A salute to an all-round education

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah and hello,

This is the first part of an article on my alma mater, the Royal Military College (RMC)... it was published a couple of days ago in the 'Features' section of the New Straits Times (NST)...

A salute to an all-round education

12 Jun 2006
SAM CHEONG

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The Royal Military College in Kuala Lumpur has a 54-year-old tradition of turning out leaders in the civil service and corporate sector. SAM CHEONG takes a close look at this unique all-male boarding school for secondary pupils.

DUBBED “Little Sandhurst”, the Royal Military College located at the Sungai Besi Army Camp is one of the most prestigious secondary-level education institutions in the country.

It offers free education along with perks like clothing, sporting facilities and spending allowances to a select few, and a “guaranteed future” to pupils who decide to embark on a career as military officers with any the three branches of the Malaysian Armed Forces.



Founded in 1952 by Sir Gerald Templer, the college became a centre for studies to shape and cater to educating future leaders in the armed forces, civil service and the private sector.

The school was initially known as the Federation Military College and situated in Port Dickson. It was then moved to Sungai Besi in 1961 with a name-change to Royal Military College after it was bestowed with the Royal colours.

College Commandant Colonel Mohd Shukuri Ahmad oversees the day-to-day operations at the military-styled secondary school. The college now caters only to forms four and five pupils. Those with excellent PMR results may apply for a two-year stint at the RMC.

“There’s no binding contract that says every pupil who studies here must enlist with the army after he has completed his studies. Whether the boy is keen to stay on and join the Armed Forces Academy, or leave for a public or private higher learning institution is entirely up to him,” he said.

Mohd Shukuri added that the response for the yearly intake of Form Four pupils at the college has been overwhelming; however, the number of non-bumiputeras, especially from the Chinese community, has declined drastically.

“We can’t tell for sure why there are so few Chinese boys here, but I can say that the perception of a military lifestyle for children has put off some parents. This has given the impression that the pupils will be drafted into active service after they have completed their studies.”

The RMC has 502 boys at present and only 19 from its Forms 2, 3, 4 and 5 batches are Chinese.

The Colonel said non-bumiputeras should take advantage of the premier education system at the college that does not discriminate against a person’s colour or creed. Recruitment officer Major Amrul Yacob said the college has discontinued intake for form 2 pupils from this year and has set the minimum age of entry into the RMC at 16 years. He added that majority of the boys there are from families with a military background.

“Despite the history of this institution, the public is still unaware that military training aspects constitute only 20 per cent of the education process here. Like any other secondary school, we aspire to excel in both academic and co-curricular activities.”

Amrul added that the RMC is at par with the Government’s education policy in establishing smart-learning schools under the Ministry of Defence’s “Program Pendidikan Bestari”.

The college’s Director of Studies Shahruddin Mokhri said that about RM58 million has been spent on computerising the entire learning process at the RMC. “Our teachers are utilising state-of-the art on-line teaching tools for their pupils which enables them to interact with an information management centre. Each pupil is allocated with a “personal folder” where he can complete his assignment and store them through our network servers.”

He added that a strong emphasis on academic excellence has produced a 100 per cent passing rate in PMR and SPM examinations throughout the years. “We are proud to pass out straight ‘A’s students with literally no drop-outs. With their achievements, the doors are open for further studies abroad or locally.”

On the military aspects, RMC’s Chief Instructor Major Ben Khaled Hakimy Mohd Yusoff said the boys, better known as “Putra”, are trained in basic skills that include physical training, foot drills, weaponry, orienteering and field craft.

“We don’t teach military tactics and warfare techniques to the Putra here. Only the basics like marching and handling a rifle, where the boys learn how to use and maintain the weapon, and these are conducted only on weekends twice monthly.”

Ben Khaled, who also oversees the disciplinary aspects of his charges, added that the RMC experience is unique and that the majority of the pupils are good mannered and well-behaved.

“The Putras will snap a salute to the senior officers as well as the teachers here. We teach them to work as a team and foster the spirit of camaraderie among each other. That is also why the boys bond so well; even after they leave the college, many keep in touch through old boys’ gatherings.”

Illustrious names like Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, Tan Sri G. Gnanalingam and Tan Sri Samsudin Osman and ertain senior staff in the Malaysian Armed Forces have had the RMC experience and are seen at the college’s old boys’ functions.



More on the RMC and its intakes can be accessed on-line at www.rmc.edu.my.

• Part II of this article appears tomorrow.