This is a post dedicated to the late Mr Abdul Wahab: beloved teacher, mentor and friend.
I received a sms from barney at about 1am today and was shocked to read that Cikgu Wahab had passed away. The grief was just too much to take. Why him?
We got to know Cikgu Wahab in 2001 when we entered Form 2. Having already heard of his ‘reputation’ in Form 1, we were naturally apprehensive of having the fiercest teacher in the afternoon session, and arguably the whole school, for not one but two subjects. We were braced for hell. And yet..as time passed, I daresay Cikgu Wahab shaped us to be what we are today by simply being who he was.
Cikgu Wahab was special. At six foot three, he was a giant who would tower over us. Yet as fate would have it, gout crippled him. He could walk but the pain was unbearable, rendering him dependent on a wheelchair for movement around the school. But he never complained about it and was always ready to share the story behind his ailment with a smile. Perhaps that was what made him all the more impressive. A giant of a man, confined to the restrictions imposed by a wheelchair and yet his aura was never diminished, as do all Great Men. Physically he may have been disabled but his spirit was as strong as a lion roaming the plains. Never had i seen someone brush aside physical limitations the way he had, the courage he possessed to make the best of life in every single way.
Despite his condition, Cikgu Wahab took up long-distance learning and graduated with a Masters in BM. He took to the road almost every weekend and, coupled with raising a family, he was indeed the pride and admiration of all of us, the students fortunate enough to be under his tutelage. His determination and motivation evoked deep respect in all of us.
I remember the stories he told us: about how he used to cycle kilometres to his school, the foreign comics he read that shaped his impeccable English, his experiences with the Scouts, and many many other valuable lessons in life that no other teacher could have shared. I remember the way he would often deviate from the subject matter and go on long storytelling sessions, sometimes taking up the rest of the period or even the next! Yet we were never tired of it all as everytime he spoke, we were hearing words of gold, things we would never be able experience, let alone imagine on our own. The sufferings he endured en route to his life today made us appreciate life more.
Yes, Cikgu Wahab was a tough discplinarian. No doubt about that. All of us used to cower in fear if he announced he was going to check our work. And none dared to even whisper if it was 5 minutes to his class. Yet…looking back now, the two years we had under him were the definitive years of our schooling lives. He was just different from the rest. He was tough, yes, but he had standards. Standards that he expected us to meet without fail and it was through his strictness that we Grew Up. He pushed us to the limit and beyond. And yes, boys being boys, without the authoritarian in Cikgu Wahab we would perhaps have been astray. Despite all the canings and scoldings, none of us had a grudge against him. For he was fair and gave punishments or rewards without fear or favour. It didn’t matter to him whether the one he just slapped was the son of a rich man. He wanted to do his job the way he knew best.
It was a kind gesture from him when he requested to be transferred to the morning session in 2002 to teach us again in Form 3. We greeted the news with groans at that time but looking back, without him we wouldn’t have got that A would we? His high standards, strictness and invaluable knowledge of the language were what helped us through those early years. Without him we would never have scaled those heights.
All of us were proud beyond words when two years ago Cikgu Wahab won a national-level award for Outstanding Handicapped Person. It was truly a great moment that we all knew was a just reward for his perseverance and dedication. He was the only morning session teacher who would stay back till late in the afternoon, sometimes 4pm, just to mark exercise books or prepare questions. When he taught in the afternoon, you could find him in school by 10am. Where in the world could you find such indomitable spirit, such passion for teaching, such zest for life? Nowhere else but in Cikgu Wahab.
On a lighter side of things, we would do well to remember his many jokes that lit up the class especially when things were tense. All it took was one line from him and suddenly the environment would totally change. One line i remember till today is what he used to teach us the importance of placing your commas correctly : "Kambing ayah saya makan rumput di padang" was short but from that day onwards we never put a wrong comma in place.
Our friends attended his funeral this morning at Durian Sebatang. He had died of heart attack at about 9pm last night. I am sorry I was not there but deep down I know it would be a beautiful morning for our great teacher was being laid to rest. He deserved nothing but the best as he was laid to rest. I wished I was there to see him for one last time, if only to lessen the pain and grief engulfing me now. I hadn’t seen him since I left Saint Anthony’s last year. Now I’ll never see him again.
But then, wouldn’t we? All those years with Cikgu Wahab has taught us that in the face of adversity, perseverance will prevail. In spite of all challenges, a smile and strong spirit would carry us against the current of failure and pitfalls in pursuit of glory. This is the legacy that Cikgu Wahab has left behind for us. We’ll remember this more than all the Malay and Geography he had ever taught us. We’ll remember that in life, what matters most is to look forward no matter how dire our situation is, and to live and die by our principles, to do as we believe is right.
Cikgu Wahab’s physical presence is no longer with us but his spirit will remain with all Anthonians forever. When we do return to the corridors of Saint Anthony’s School Teluk Intan one day, we will still hear the echo of his thunderous roar of fury reverberating through the walls. As we look into the classrooms, the image of his genial smile and those sparkling eyes behind the rimmed glasses would come to mind, never to fade away.
Goodbye Cikgu Wahab. We would never forget you, for you have poured your love into us and your spirit will forever live on within Anthonians touched by you. May you rest in Peace.
And there’s mu-liv to look forward to, rooney banging in a few goals perhaps? Nice…