The 1981/83 batch of trainee teachers graduated in 1983. We were the first batch of the three year course. We waited for our posting which came in December. There were 25 trainees in class PI/G. Zaleha, Lim Sang Khim and I were sent to Kelantan. Lim was from Kelantan so it was alright with him. He was sent to Tanah Merah. His hometown was Bachok. Leha was sent to Machang. I was sent to Pasir Mas. It was a shock yet in a way, a relief. It was so far away from home. I was running away from my grief of losing my father and getting over my broken relationship as he was getting married. Mak had Ain, her second grandchild to keep her busy without me around.
The question was how to get there, where to stay, whom do I know....none. That place was as alien as Sabah or Sarawak. Bapak was no longer around to arrange everything for me. I was sure that had he been alive, no way would I be sent to this God's forsaken place. Well, nobody was going help me. I did asked for it. My family? Who was around...hmmm...so, finally I talked to some friends. Allah kesiankan I. ..anak yatim kan... Help came in the form of Nooraini. My good friend from school days. She contacted her cousin whose wife was a Kelantanese and as luck or fate would have it...she was from Pasir Mas. The school was located near her parents' house. It was just walking distance. I had no choice but to accept their hospitality. Strangers whom I did not even know extended their generosity without even knowing anything about me. The trust and faith they had in just helping someone based on the strength of my friendship with Nooraini.
I took a bus to Kota Bharu with just a bag of clothes and my books. I reached KB early morning, all alone and feeling quite lost. I assumed everybody was very nice and I put my trust in human nature. I asked how to go to Pasir Mas and a Pakcik offered to send me there. I had never heard of "teksi sapu" or whatever you called them. I did not even know of illegal taxis. I was his only passenger and I supposed at that time, in all innocence, I did not expect anything to happen to me. Upon reaching Pasir Mas, I took a trishaw, the main form of transport. I gave the trishaw man the address given to me by Nooraini. When I reached the couples' house, they welcomed me with warmth and open arms. These lovely makcik and pakcik hardly knew me but I was touched by their simplicity and acceptance. They were shocked that I took a "teksi sapu" all alone from KB so early in the morning. For all they knew, I might already be somewhere across the border of Thailand. I could not recall their names now. But I never forgot them. They taught me to extend the same warmth and generosity to anybody new whom I encountered especially those who came to my school for the first time. Kindness begets kindness. I doubted if they were still around now since that was almost 25 years ago. May their souls rest in peace.
When I reported for duty at SMA Arabiah Pasir Mas, which was under Yayasan Islam Kelantan, I was the only non-Kelantanese teacher. I was under a programme of Government teachers being "loaned" to the state government schools in a bid to take over their administration. There were only 2 teachers then. By the time I left after 5 years of service there, there were almost 10 of us. The others were Yayasan teachers and uztaz and uztazah. Most of them were teachers who came back from Azhar University, Cairo or Jordan or Iraq. It was a large school with more than a thousand students. They had students from as far as Brunei to study here. Most of them were from all over Kelantan and Thailand especially from Patani, Nala or Narathiwat i.e. southern Thailand. It was not easy to enter any of the state agama school. Maahad Muhammadi ( girls and boys) were the premier schools. To enter, you have to sit for a written examination, oral and quran recital, basic Arabic language and finally, an interview. Thousands apply every year. Almost 400 would apply yearly to SMA Arabiah Pasir Mas but only a maximum of 150 would be accepted. It was stringent and difficult. That was back in the 80's. The school followed their own syllabus but incorporated the education ministry syllabus. They have 10 agama subjects and 6 academic subjects. Since the agama subjects took up most of the time-table, academic teachers had only 12 to 16 periods. :-)
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