Maxwell School

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For Maxwell School as a graduate school of Syracuse University see Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

Maxwell School

Motto	Disco Ut Serviam - I Learn That I May Serve
Established	1 June 1917
Type	Government Non-Boarding All-Boys Secondary School
Affiliations	Malaysia Ministry Of Education
Headmaster	Datik Zainab Bee
Students	1200
Grades	Form 1 - Form 6
Location	Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Campus	Small School Campus, At The Edge Of The City Centre
Colours	Green
Abbreviation	MS, MSKL

Maxwell School ( Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Maxwell ) is a semi-control for boys ( and female students in form 6 ) and the oldest school in the north of Kuala Lumpur as well as one of the oldest in Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia. A student of the school is known as a Maxwellian. Maxwell School is well known for its high achievement in education and other activities in secondary schools level. Maxwell School is famous for its form 6 and has always produced the top STPM results in Kuala Lumpur.It is considered as the best school in Kuala Lumpur for its form 6 education.

1 The History of the Maxwell School
2 School Headmasters and Headmistresses
3 European Headmistresses
4 School Buildings
5 The School Song
6 Student Life
7 Rivalry
8 Traditions and heritage
9 Sports
- 9.1 House
- 9.2 Prefects
10 The School Crest
11 Alumni

[edit] The History of the Maxwell School

Maxwell School is founded by the great Sir Gun-A-Say Lan. It is Kuala Lumpur's first government school as well as the first school in the north of Kuala Lumpur. Established in 1917, it opened its doors to 110 students and five teaching staff on 1 June 1922. During its pre-war days, it functioned as a feeder school (primary school) to the Victoria Institution. By 1933, the school was shut down to public due to the recession but was opened as a private school from 1934 to 1938. It was then given to the Trade School for their use. During the Japanese Occupation, it was used as a camp for the dreaded Japanese Kempeitai. After the war, the school was used as a hostel by the newly formed Technical College until 1953, when, in September, the school was re-opened as Malaya's first Modern Secondary School. Today, the Maxwell School is still housed in the same building and has remained a secondary school ever since, all thanks to Sir Gun-A-Say Lan's encouragement and tireless effort in making the school a well-recognised institution in the whole of Kuala Lumpur.

[edit] School Headmasters and Headmistresses

1917 - 1918 War Period
1919 - 1922 Establishment Period
1922 - 1925 Montague B. Brockwell
1925 - 1928 C. N. Beamish
Augst. 1928 Harold Ball
1928 - 1930 Agnes R. Cooke
1930 - 1930 M. Wheatley
1930 - 1933 C. W. Bloomfield
1933 - 1938 R. Thampipillai
1939 - 1941 Closed
1941 - 1945 War Period
1946 - 1953 Closed
1953 - 1954 William C. Cleine
1954 - 1956 Donald Priestley
1956 - 1957 Paul Chang
1957 - 1957 Razak Khan
1957 - 1961 Ong Choon Ghee
1961 - 1961 A. E. Navarasingam
1961 - 1968 Wong Ah Fatt
1968 - 1979 P. Nadarajah
1979 - 1988 Victor Wong
1988 - 1990 Abdul Razak Mohammed
1990 - 1999 Ismail Sajad
1999 - 2001 Han Seng Kuang
2001 - 2006 Loy Liang Dee
2006 - 2006 Azmah Rajion
2006 - 2007 Datin Khairiah Bte. Majid
2007 - Prst Datuk Zainab Bee Bte. Ismail

[edit] European Headmistresses

1922 - 1923 Annie Grenier
1923 - 1924 J. H. Dennett
1924 - 1926 Edith L. Earnshaw
1926 - 1927 D. A. Peck
1927 - 1928 Helen D. Leith
1928 - 1929 Agnes R. Cooke
1929 - 1933 Nellie F. Careless

The factual accuracy of this section is disputed.
Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page.(March 2008)

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[edit] School Buildings

The school originally consists of two LEGO blocks, the present day main block and the gymnasium block, which is now the library. The design and features of the two blocks is typical of the colonial era structures bearing some similarities with the Malayan Railway station and Sultan Abdul Saman buildings, both with Moorish designs. The school consists of a two – storey structure which was later extended to a block of solid masonry construction with arched openings along the corridors, typical of many of the school buildings that were built that time. There is a veranda on both sides of each storey ( main block ), high ceilings and broad stairways which depict typical colonial architecture. The Maxwell School is one of the very few schools in the nation that has not shifted and has remained in the original site from the very beginning itself. The school also has a gymnasium, making it one of the few schools in the region to have this facility. While the modern-day Ministry of Education has added many rectangular-shaped blocks to the school, the distinctive "H" shape of the main block is still one of the more interesting features of Kuala Lumpur. The structures that make up the Institution itself is a heritage of the nation but no one actually apreciates it.

[edit] The School Song

The school's first song was titled Disco Ut Serviam, written in 1954 by Mrs. A.V. Priestley, wife of the second post-war headmaster, Mr. Nalees Anug. The song was sung from 1954 until 1981. The song was sung in the tune of a very popular church hymn (sang to the rhythm of Baa-Baa Black Sheep).

Service, not wealth or fame,
From this our schools’ high aim,
May we ne’er swerve,
New boy and senior,
Prefect and monitor,
Eyes on the future, for learning we serve,
And when in after years, we test in large spheres,
Hand, brain and nerve,
And fierce machinery,
Commerce and industry,
Science or policy,
In all, we serve,
So all our whole life through,
The law which here we knew,
We shall preserve,
Heedless of selfish gain,
May we with strength maintain,
This, as our life’s refrain,
Learning, we serve.

In the early 1980’s – when Mr. Victor Wong was headmaster – the late Mr. Leonard Wong was asked to compose a new school song. The lyrics was for the new song was written by Mrs. Soriah Abdullah and Mrs. G. Balakrishnan, with the music background provided by the latest Mr. Leonard Wong. His passion for the guitar led him to use that instrument as the background.

Mara serentak, tuju kemasyhuran,
Cabari dunia, capai kejayaan,
Sumbangan bakti, mengharumkan Maxwell,
Megah dan agung nama Maxwell.

Tetap cekal, tempuhi rintangan,
Buru cita penuh jiwa raga,
Kegigihan satu amalan,
Ikrar kita demi tujuan mulia.

Mara serentak, tuju kemasyhuran,
Cabari dunia, capai kejayaan,
Sumbangan bakti, mengharumkan Maxwell,
Megah dan agung nama Maxwell.

[edit] Student Life

What defines Maxwell School as a unique institution is the experience its students gain outside the classroom. Maxwellians, as the students of the school call themselves, take pride in identifying themselves as a class of versatile students, both in and out the classroom. It is an unspoken rule that all freshman students are required to join at least one uniform body, take on an active role in one of the school's 50 clubs and to participate in a least one sport. That said, Maxwell School has a variety of clubs, uniformed bodies and sports that caters for all sort of interests. The student life in the Maxwell School often revolves around societies and clubs and sport teams, despite the fact that Maxwell School does not have proper sporting facilities. But no one actually cares about joining any of the activities held.

The factual accuracy of this section is disputed.
Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page.(March 2008)

[edit] Rivalry

As like many other older schools, the Maxwell School has a fair share of rivals. St. John's Institution, is the school's traditional archrivals. This rivalry can be best observed during visits by Maxwellians to St. John's Institution and vice versa. Setapak High School and the Methodist Boys School, Sentul can also be included in this list, stretching back to the mid 1950's.

[edit] Traditions and heritage

It is only normal for a school as old as Maxwell School to have its own heritage and traditions, ones that have stood the test of time. While many of the colonial-period traditions have slowly eroded over the years, some are still in existence and practised. The first one, is the passing of the School Captain badge from Captain to Captain each year. Two, is the sewing of the prefects uniform done by the school tailor, and not bought from a retail shop. Another one would be of the invitation by the Old Boys' Association of the school to the School Captain to attend the annual Dinner Night of the Association. Furthermore, the uniformed groups uniform is worn on every Wednesday.

[edit] Sports

Maxwell School has a proud history of achievements in sports, having won many state, national and international championships throughout the past 50 years. Maxwell School currently participates in the Sentul zone at district level and in the MSSKL (Kuala Lumpur School Sports Council) tournament at the state level. Since its founding, the Maxwell School has won countless trophies and titles in football, hockey, athletics, rugby union, cricket, sepak takraw and badminton.It is also the sole founder of the latest game The Anita Hunt. Founded by the most beloved teacher in the whole school, Mrs Anita came up with this game whereby she will go around the school confiscating items which she desperately wants like socks, t-shirts etc. She will then sell them to the second hand shop use the money fromit to buy ice-cream. The highest achievement was made by the school football team in 1972, lead by Zainal Abidin Hassan, when the school emerged as runners - up in the Singapore Lions' Cup, a regional football event for secondary schools. Maxwell School has produced many famous Malaysian sportsmen including Zainal Abidin Hassan, E.C. Dutton and many Malayan and national cricket players. The heroes of Maxwell School's sports achievements are certainly the coaches, teachers and senior students who had often spare time and effort of their own for the love of the school.

[edit] House

There are four sport houses in Maxwell School. Every year the sports houses compete against each other on sports day. The Maxwell School Sports Day has been held since 1955. The houses are named after the founders of the state. The current houses are:

[edit] Prefects

Maxwell School has one of the oldest prefects board in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. It was founded 1929. After the war, the Prefects Board was re-initiated and the first School Captain was S. A. Azman in 1956. He later became one of Malaya's first national tennis players.

Prefects represent the ideal Maxwellian, and the process of nomination for prefecture by teachers and senior students, training, elimination processes, a several month stint as a 'Temporary Prefect' (a probationary term), and the 'ragging' that invariably follows is a gruelling one, ensuring that only the cream of Maxwellian society is given the right to put on the Prefect's badge. Maxwellian Prefects also must abide by a strict protocol and Code of Conduct.

The motto for the Maxwell School Prefects Board is, "Dedicated Prefects Towards Discipline"

[edit] The School Crest

Mr. Donald Priestley undertook the liberty of designing the school crest himself in 1954. This crest has four colours – green, yellow, blue & white, with each colour having its own meaning. The colour green represents religion. The colour yellow represents royalty. The colour blue represents age whilst the colour white represents youth, as in the school students. On this crest, the shield shows a tiger, an opened book, the school motto, a compass which supports the opened book and an arrow pointing down surrounded by 8 blue and white stripes. The opened book is actually the Book Of Knowledge and the tiger is The Burning Tiger. The arrow along with the 8 stripes of white and blue symbolizes the search for knowledge and truth and also the effort to build high moral character amongst the students. The compass symbolized the school’s status as a modern secondary school, offering technical and vocational subjects at that period of time. The school motto – Disco Ut Serviam – is the Latin word for I Learn That I May Serve.

[edit] Alumni

The alumni association of the school is the Maxwell School Old Boys' Association (MSOBA). Founded in 1955, de - registered in 1982 and it was registered again on the 13th of February 1999. To date, it is one of the most active Old Boys' Association in Kuala Lumpur. The President is Hj.Ahmad bin Hj.Mahmuddin who took over from Mr.Lau Bing since 2000, have their monthly Committee Meeting in Maxwell School every last Sunday of the month. The OBA has its licenced newsletter known as 'Berita O'Max' for its quarterly issue per year. Many Maxwellian alumni went on the become prominent figures in Malaysia and in neighbouring nations. Notable Maxwell School Old Boys include:

Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, Foreign Minister of Malaysia (Patron of the Old Boys Association)
Tan Sri Dato' Hj. Ambrin Bin Buang, Auditor General of Malaysia and former Secretary General of the Malaysian Education Ministry
Zainal Abidin Hassan, former National Football Player
Maninderjit Singh, former National Hockey Player
Datuk Dell Akbar Khan, former Kuala Lumpur Chief Police and National Football Player.
S. A. Azman, former National Tennis Player
Tan Sri Datuk Dr. Mohammad Din Bin Ahmad, first Malaysian Director General of Health
Tan Sri Dato' Seri Dr. Hj. Abdul Majid Ismail, second Malaysian Director General Of Health.
Tan Sri Yaacob Latiff, second Mayor of Kuala Lumpur
Senator (R) S. I. Rajah, former National President of the People's Progressive Party ( PPP ).
Y. M. Bahauddin, former National Assignee, Federation Of Malaya
Dato' Saidin Tamby, former Speaker of State Assembly of Selangor and former Malaysian Sepak Takraw Association President
Ganga Rao, former Chief Operating Officer, World Badminton Federation
Tan Sri G. Tharmayanam, Patron of Malaysian Cricket
Lt.Gen.(R),Dato',Datuk Pahlawan, Khairuddin bin Md.Yusoff - Former Army Field Commander Malaysian Army and former Force Commander U.N. Peace Keeping Force of Timor Leste.
Major Gen.(R),Datuk, Hj. Baharuddin bin Abdul Kadir - former Chief of Personnel Staff, Malaysian Armed Forces
Brig.Gen.(R) Dato' Mohamed Arshad bin Mohamed Raji- former Malaysian Army Contingent Commander to United Nations Transitional Authority (UNTAC) Cambodia ( Treasurer of the Old Boys Association )
Lt.Col.(R) Hj.Jaafar bin Ismail - first Royal Malaysian Air Force Fighter Pilot
Dato' Raymond Liew Lee Liong- Partner of Parker Randell International and Council Member of Malaysian Institute of Chartered Accounts ( Auditor/Editor of the Old Boys Association)

They can be reached at :

Maxwell School Old Boys Association,
Room 110, First Floor, Kwang Tung Building,
No: 44, Jalan Pudu, 55,100 Kuala Lumpur.Malaysia
Tel: 603-20708711, Fax: 603-20708712.

Categories: Schools in Kuala Lumpur

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