First 6th form class

First sixth form class of 1964:

Standing l to r (back row):

Timothy Liaw Aik Hon, Lankie Simbas*, Lucas Chua*, Richard Lau*, Thomas Lin. Thaddeous Demong, Anthony Najod.

Second row, l to r:
Sie Yuan Seng, Hatta Solhi, Paul Lee, Lee Ting Leong, Chih Ching Ping, Alphonsus Sia,Ting Huat Tung, David Chin, Innocent Wong, Paul Ling Hwa Ing, Dominic Wong.

Front row, l to r:
Joseph Nuing, Arbie Zainuddin, Matnor Daim, Denys Lang*, Leong Mei Kim,Jolhi Sa'ar, Tony Hung, Peter Hati, Jampong Seliong* (* diseased)

The first form 6 class was made up of students mainly from the ulu parts of Sarawak. They have come to Miri because their schools did not have sixth form. There were the St. Anthony’s boys from Sarikei: Ting Huat Tung, Paul Ling, Innocent and Dominic Wong, Thomas Lin and Lee Ting Leong. Tony Hung and Arbie Zainnudin came from Sacred Heart, Sibu. Danys Lang, Lankie Simbas, Anthony Najod, Thaddeous Demong and Mosko Ruben were from Kanowit. Chih Ching Ping came from Marudi. The Miri boys were Lucas Chua, Paul Lee, David Chin, Hatta Solhi and Jolhi Sa'ar. From Bintulu came Leong Mei Kim, the only girl in sixth form science. She later married Ting Huat Tung. They now live happily in Melbourne.

Most of these people later on won Colombo Plan, Sarawak Foundation or other scholarships and when they graduated from oversea universities and returned to work in Sarawak. They became heads of government departments and business leaders. A few stayed on overseas and never returned to Sarawak after they finished their courses.  I chose to return to Miri in 1972 because my guarantor would go to jail otherwise.

On the whole, the Colombo Plan scheme back-fired. Instead of helping us, it began a brain drain from the developing countries to the donor countries which continued to this day. I am living in New Zealand. I know at least 20 other school mates living now in Canada, America and Australia. Two of my own children have again migrated from NZ to Australia. Where their children will go next is any one's guess. My grand father Chin Yu, a Haka ngin (gypsy) left Kwangtung province in 1905 during a famine. He migrated to Sabah and worked a rubber garden, tapping rubber. My father [migrated] to Sarawak in order to finish high school. I was born in Miri and know the place very well because I lived there for 45 years. I took my family to NZ in 1995. My sons are living in Australia and so it continues for the Chin family.

Hakas hold no allegiance to any one country because we have become world citizens. Many Haka ngin have migrated to all the famous gold fields all over the world. Some became farmers working on market gardens, planting vegetables. Others operated laundries and take-away restaurants. Their descendants attended universities and are now working as doctors, lawyers and engineers. A few became  datuks, mayors and members of parliaments. One became prime minister of Singapore for many years.