Former pupils of SJKC Chinese National in Kampung Koh in Sitiawan, Perak, joined in celebrating the school’s 100th anniversary.

The event was made more memorable for former Lumut MP and Cabinet minister Tan Sri Kong Cho Ha, as it also marked the opening of the school’s new block named after him.

Kong studied at the school between 1957 and 1962.

The school was founded 100 years ago on Nov 1, 1918.

Apart from six classrooms, Kong said the new building also housed the school canteen, library and meeting room.

The cost of the project, which included fittings and furnishings, came up to about RM1mil and the money came from mostly grants from the Education Ministry accumulated over the past few years, he said.

SJKC Chinese National is meaningful to Sitiawan folk as it provides early education to children from all walks of life. Its current enrolment is about 600.

The school which survived a turbulent era, from its formation until the country’s independence in 1957, saw development slowly but surely after that.

Every stage is a milestone for this school. An exhibition on its 100 years of existence in the new building speaks volumes of the importance of education in the heart of the Chinese community in historically rich Sitiawan.

For many of its former pupils, it was a walk down memory lane at the 120-table dinner on Nov 1.