The V.I. Anthology – Voices from the Golden Age

About the Book

During the VI’s Golden Age spanning some eight decades, it excelled in scholarship, sports and other extra-curricular activities. It gifted to the country and the world countless academicians, professionals, public servants, businessmen, captains of industry, leaders and innovators from all walks of life. Its greatness came from the unique meshing of visionary leadership, dedicated teachers many of whom were themselves former pupils, intelligent, motivated and empowered pupils, supportive parents and a corps of faithful alumni.

As a part time webmaster the past decade, Chung Chee Min has authored numerous contributions to the V.I. Web Page, a site dedicated to that school, its history, traditions and institutions, and its famous sons and daughters.

This anthology includes Chee Min’s historical material from the V.I. Web Page in addition to pieces that have not yet been posted to the site. As well, extra material from various sources – editorials, articles, reports, charts, tables, lists, interviews, and private letters – has been added to fill in narrative gaps. The contents have been grouped into historical periods and arranged in rough chronological order beginning with the seminal events of 1893 and terminating in the mid-nineteen seventies. It is, therefore, an anthology of VI pieces across the decades, in the voices of pupils, teachers, headmasters and the newspapers of the time. They report, discuss, exalt, lament, recount, explicate, boast, complain, and reminisce from their own individual perspectives.

 

Details
Author:
Genre: Short-stories
Tag: Victoria Institution
Publication Year: 2010
Format: Hard cover (case wrapped)
Length: 644 pages, 6" x 9"
ISBN: 9780986690501
List Price: USD 32.90
Endorsements
I just wanted to shoot you a short line to tell you how much I am enjoying reading your authoritative work. I am taking it slowly, one or two chapters at a time and I normally read it before sleeping at nights. It brings back a whole lot of memories of KL and VI, my youth and what life was like. Many thanks and congratulations on a mission well accomplished.
– Tan Ngee Tiong, Sydney, Australia (Nov. 2010)
I would like to congratulate you for publishing your book - The V.I Anthology - which I recently purchased and enjoyed reading. It is a literary masterpiece providing an outstanding historical background of the school's activities in depth, stories of past students' achievements and successes, and the resilience of the great school V.I. from 1893 to the present. For the many past students of the school, this book is a reminder of their contributions to what V.I. represented during those good years. It is for the present students in the school to hold dearly those traditions that came before them. I also would like to thank the teaching staff, Old Boys and past Headmasters for their contributions in making this V.I. story come true. I salute you for your interest and your contributions in keeping abreast with the activities of the school all these years (as they call this daunting and thankless job) and for keeping that V.I. Web Page alive. And now, this concise book will be that legacy you will provide to the students and teachers of the past, some of whom are scattered around the world. For the current students in V.I. Kuala Lumpur, this book will serve to inspire them to strive for better achievements.
– Eric Keong Hock Ann, Melbourne, Australia (Mar. 2011)
My son returned from San Jose yesterday afternoon and he was clutching the VI Anthology under his arms which I had asked him to buy when he was in the US. I have browsed through the book and have read the introduction. What a splendid job you have done. My initial criticism is that the photographs should have been full plates. They are priceless photographs and one can see the hard work you have put in to produce not only the history of a great school (that it was) but also of KL from 1893. All living past students of the period you covered should buy this book if only to remind their descendants what a great school it was. CONGRATULATIONS CHEE MIN
– Sujit Kumar Sen, London, U.K. (Nov. 2010)
I was delighted that I received my copy of Chee Min's monumental work today. I have glanced through it. VICTORIANS, I implore you to invest in this 644 pages of history. It is cheap. Clearly it is a labour of love. It is One Malaysia without the slogan. Thank you Chee Min. By the way, many of us are featured in Part V 1956-1973. We can show not only to our children but also to our grandchildren what our school life was like. It was indeed the Years of Glory.
– Datuk Ahmad Zaidee, Kuala Lumpur (Sept. 2010)
I have received the copy of your book and have been reading as much as I can. Congratulations on doing an excellent job. "The V.I. Anthology" contains a wealth of information about the school. It is so comprehensive and also a wonderful record about aspects of Malaysian history, British colonialism in Malaysia, Malaysian society, the country's educational system, and important figures in it. I also like all the wonderful photos and useful lists that you have included. This is a great and meaningful contribution by you. Thanks for all your good work.
– Pamela Sodhy, Washington D.C. (Sept 2010)
I ordered it online and it just arrived - shared it with my husband, Mahendran and my sister, Sothie, who was one of the first Form Six students in VI in 1952 or so. We all found it so fascinating - you have captured so much, and recorded various details of many people and events. We found photos of Mahendran in the Boys Scout section. My sister, Mrs Devadason's contributions to the VI Drama Society is so well written. I felt so glad it is there and you documented it - or else it would have been forgotten with the next two generations when we are not here to tell the great grandchildren!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH. You really did it beautifully. Appreciate that. I am so glad. She passed away 50 years ago and did so much for a woman at that period of time..... Mr. H.V. Ponniah and Mr. SVJ Ponniah are also mentioned - they are my brothers-in law (SVJ Ponniah and his father, HV Ponniah). I was glad to read about their work in the VI. And our old teachers - Miss Floyd, Messrs Sim Wong Kooi, Lim Eng Thye, etc. Brings back memories. Really enjoyed going through the book. So much of history and information! Documents how education in Malaysia has matured over the years from primitive beginnings. A BIG THANK YOU. It is a job well done. CONGRATULATIONS.
– Gnanam Duraisamy-Thuraiappah, Kuala Lumpur (Sept. 2010)
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