Officers and gentlemen they’ll be

Part II of II... enjoy... btw, Staff Sergeant Aminordin was still a Corporal Aminordin when I left nearly 7 years ago... all d best, staf!!!

Officers and gentlemen they’ll be

12 Jun 2006
SAM CHEONG

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In the second part of our in-depth look at the Royal Military College, SAM CHEONG talks to five outstanding young men.


“IF you screw-up, the whole company gets it!” said a “boy”, whose voice is still squeaky. He may be young but he’s still the drill sergeant who shouts out his commands every morning.



Life is spick and span. And in an all-male boarding school, you have nobody but the bugle call to wake you up. This is just part of the day-to-day life at the Royal Military College (RMC). In their formative years, the boys (referred to as Putra) are trained to be well-groomed and good mannered in a regimented environment.

But the RMC is not for the ordinary Joe. It’s an institution where the best of the best are picked. In the past, children with straight A’s in their Standard Five assessment exams were selected for the college’s lower secondary programme. But this intake has been abolished and the college concentrates solely on Form Four students.

The young people who study here are from diverse backgrounds. You can find the sons of senior ranking officers in the Armed Forces, policemen, businessmen, politicians, farmers, rubber tappers and orphans.

Many have been encouraged by their parents and older siblings to take up a stint at the military college which is one of its kind in the country. Some came in willingly while a handful went in kicking and screaming.

But after they have been orientated to the military lifestyle that upholds pride, integrity and honour, they have the choice to stay and pursue a career in the Armed Forces or leave to further their studies.

Chan Jun Sen was one of the boys who had little choice but to enrol at the RMC at the age of 14 after completing his UPSR.

Describing himself as a typical “momma’s boy”, the senior pupil who is also a rank-holding achiever at the college said he was never interested in the military. But since his father is an officer with the Royal Malaysian Navy, he had a “slight edge” in gaining entrance into the RMC.

“My first year was the toughest. I was constantly homesick, pining for my mother’s cooking. But as I stayed longer, I found out that the other boys too were in the same shoes, so I learned to be independent.”

Like most of his comrades, Chan had to learn to make his own bed, fold and iron his clothes because personal grooming and discipline is maintained at very high standards in the college.

The 17-year-old who is also the eldest of three siblings said it took a while for him to actually want to pursue a career in the Armed Forces after completing his SPM exams.

“After a few years at the RMC, I finally knew what I wanted and that is to embark on a nautical science course at the Akademi Tentera Malaysia (ATMA).”

His squad mate Inong Chin, who came all the way from Penampang in Sabah, had taken on the challenge to outdo an older sibling who studied at the RMC.

Chin, 17, a Sino-Kadazan who was inspired by his elder brother, currently pursuing a degree programme at a local university, is also the college’s top student for two consecutive years.

“Besides my older brother who is an ex-Putra, the youngest sibling in my family is also studying at the RMC. All three of us were drawn by the prospect of a guaranteed future here.”

The Sabahan added that he will work towards a scholarship to enable him to study abroad and that a career with the military will be the last resort. He said that the RMC experience has taught him the importance of mannerism and being independent.

“I also picked up rugby and represented Kuala Lumpur at the inter-district games. This is something that I could have never achieved if I had studied in a normal public school.”

Sarawakian Kevin Gessie Johnson said he learned much about improving his physique and mental strength.

“My influence was my late father who was an officer with the Royal Ranjer Regiment. I got in with some help. And here at the college, I am the only Iban boy in the fold.”

Johnson added that he considered himself lembap (a slacker) when it comes to sports and physical training, but having trained on a daily basis, his stamina and sporting performance has improved dramatically.

On what the future holds, the 17-year-old Iban boy said he wants to pursue a Law degree.

The college’s top debator K. Vikneswaran came to know about the RMC when a newsreel on the institution’s passing out parade was televised over the local TV station.

“That’s how I came to know about this school and asked my father if he knew more about enrolment requirements.”

He added that the RMC was his first choice in pursuing his secondary education because the perks and training were good.

For city slicker Fariq Shazanee, life at the RMC can be boring because of its all-male population. It took him a while to get used to the environment.

“Like the rest, I felt homesick too. I’m one of the few here whose parents are not with the military. So, after my SPM, I hope to get a scholarship to take up medicine in Ireland.”

Shazanee and the rest of his putra batch are the last group in succession from the Form Two intake which has been discontinued.

And like the rest who are studying in this special secondary school, many strive to be the best of the best. With so many options available after they’ve rolled out with excellent academic results, their future as adults in the Malaysian Armed Forces or corporate sector is practically guaranteed.