Let's Get Nostalgic

You have to be senseless in life not to appreciate the romanticism of this college, as with it's immense historical buildings, open green fields and towering trees around the campus. It may be  antiquated or neglected in appearance at certain corners, nevertheless it is a public school with public funding to match on a premier national residential school. The successful old boys certainly gave back generously to the school wisely and appropriately, as can be seen on it's solar photovoltaic panels on the covered car parking. A swimming pool tucked away to one side of the hostel was another of it's old boys contribution to their alma mater.

Playfield behind prep school

Boys in Black - trademark of MCKK students

Parents scurrying in to register back their boys

Solar Photovoltaic Car Parking Sheds

Basketball Court for the prep school boys - Year 1

Prep School Dormitory

New Hall from the rear end.

Class Building

Academic Building & Surau

Picturesque Landscape

Inevitable bus shed & a newer hostel block behind.

Of course, the Big Tree

Latest addition to the curriculum.

Year 2 - Back to College

Early Sunday morning the whole family woke up before 5.30am to make our way to Kuala Kangsar for Year 2 registration. Continuous driving for slightly over 2 hours, we made to the year 2 hostel in the Big School compound right at the furthest end from the entrance gate. The boys were housed in dorms according to their groups. Adel's dorm 7 was at the third floor even closer to the town street than prep school dormitory as shown in the photos below.

 Look closely, you will see Secret Recipe new outlet along the street shop.

 Mosque literally next door.

 

Some families came the day before to pick on beds of their choice. Others reserved a bed or two as requested by their friends.

 Kakak was in hand to help Adel out in making his bed and sorting out his cupboard.

 

Medan Pelajar - Students Gallery

All fees duly paid up and subscribed in accordance to guidelines set by the school. The teachers were also on administrative duty to ensure quick registration for all, and it was very efficient indeed..!

Back to the hostel, Lukman's family has arrived and took the bed across the dorm. All 14 beds allocated in this dorm were fully occupied even before noon.

First priority for each boy would be to ensure making his bed sheet cover in spick and span as anything less would mean inviting prefects' admonition or worse, unwanted punishment.

 

Lukman's family

 

Like father like son.

That's my son you know!

MCKK Prep School

Google map of Kuala Kangsar

Kuala Kangsar is small town besides Perak River - a short drive north of Ipoh via North-South highway about 240km north of another Kuala, Lumpur. It's prominence in being the abodes of Perak royalty located southern-hilly part of the town, Bukit Chandan and of course the Malay College of it's namesake across acres of green fields only a few hundred meters away from town center.

Established more than a hundred years ago, MCKK was modeled after it's famous sister-college, Eton of Berkshire England. However Eton has been in existence for more than 575 years, and it has educated nineteen Prime Ministers for Britain, whereas MCKK has only a sole Prime Minister to show-off, albeit half of the period since 1905 was under colonial stewardship.

Sultan Idris of Perak offered the land to build this college in Kuala Kangsar within a short distance of soon-to-complete railway line between Penang and Johor, thus enabling a convenient transportation of students from the Malay states to college.

Kuala Lumpur was surely offered by Sultan Alauddin of Selangor as another consideration and it would be the more favorable location as being centrally located - had it not been for the long unrest of the Chinese communities to establish its Kapitan running decades earlier on that swayed the decision to build the college in Kuala Kangsar. Otherwise the famous abbreviation would be MCKL instead - that's outright preposterous ...!

Prep School layout - playing field to the right belongs to SM Clifford

Medan Pelajar below & Cafeteria above - notice the clock tower behind!

Medan Pelajar - Students Center

Courtyard concept planning throughout

Cafeteria - notice the trim and dapper seniors.

Family members joining in the Cafeteria spread.

More courtyard planning

Entrance to Hargreaves Hall

Medan Pelajar & Cafeteria - view from Hargreaves Hall

 

Corridor - drying lines and shoe racks.

Cement courtyard instead.

View from corridor overlooking SM Clifford playing field and town.

Entrance road from main gate.

Another shady big tree scene for the romantics.

Dormitory

The distinct feature of the college building is the Big School, a building with pseudo Greco-Roman architecture with a huge rugby field in front. The Prep School, built later in 1912, has similar impressive features of Roman neoclassical design totally influenced by British Architects of that era.

The large casement windows framed both sides by plastered cornice works arched almost to ceiling level with thick brickwalls give the mansion ambiance to this dorm. Large timber barn-like doors and dark timber floor boards and stairs further enhance the grandeur of hostel living that will forever etch into the boys memory.

Dentils along the cornice top and elaborate balustrades with Roman column with pediments and raised pedistals add charm to the building. Together with the clay roof tiles with protruding vent blocks can only describe the unique quarters that our colonial designers had in mind for a living experience fit for the upper class of yesteryears.

Covered Walkway to Toilets

Covered walkway to Dining Hall

Two-Storey  Hostel

 

 



Balcony wide enough to drive Myvi through

Barn shutter doors Comfort to the students with high ceilings, wide corridors to shade from the sun and alrge green open spaces.

Dorm D - see how high the ceiling is...!



Seniors demonstrating to a freshie on how to set the bed MCKK-way.



Affable family across the aisle. 



 



And the cupboard is full ..!