Honouring
VICTORIAN SERVICE TO THE NATION

Arrival of VIPs: Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, General Prabowo Subianto, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, Tan Sri General Hashim Mohd Ali

Selecting the award recipients for the VIOBA night was no easy task, for there are many Victorians who have served our nation in one form or another. When taking into account the luminaries to honour, we looked at how their service had impacted the country. It was not so much how well known they are or how popular they may have been, but rather how their service helped develop the country as well as raise the image of the country and the quality of life of our fellow Malaysians. Their support over the years to the VI and VIOBA was also taken into account.

Catching up with former teachers: Mrs Lam Foo Wah, Mrs Chong Hong Chong, Mr Yap Chai Seng, Mr Chan Bing Fai, Mr Ngui Thiam Khoon

Despite a bit of traffic congestion due to closure of some roads leading into Dataran Merdeka, Victorians started rolling up as early as 7 p.m. There was good cheer around as everyone mingled to catch up with old friends and to make new friends. As the invited VIPs arrived they were escorted into a holding room.

Promptly at 8 p.m., the Guest of Honour, General Prabowo Subianto, and Special Guest Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, Minister of Tourism and Culture were escorted into the Ballroom. They were accompanied by the VIOBA President, KC Kwek and other dignitaries, with members of the VIOBA Management Committee following behind.

The guests remained standing as the event was officially kicked off with the singing of the School Song. The singing was loud and boisterous and full of pride. This was followed by a 'roll call' based on the School Houses and as the name of each House was called out, its members roared in approval.

General view of the crowd and the VIP table

K Ganes, the Organising Committee Chairman then gave a welcome speech full of humour and good cheer. He was followed by the VIOBA President. In his speech, Kwek Keng Chye highlighted the importance of maintaining the traditions of the VI and hoped that all Victorians present would contribute in some form or another to ensure that the present VI was brought back to its glory days.

General Prabowo then took to the stage to address the audience. It was a great privilege to be invited as the Guest of Honour, he said, and he felt greatly humbled. He touched on his time in the VI and how he had visited the Old School a few years back to see how he could replicate the traditions of the school in a private school he planned to build in Jakarta. He also mentioned the possibility of establishing a Victorian Alumni network in Indonesia.

Informal class reunions erupting all over!

Dinner was then served and many Old Boys took the opportunity to move around the hall to meet old friends and old teachers. A number of present teachers as well as ex-teachers were present. Notable amongst them were Mr Ngui Thiam Khoon, Mr Chan Bing Fai, Mr. Yap Chai Seng, Mr. Dharam Prakash, Mrs Chong Hong Chong, Mrs Benedict Goh and Mrs Belinda Seet.

Midway through dinner came the Awards ceremony with General Prabowo presenting the Awards. The Honourees were former Minister of International Trade Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, Chief of the Malaysian Armed Forces General (R) Tan Sri Mohammed Hashim bin Mohd Ali, Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Rahim Noor, Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam, Rear Admiral (Rtd) Tan Sri Dato' Seri K. Thanabalasingam, Tan Sri Wan Mahmood PawanTeh, Justice Datuk Mahadev Shankar and, posthumously, the Tallala Brothers, Henry and Cyril, World War Two fighter pilots.

General Prabowo and the Awards

Each recipient received a crystal plaque with his or her name engraved on it. The Dinner and merriment continued as the crowd was entertained by the NJ band and a chamber music ensemble. Datuk Zainal Abidin Ali then took the stage and rendered a few songs including "My Way" as requested by General Prabowo.

It was a truly enjoyable evening and it came to an end just past 11 p.m. with lots of old friendships renewed and new friendships forged amongst the Victorians.

Glory, Glory Victoria!!!

Dharm Navaratnam
(Victorian 1984)

Award Recipients

Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz

She is a well known figure among Victorians, both new and old having graced many occasions in the school. The youngest ever Senator, she moved on to become a Wakil Rakyat as a Member of Parliament. Having held many cabinet positions, she is probably best known as the Longest serving Minister of International Trade and Industry. Her strong style and wit has earned her the moniker The Iron Lady . We invite Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz to receive her award.

Tan Sri Hashim Ali

An illustrious career in the Military has seen him serve in the military for 38 years and 9 months. He rose in the ranks and reached the highest position in the military as Chief of the Defence Forces (Panglima Angkatan Tentera). He was instrumental in helping to organize the 1998 Commonwealth Games held in Kuala Lumpur where he served as the Executive Chairman of SUKOM Ninety Eight Berhad. Please welcome Tan Sri Hashim Ali.

Tan Sri Rahim Noor

The 5th IGP, he is probably best remembered as being the architect and chief operations officer for the "Hadyaii Accord 1989" an agreement that formally marked the end of the Communist Insurgency in Malaysia. It has to be noted that Malaysia is the only country in the world that has successfully defeated an armed insurrection by the Communists. Tan Sri Rahim Noor.

Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam

He served in the government service and rose to the rank of Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Finance and then Secretary General of the Ministry of Transport. After retiring from the govt, he moved to Bank Buruh as its CEO before joining the Sunway Group where he still continues to serve. His ties to the VI are also extremely strong. His father was a Victorian, his 3 sons are Victorians and his only grandson is also a Victorian! Please welcome Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam.

Tan Sri Thanabalan

Aside from holding the distinction of being the very first Malaysian to be appointed to the post of Chief of the Royal Malaysian Navy, he also holds the distinction of being the first ever Victorian to head a Malaysian Military Service. He transformed Royal Malaysian Navy from a coastal navy (brown water force) to an ocean-going navy (blue water navy). We invite Tan Sri Thanabalan to the stage.

Tan Sri Wan Mahmood Pawan Teh

Another Victorian that served in the Government Service. He rose to the ranks of Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Information. He was once the Deputy Chairman of Pemadam and also served in various NGOs including the Red Crescent society. He is also a member of the Selangor Royal Council (Dewan DiRaja Selangor), a post he has held since 1984 and has also been the Orang Besar Daerah Gombak since 2002. Please welcome Tan Sri Wan Mahmood Pawan Teh.

Datuk Mahadev Shankar

A renowned lawyer, he began his career as an Advocate and Solicitor in Shearn Delamore and Company, Kuala Lumpur, where he later became a partner in 1961. He joined the judiciary in 1983 when he was elevated as a Judge of the High Court of Malaya. He was later promoted to the Court of Appeal and retired from the judiciary in November 1997. A man known for his quick wit and wide breath of knowledge especially in literature, please welcome Datuk Mahadev Shankar.

The Tallala Brothers

Without doubt two amazing Victorian brothers that served in the Second World War. Henry Conrad Benjamin Talalla and Cyril Lionel Francis Talalla are two brothers who, to this day, were among the very few known Malayans to fly for the British Royal Air force during World War II. We honour them posthumously today and we call upon their brother Justice Richard Tallala to receive the award on behalf of their family.

The 2016 Awardees

The 2016 Awardees with the VIOBA Committee

The V.I. Web Page