Reporter and photographer from The Star came today

Received a phone call from photographer Saiful Bahari that he and journalist, Mazni Mustafa were coming to SMI. Both were assigned to see for themselves the school's 5-star toilet. Mazni was at the Saturday's award presentation function where SMI was awarded with a certificate of merit by the Ipoh City Council for the excellent upkeep of its toilet.

State Urban and Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Chang Ko Youn, who presented the certificate to the school, said he was equally impressed with the achievement and culture of the school which emphasizes on clealiness, participation and esprit de corp of its students.

Mazni interviewed the principal, canteen operators who happened to visit the toilet that time and some students. Saiful, on the other hands, busied himself with shots outside and inside the toilet. He too was greatly mesmerized by the conditions of the toilet.

The report, once it is out, will make its way to the 2007 school magazine.

Results Of The Battle of Bands 2007

Received an SMS from chief adviser Mr Tiong at 12.05 am (26 June 2007) announcing the results of the inter-school band competition which eight schools took part.

3rd -Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman (STAR), Ipoh.
2nd-Ave Maria Convent, IPOH.
1st-SMJK Sam Tet, IPOH.

Best Drum Major: SMJK Sam Tet, IPOH.

As for SMI, syabas & thank you for taking part.

2007 Qualifying Round State-Level Robotics Competition

Above, students during a practice session. Below, participants at the venue in Gopeng

SMI sent in three teams to participate in the competition on June 14, 2007 held at a school in Gopeng. The groups, all Form One and Form Two students, were under the tutelage of teacher Mr Brindes Lawrence. He has been the school team robotics head adviser for the past three years. Our students took part in the NXT Category Robot Discover. They need to programme the entire operations and movements of the robot, giving precise 'instruction' to it so as to complete a mission set by the organiser.

(Robotics is the science and technology of robots, their design, manufacture, and application. It requires a working knowledge of electronic, mechanics and software).

Some 60 schools in the state, including Malay College Kuala Kangsar, SMK King Edward Taiping, SMK Clifford Kuala Kangsar, SMK Anthony Teluk Intan, Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman (STAR) Ipoh, SMK Anderson Ipoh and SMK Sam Tet took part.

It was a trip worth making and a competition worth participating as our teams returned home with more knowledge and experience.

Battle of the Bands, June 25, 2007

Update June 21, 2007 (7pm)

Our band boys deserve our praises and respect. They have been practising very hard at the basketball court and pavilion for the past three weeks, sometimes until 10pm, perfecting their formations, movements and musical skills. Senior members, especially those in Lower and Upper Six, join in the fold, contributing the much needed boost to the rest of the team. Those who have left school years ago, either studying in colleges or already working, have not detached from the band. They return to inspire and encourage. A true demonstration and potrayal of the Michaelian spirit. Thank you, Wai Hin (you still managed that smile despite hard at work blowing the trumpet), Jonzen Chow (studying business at Sunway College) and Lee Mun Ming (took time off from work and has never failed to lead our boys for the past few years)


Lee Wai Hin (Drum Major 2004)









The state inter-school Band Competition will be held at the Stadium Perak on June 25, 2007 at 7.30pm. St Michael's very own Michaelian Military Band, for many years, has been a force to be reckoned with.

Doesn't matter if last year, SMI won the third prize, with SMJK Ave Maria being the first and SMJK Nan Hwa Sitiawan clinching the second position. We left the stadium proudly that night because Joshua Ng Ken Ho took home the Best Drum Major award, an honourable and prestigious accolade.

Advisers Mr Liew Boon Ket and Mr Tiong Hong Chai need to be commended for running such an outstanding and extremely hardy band. Wish the band members all the best this year. We stand united in supporting all of you.

St Michael's supporters - make a trip to the stadium on June 25.

"With Pride Shall We March"

Tickets quickly snapped up! So hurry..

Drama tickets are on sale now. Students have started purchasing tickets by the bulk, ensuring that their friends and relatives do not miss out on this year's drama, "Hercules". The play is going to be different this year. There will be plenty of actions and songs, together with great acting skills. The cast, including the legendary Hercules, are working real hard to make sure that the three evenings are going to make a lasting impact.

Colourful posters and banners, together with bantings, will be up by next week. A big horizontal banner will be hung overlooking the main road, so that passers-by will also know of St Michael's long-standing tradition of performing art.

Hercules is performed on August 17, 18 and 19. Tickets are sold at RM20 and RM50 each. For details, e-mail me at peterkhiew@gmail.com or call the school at 05-2540418 during school hours.

SMI Celebrates Nation's 50th Anniversary of Independence

Themed, "Combining Efforts, Experiencing Success", SMI will celebrate, in a big way, Malaysia's 50th Anniversary of Independence.

For a start, a big banner will be put up at the Central Gable, depicting prominent and outstanding Michaelians, individuals who had contributed so much to make St Michael's an established and glorious institution. Later we will work on a special edition of magazine to commemorate the nation's 50 years of independence. The school will also invite home old boys studying in Form Five in 1957. A historical get-together of our seniors will undoubtedly create an excellent and exciting time together at the alma mater.

The theme above reflects the importance of the school working together with various quarters like parents, old boys and the community in attaining great success in our vision and mission, in line with the LaSallian ideals of Faith, Zeal and Community.

Old boys studying in Form Five 1957 can contact me at peterkhiew@gmail.com. Pass the words around so that we can rope in more Michaelians to celebrate with us Aug 31, 2007.

Old Michaelians Association Annual Dinner 2007

OMA Annual Dinner will be held on September 29, 2007 (Saturday) at 7.30pm. The venue is at the Red Crescent Hall, opposite Stadium Perak.
The overwhelmed response to last year's dinner has prompted the OMA to increase the number of tables to ensure everyone can meet up to fellowship.
OMA committee members have begun discussing the details to ensure that the dinner, just like many other get-togethers we had previously, would be a tremendous success.
To be headed by Mr Yip Chee Thong, the dinner this time around will be attended by members of the SMI KL Alumni, whose presence will undoubtedly make the reunion doubly interesting and much, much merrier. The cost per person is still maintained at RM35.00.

The menu:
1. Four Season Cold Dish
2. Victory Roast Chicken
3. Steamed Grouper with Soya Sauce
4. Tom Yam King Prawn
5. Vegetable with Deep Fried Cuttlefish
6. Fried Yam with Mixed Vegetables and Nuts
7. Lotus Leaf Nyonya Steamed Glutinuous Rice
8. "Tau Fu Far" with Longan (dessert)

AND plenty of beer to wash all these down.

For details, call Yip Chee Thong at 019- 5567913 or e-mail peterkhiew@gmail.com

Good News From Ipoh City Councillor

The SMI toilet that generates much praises from many quarters.

Newsbreak....Received a call from Ipoh City Councillor T. Murugiah at 9.40pm. He said Perak Mentri Besar Dato Seri Mohamed Tajol Rosli Ghazali will be awarding a certificate of commendation to St Michael's for the excellent upkeep of its toilets. The ceremony, to be attended also by the Ipoh City Mayor, is scheduled to be held on June 23, 2007 at SK Sungai Rokam, Ipoh. An invitation letter will be sent by the council to the school.
Congratulations, SMI.

SMI's 46th Years of Drama Excellence

A strong combination of 20 artists, 10 AVA members, eight make-up artists, eight costume experts, 14 stage crews, eight vocalists, 26-member cast, together with 13 musicians have been lined up to ensure the success of St Michael's school play this year.

The cast and vocalists are currently undergoing sessions of tough and tedious rehearsing for some three hours daily in the school hall - thanks to director Corrinne Mah and music director Ling Lidi. The combined efforts of the duo, together with fellow Michaelians involved in the practice, deserve our admiration and respect.

The current team of students and teachers have a heavy responsibility - to ensure that the strong drama tradition continues in SMI and to carry on the legacy of Brother Paul when, in 1955, he successfully churned out the first play: 'The Poet of Ispaha'.

And for the first time in St Michael's history of performing arts, the stage will be spectacularly enliven by the drums and beats of fire-breathing monsters, centaurs, dragons and many other captivating creatures.

Yes, it's HERCULES, the story of the legendary Greece strongman who has over the decades continued to regale the young and old with accounts of his spectacular exploits of strength in a mythological world.

The school is targetting a sum of RM100,000 of which proceeds will be channelled towards the expansion of the staffroom, which is currently filled to the brim. Teachers, some 100 of them, are virtually moving with difficulties, squeezing their way through the crampy and narrow aisle. The drama this year will also support the roof project, acquiring new desks and chairs for students and other maintainance works.

"Hercules", which promises an evening of true entertainment, talent and surprises, is on for three days, 17 to 19 August 2007 at the SMI school hall, starting 7pm.

For details, call 05-2540418 or e-mail: smihercules@gmail.com

We thank the Board of Governors, under the leadership of Dato' Seri Lee Oi Hian, Old Michaelians Association (Mr Adrian Tsen), SMI KL Alumni (Dr Chin Yoong Kheong) and parents for their unwavering and strong support in generating funds through the annual drama for the school development fund. Let's us join hands to ensure another year of great success.

Visit: corrinne-mynook.blogspot.com for updates of the play.

caption: 1. Director Corrinne giving instruction in one of the rehearsals. 2. The cast hard at work.

Brother Matthew Bay and his team of shutter-bugs

caption: Brother Matthew with his team of dedicated shutter-bugs. Shot taken during
the school-level Teacher's Day celebration.

When they are needed, this team of Michaelian shutter-bugs never fail. These are the people, who usually work behind the scene, provide the much-needed shots for our school magazine, our newsletters and to feed our school portal year after year. The students, hand-picked meticulously by Brother Matthew himself, have undergone sessions which include portraits taken outdoors with local surroundings that utilize foliage, gardens, structures and other scenic backdrops. Only those with a passion for serious photography are issued personal passes, indicating that they are qualified to get the job done. The cameras they use are also those meeting specific specifications required by Brother Matthew which means only Brother knows the right types of cameras to acquire.

All these efforts ensure that SMI gets only the best shots in our publications. Well done.