, and the music by Lim Teck Siang. Three decades later, the school compound was enlarged and with the launching of a school fund in 1973, a sports complex and school library was built. MSAB celebrated its Diamond Jubilee in 1974 and invited Tun Hussein Onn, the then Prime Minister of Malaysia and fellow alumnus, to grace the occasion. The school facilities were further expanded in the 1980s and 1990s and today, Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar caters to more than 1,600 students.[1]
4. In August 2002, MSAB set up its first computer lab after Seagate Technology contributed about RM15,000 (almost US$4,500) worth of computer equipment, comprising 20 personal computers, software, and related furniture to the school.[1] With the assistance of Seagate, plans are being made to implement training on basic web development skills, a science quiz, donation of printers and a field trip to Seagate's manufacturing plants. Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar also has an active Computer Club and it is the school's policy to ensure that all Form 1 students take compulsory lessons on basic PC usage.
5. A new multi-purpose hall with a capacity of 1,500 people and costing RM7 million is currently being constructed. The design was initiated by Sultan Ibrahim Ismail, after an earlier modest design wa rejected by the sultan who said that only a grand hall would do for his alma mater.[2] The Education Ministry provided RM3 million, with the balance being financed by the English College Ex-Students Association (ECESA) through fund-raising projects, including a fund-raising dinner at Persada Johor International Convention Centre on 12 March 2011.
Famous alumni
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