Penang Free School

Infobox_University
name = Penang Free School


image_size = 183px
Motto = "Fortis Atque Fidelis"
established = 21st October 1816
type = Public
principal = Ramli bin. Din
students = 1,800
city = Georgetown
state = Penang
country = Malaysia
campus = Suburb
colors = White , Azure
website= [http://www.pfs.edu.my/ www.pfs.edu.my]

Penang Free School is a secondary school located on Jalan Masjid Negeri (previously Green Lane), George Town, Penang, Malaysia. Although the medium of instruction is currently Malay, Penang Free School was the first English-medium secondary school in South East Asia.

History

The school was founded by Rev. Sparke Hutchings on October 21st, 1816, on the island of Penang, Malaysia. Its first headmaster was Mr. James Cox 1816-1821. Its original premises on Farquhar Street first housed the Hutchings School, but is now the Penang State Museum. In 1928, the school moved to its current location on Jalan Masjid Negeri (also known as Green Lane). The School received cluster school status from the Malaysian Ministry of Education in 2007.

Excerpts of the original charter:"That it will be the first object of the Institution to provide for the Education of such children as would be otherwise, brought up in idleness and consequent vice, and without any means of obtaining instruction either in useful learning or in any manual employment, and to implant in them in the early habits of industry, order and a good conduct." -—from "The Original Plan of the Establishment of Prince of Wales Island, Free School, 1816".

Blazonry

School Motto

The Motto of the school is "Fortis Atque Fidelis" (pronounced for 'tiz ud' kway fi' deliz) which is a Latin phrase for "Strong and Faithful ".

School Crest

The background colour of the crest is sky blue (azure), which is the school's colour.

Armorial bearings:
* Middle chief: "A white tower": Signifies the qualities of strength and truthfulness.
* chief: "Numeral 18": The first 2 digits of the year the school was founded (1816).
* chief: "Numeral 16": Tha last 2 digits of the year the school was founded (1816).
* Dexter base: "Palm tree": Represents the State of Penang, also signifies the fertility of the mind.
* Sinister base: "A gold lion rampant supporting a flag": Signifies the preservation of the tradition and high ideals of the school.

Headmasters

Below are the headmasters who have served the school: [http://pfs.tmspublisher.com/article.cfm?id=210] [http://pfs.tmspublisher.com/section.cfm?id=85] [http://www.pfsalumni.org.my/temp/history_principles.asp] columns-list|2
*1816-1821: Mr. J. Cox
*1821-1822: Mr. Churcher
*1822-1826: Mr. Porter
*1826-1828: Mr. Anchant
*1828-1843: Mr. J. C. Smith
*1843-1846: Mr. Bruton
*1846-1853: Mr. Fitzgerald
*1853-1871: Mr. J. Clark
*1871-1891: Mr. G. Griffin
*1891-1904: Mr. W. Hargreaves
*1904-1925: Mr. R. H. Pinhorn
*1925-1926: Mr. W. Hamilton
*1927-1928: Mr. D. R. Swaine
*1928-1929: Mr. L. W. Arnold
*1929-1931: Mr. D. W. McLeod
*1931-1933: Mr. M. R. Holgate
*1934-1946: Mr. L. W. Arnold
*1947-1949: Mr. D. Roper
*1949-1950: Mr. M. F. Crocopile
*1950-1951: Mr. P. F. Howitt
*1951-1957: Mr. J. E. Todt
*1957-1963: Mr. J. M. B. Hughes
*1963-1969: Mr. Tan Boon Lin
*1969-1971: Mr. Poon Poh Kong
*1972-1974: Mr. K. G. Yogam
*1974-1979: Dr. Goon Fatt Chee
*1979-1983: Mr. R. Visvanathan, P.J.K.
*1983-1988: Mr. G. Krishna Iyer
*1988-1993: Mr. Goh Hooi Beng
*1993-2000: Mr. Hj. Ismail bin Ibramsa
*Jan 2000-Dec 2000: Mr. Abdul Rahman
*2001-2006: Mr. Arabi Sulaiman, P.K.T.
*2006-2006: Mr. Mohd Yusof bin Omar
*2006-Present: Mr. Hj. Ramli bin Din

Board Of Prefects

The Board of Prefects of Penang Free School was established in 1865.It is the oldest Board of Prefects in Malaysia and also South East Asia. Prefectship is the highest position of trust the school bestows upon a student. Prefects are selected based on their contributions to the school, personality, character,liablity, leadership qualities and academic unconsistency. This board supplements the tasks of the School Administration under the leadership of the School Captain.

The board takes upon itself the difficult task of maintaining school discipline and acts as a liaison body between the School Administration and the students. This board is rich in tradition and emphasizes on quality. Only about 18 prefects are initiated each year out of a population of 1600 students.

Generally, the Board of Prefects helps in all aspects concerning the school discipline, school's welfare and the school's development. This board has helped a bit in maintaining the students' discipline to ensure that it is always at the highest level, as its objective is to uphold the name of Penang Free School. Prefects are also in-charge of the smooth flowing of the school assemblies. It is a tradition where the School Captain accompanies the Principal to the hall. The Deputy School Captain calls the school to attention. Complete silence ensues as the Principal enters the hall. After the assembly, prefects will conduct spot-checks on students.

Activities

Since its establishment, the Board of Prefects has remained a board rich in traditions. The prefects play a very important part in the school's organization. Every year, the new School Captain, Deputy School Captain, Permanent and Temporary Prefects will be installed in front of the entire school population during assembly. The Board of Prefects helps the School Administration to maintain the school's discipline and also to reprimand offenders. Among the duties bestowed on a prefect include overseeing the smooth running of the School Assembly and catching those who break the school rules, especially during break times. Prefects also have the right to conduct spot-checks and hostel raids.

Every year, all the prefects are invited for the annual prefects' dinner. Here, the new temporary prefects get to mingle with their peers and foster their relationship with the senior prefects. This is also the place for them to meet the prefects of yesteryear.

chool Captains

The School Captain is the highest position bestowed upon a student in Penang Free School. The School Captain generally must serve the Board Of Prefects for 2 years, before being elected when he returns as a Form 6 Student (A-Levels). His election usually goes through an official meeting between the Principal, the Prefect's Master, The outgoing School Captain and his deputies under the constitution of The Board Of Prefects.The School Captain handles the Board Of Prefects as an independent body, free from interference from teachers.

Below are the School Captains who have served the school:columns-list|2
*1. Eng Tin 1865
*2. Charles Nelligan 1866
*3. Low Ah Maing 1867
*4. Chan Kim Keat 1868
*5. Quah Beng Poh 1869
*6. Hobart D. Caunter 1870
*7. Beng Hong 1871
*8. John Anthony 1872
*9. T. Cawthorne 1879
*10. Yu Phung C 1880
*11. Koh Cheng Siew 1881
*12. Lim Teow Chong 1882
*13. Khoo Ee Ghee 1883
*14. Yeoh Lean Hong 1884
*15. P.V. Locke 1885
*16. Tan Choo Choy 1886
*17. Law Ewe Ee 1887
*18. Toh Lip Khoo 1888
*19. Ung Bok Hoey 1889
*20. Lim Chin Poh 1890
*21. Koh Leap Teng 1891
*22. Gun Chaik Seng 1892
*23.Koay Thean Chin 1893
*24. Gnoh Lean Tuck 1894
*25. Phuah Chin Beng 1895
*26. Quah Sin Keat 1896
*27. Phung Chock Kong 1897
*28. Saw Whee Leow 1898
*29. Yeoh Guan Seok 1899
*30. Koh Kheng Seng 1900
*31. R. H. Mccleland 1901
*32. W.W. Davidson 1902
*33. Lim Guan Cheng 1903
*34. Axel Hastrup 1904
*35. Lim Keat Leong 1905
*36.Kam Ching Poh 1906
*37. Khoo Heng Kok 1907 - 1908
*38. Abdul Kareem 1909 - 1910
*39. Saw Whee Seong 1911 - 1913
*40. Ong Huck Chuan 1913
*41. Cheah Tiang Lim 1914
*42. Lee Boon Hock 1914 - 1915
*43.Chee Chuck Lum 1915
*44. Ng Cheong Yew 1916
*45. Cheah Teik Hong 1917
*46. S.M. Zainul Abidin 1917 - 1918
*47. Basha Merican 1919 - 1921
*48. Syed Omar 1921
*49. Ong Chong Keng 1922
*50. Lim Khye Seng 1923
*51. Ch'ng Eng Hye 1923
*52.Tneh Say Koo 1924 - 1925
*53. M. M Hashim 1925 - 1926
*54.Yeap Choong Lyow 1926 - 1927
*55. Lim Peng Kok 1928
*56. Cheah Heng Sin 1928
*57. Tann Wee Chong 1928
*58. J. W. D. Ambrose 1929
*59. Yeoh Bok Choon 1929 - 1931
*60.Lim Keng Eok 1931
*61.Tan Ah Ee 1932
*62.Khoo Phin Hong 1933
*63.Chung Shiu Tett 1936
*64. Chiu Ban It 1937
*65. Leong Mun Sen 1938
*66. Tan Ah Fee 1939 -1940
*67. Lim Teik Ee 1940
*68. Lau Kam Phooi 1941
*69. Joseph Isaac 1940 -1941
*70. Lee Chin Thuan 1946 - 1947
*71. L im Chiang Choo 1947 - 1948
*72. Chew Kim Seng 1948
*73.Chan Kong Thoe 1948
*74. Lim Ewe Hin 1948 - 1949
*75. Goh Hock Lye 1949 - 1950
*76. Yiap Khin Yin 1950
*77. Lim Ah Soo 1950 - 1951
*78. Eddy Chung 1952
*79. Boey Khoon Loong 1952 - 1953
*80. Mahinder Singh 1953 - 1954
*81. N. A. Ogle 1954 - 1955
*82. Lee Teng Chye 1955 - 1956
*83.Teoh Soon Teong 1956
*84. Kee Yong Tau 1956 - 1957
*85. Thong Kar Cheong 1957 - 1958
*86. Tan Teng Nam 1959
*87. Koe Eng Ghee 1960
*88. Chin Wah Seng 1961
*89. Chan Hen Sam 1962
*90. Lim Chin Kee 1963
*91. Tan Poh Seng 1964
*92. Teng Kok Seng 1965
*93. Teh Ping Choon 1966
*94. Tan Heng Soon 1967
*95.Goh Hong Guan 1968
*96. Tan Kheng Kooi 1969
*97.Lim Hun Soon 1970
*98.Yew Teik Chye 1971
*99. Lim Siang Jin 1972
*100. Ng Beng Lee 1973
*101. Tan Hock Guan 1974
*102. Yeang Hoong Kheng 1975
*103. Lim Kew Seng 1976
*104. Goh Kok Yew 1977
*105.Ch'ng Geam Liang 1978
*106. Lim Hoon Chong 1979
*107. Soh Yew Siang 1980
*108. Tan Poh Eng 1981
*109. Khoo Guan Huat 1982
*110.Ong Ewe Lee 1983
*111. Yeoh Hock Thye 1984
*112. R. Angappan 1985
*113. Boo Soon Yew 1986
*114. Khor Seng Teng 1987
*115. Y. Narendran 1988
*116. Abdul Aziz B. Haji Sulaiman 1989
*117. Eric Chang Choong Yin 1990
*118.Lye Chien Chai 1991
*119. R. Murali 1992
*120. Jerry Chang Shang Yu 1993
*121. Adrian Tay Peng Kuan 1994
*122. N.Sunderai 1995
*123. Santosh Raj 1996
*124. Tan Hee Seng 1997
*125. Ding Teng Yew 1998
*126. Jeffery Woo 1999-2000
*127. Lee Teong Keat 2001
*128. Kenneth Teow Kheng Leong 2002
*129. Goh Kok Yun 2003
*130. Teo Lee Ken 2004
*131. Ivan Ooi Jieun Vei 2005
*132. Yeoh Jit Wei 2006
*133. Ritchie Lee Zhe Zin 2007
*134. Kenneth Tan Yu Shen 2008
*135. Kevin Seow Yuen Wei 2009

Noted alumni

The Free School is the Alma Mater of many established, well known and successful Malaysians. An individual pursuing his secondary education in the Free School is commonly known as a Free, once the individual leaves the Free School, he is automatically an Old Free.

Amongst its most notable alumni are:
* Tunku Abdul Rahman, First Prime Minister and founding father of Malaysia.
* Tuanku Syed Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail, the 3rd Yang Di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia [ (December 27, 2002) "Penang Free School newsletter" ]
* Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin, the Raja of Perlis and the 12th Yang Di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
* Tan Sri P.Ramlee, Malay actor, director, songwriter and musician.
* Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu, second Chief Minister of Penang.
* Tan Sri G. Rama Iyer, former Secretary-General of the Primary Industries Ministry
* Dato' (Dr.) Anwar Fazal, probably the most influential figure in the worldwide social movement.
* Dr. Wu Lien-teh, world-renowned Plague Fighter and pioneer in the modernization of China's public health system.
* Dato' Eddy Choong, former All-England Badminton champion.
* Tengku Tan Sri Ahmad Rithauddeen, President of the United Nations Association of Malaysia (UNAM)
* Chung Thye Siong, son of Kapitan Chung Keng Quee of Penang and Perak and brother of Kapitan Chung Thye Phin, last Kapitan of Perak and Malaya.
* Wee Chong Jin (Dr), first Chief Justice of Singapore

ports Houses

The sports houses in the school are:

*Hargreaves (Brown)
*Hamilton(Yellow)
*Pinhorn (Blue)
*Wu Lien Teh(Green)
*Tunku Putra(Orange)
*Cheeseman (Red)

References

External links

* [http://www.pfs.edu.my Official homepage]
* [http://www.pfsalumni.org.my Alumni Homepage]
*8th Georgetown South Sea Scout Group
*
* [http://www.pfshistoricalsociety.weebly.com Penang Free School Historical Society]