However, after spending seven years there, it dawned upon me how lucky I was to be given the opportunity to study at the MCKK. There I met many schoolmates from different states. Some came from well-to-do families. Quite a number, including myself, were not so well endowed. We very much depended on the RM40 a month Federal Scholarship to scrape through the schooling there.
We were lucky because in my group, the more well-to-do among us were willing to help out when we were in dire straits. That also explains why even to this day we remain bonded in brotherhood after leaving the college more than 50 years ago. Most among us now live comparatively well, may be among the M40 (middle income) bracket. A few have become very rich. But everyone still comes to our frequent gatherings.
For students from the rural areas where proper facilities are hard to come by, a boarding school like the MCKK is definitely a blessing. Our days there were not just rewarding academically but also helpful in sharpening relevant living skills needed to face the challenges of the real world. That explains why the government decided years ago to build more such boarding schools.
PROF DATUK DR AHMAD IBRAHIM
Fellow, Academy of Sciences Malaysia
UCSI University
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/letters/2019/01/15/more-boarding-school-places-for-b40-students-a-good-sign/#MaxWC2GYeZceBVcu.99
