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The Malay College Kuala Kangsar - The Headmaster And Pupils
The Malay College Kuala Kangsar was established on 2nd January, 1905, it was originally known as the Malay Residential School of Kuala Kangsar. The school was the brainchild of Mr R J Wilkinson, then Inspector of Schools for the Federated Malay States. In a letter to the Resident-General dated 24th February 1904 he wrote about "establishing at a suitable locality in the FMS, a special residential school for the education of Malays of good family and for the training of Malay boys for admission to certain branches of Government service".
Sir Richard James Wilkinson (1867 - December 5, 1941) was the colonist, Malay-language scholar and historian who had a deep interest in Malay, especially about culture, history, language, and literature.
He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, and began as a cadet in the Straits Settlements in 1889. He was subsequently appointed as a national inspector for schools in 1903 until 1906. He then became a resident of Negeri Sembilan in 1910.
Between 1911 and 1916 he served as Colony Secretary.
Ipoh Remembered adds:
After serving as Colonial Secretary, Straits Settlements, he was governor of Sierra Leone until retirement in 1922.
Birthday was May 29, by the way.
The college formation was enthusiastically supported by the then Rulers of the Federated Malay States namely Sultan Idris Murshidul ‘Adzam Shah I of Perak, Sultan Alaiddin Sulaiman Shah of Selangor, Yam Tuan Tuanku Muhammad Shah of Negeri Sembilan and Sultan Ahmad Mu’adzam Shah of Pahang.
Mr W Hargreaves, then Headmaster of Penang Free School was appointed as the first headmaster to lead the establishment of the school. Since 1965, the Malay College has been led by Malay headmasters.
The Straits Echo on 15th April 1905 reported that a few boys were placed in cosy dormitories in Mr Hargreaves’ rented house, while the others were stabled in small houses formerly occupied by the Malayan Railway clerks. The second half of the school, conducted by Mr Vanrenen was held in a fowl house.
Altogether, there were 40 boys in the first intake of the school.This photograph is believed to be Mr W Hargreaves and the boys who lived in Mr Hargreaves’ rented house.
Before the World War II there were no more than 1,000 Malayan boys in all the Perak English Schools, and so the Malay college played an important role in training potential Malay leaders and officers for administrative posts in the State. The Sixth Form was established in 1958 to prepare boys for the Higher School Certificate.
For more information log on to www.mckk.edu.my.