In the beginning years, morning assembly was held in the school hall. as the Headmaster strode up the stairs leading to the stage, where the teachers were seated in a semi circle, the Colour Captain (or House Captain) on duty would step on to the “Castle”. The “Castle” was a platform about one and half feet high and yard a square. It had four massive but beautifully carved legs, and a couple of steps led up to it. The “Castle” was placed immediately in front of the stage on the cement floor. In his hand the Colour Captain held a wand ended in a knob on whic was mounted a trophy which the Colour or House has won. The trophy was usually in the form of a statute. The Colour Captain led the boys in reciting “The Compass” and in singing the “Colour Song" .

The value of this ceremony cannot be expressed more briefly than in the words of our founding headmaster, Mr E. La M.

Stowell; “As, in Malaya, the boys have so many regions, I think something, like the Compass or Statement, is the best kind of substitute we can give them for good, shared, basic ethical purpose with which to start the day.” Moreover he said, “They lend solemnity, and a little ceremony and formality to the opening of the School Day”

CAPTAIN
It is.....

ASSEMBLY
It is.....It is our bounden duty to uphold the Honour of the School at all times and in all places, noth now as boys and later as men and old boys. The Honour of the School will not be upheld by talking or writing. It is by his conduct that a man is judged: his deeds speaks louder than words, and in a little exampl persuadeth more than precept.

From the School more is to be learnt than the wisdom of books: the conduct of a good man and true may be learnt at school.

A good man and true scorns to succeed by means that a re dishonest. He never gives in, he never admits defeat. After being punished or blamed, he does not sulk or complain. He never deerts his friends, his Colour or his School under any circumstances. Above all he will stand up for the king, the king who keeps his enemies beyond boundaries within which we live and without which, mud\rder, oppression, amine and robbery would stalk through province. To him while we shelter beneath his flag, gratitude and goodness demand our outspoken loyalty.

A School by the Bukit
A High School Bukit Mertajam Song

In the land that is north,

There's an old great school we hear,

Famous sons and daughters have sailed forth,

borne their honour far and near.

Some have fought and conquered 'dragons',

others nature's secrets won.

Here within out sunkist province

Deeds are waiting to be done.

At the high school by the Bukit where Mertajam lies her plain.

Rears her head the boys are ready,

to face danger, conquer pain.

To the future we'll preserve.

with these proud words as our guide

Aut Coepisse Noli Aut Confice

We'll take everything in stride, Everyday you'll see us toil,

without grouse without whine.

And everybody you'll see us stand tall,

till the sun has ceased to shine.

Everyday, you'll see us stand tall, till the sun has ceased to shine

Throughout the years, High School Bukit Mertajam has produced many notable figures in civil service, politics, corporate, military and many other areas. These "old boys" have done us proud in shaping and molding Malaysia by being pioneers:

This section is dedicated to just a few of them ….

YAB Dato Seri Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi

Prime Minister of Malaysia

Tun Mohd Salleh b Ismail

1st Malaysian Inspector General of Police (IGP)

Mr Ng Kim Siong

1st Inspector General of Police (IGP) Singapore

Tan Sri Prof Emeritus Chin Fung Kee

Queens Scholar & Former (Acting) VC of University Malaya

YB Tan Sri Dato Hj Lamin bin Hj Mohd Yunus

President of Appeals Court, Malaysia

Tan Sri Ahmad Kamil Jaffar

Ketua Setiausaha (KSU), Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia

Tun Mohd Salleh b Ismail

1st Malaysian Inspector General of Police (IGP)

Dato L. Krishnan

Pioneer of Malaysian Film Industry

Mr Goh Hock Guan

Architect & Town Planner behind Subang Jaya township
Currently, restructuring town planning in Vietnam

YBhg Dato' Dr Ibrahim Saad

Former Minister of Transport, Malaysia

Prof Ishak Thamby Chik

Former Vice Chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)

Tan Sri Mohd Radzi Mansor

Chairman of Telekom (M) Berhad

YBhg Dato Seri Hj Mohd Shariff bin Hj Omar

Deputy Minister Agriculture Ministry

Dato Jegathesan (deceased)

Former Secretary General, Ministry of Housing Malaysia

Gen (Rtd) Abdullah Shamsudin

General, Malaysian Army

Gen (Rtd) Mohamad Shah Yahaya

General, Malaysian Army

Datuk M. Kuppan

Former National Football Coach

Tan Sri Izzuddin

Secretary General Ministry of Finance (Retired)

Tan Sri Dato Dr. M. Thambyrajah

Founder Sri Murugan Centre

Mr. P. Kanason

Retired Asst Auditor General

Mr Chan Boon Teik

Retired as Dy Director General (Waterworks) PWD

Stephen Sim

Deputy Finance Minister

The Original Staff

The original staff to assist Headmaster E. La M. Stowell comprised the following:

• Ng Cheong Wen
• Tan Kok Kee
• S.M. Rouse
• Gan Hock Chye
• Cheong Hong Oon
• Kam Kee Hock
• Chan Ewe Pin
• Chin Yoon Ngean
• Khor Kok Seng
• Tan Kok Siang
• Cheah Chong Chee
• Miss A. Cornelius (a/k Mrs. P/A/ Aeria)

Some Personalities of the HSBM Staff

Some of our very senior ALumni will find this nostalgic. These are personalities who by example and precept, have in many ways influenced them in their careers.

Mr Ong Chin Huat was for years the Games Master of the school. He was all-round sportsman, of a very genial nature, painstaking and sound in judgement. He left his mark on the games of the school right up to the time of the Japanese Invasion when he died in the enemy prison.

Mr Philip Aeria will be best remembered as the boxing instructor. In the middle 1930s, he trained the likes of S.Plainiandy, A. Rahim and Mohana Krishnan who, upon leaving the school made their pugilistic fortunes in Singapore. Captured by the Japanese he survived the war but came out a broken man and though given light duties at HSBM he succumbed t his wartime incarceration.

Mr Oh Boon Tat will live long in the memory of High School old boys for his dedication to both classroom and outdoor duties. There was not a single department to which he had not contributed useful ideas and given practical help - even the HSBM crest wsa designed by hi,. In class he taught only mathematics, but on the field he was concerned with all games, particularly cricket, rugby and atheletics. He was fastidious about the grounds and spared neither himself nor the kebuns and members of the Jacob's Green Society. He would spend hours coaching promising atheles and players and even more hours every week giving extra tuition to boys taking Higher Mathematics for the School Certificate Examinations.

Mr Chan Ewe Pin was a man of the world even when he joined the staff as a young man of 24 from the Anglo-Chinese School in Bukit Mertajam. Respected and looked up to as teachers generally were in those days, he mixed with the upper and the lower classes of the society alike without demening himself. He was mainly instrumental in bringing back to the HSBM offers of scholarships, games trophies and help in various forms. His efforts brought philantorphic personalities like Soon Eng Kong, Heah Seng Whatt and M Sarvanamuttu, to the aid of the school. He capped his service to the Bukit Mertajam with a term as Town Councillor and there is a road in town bearing his name.

Mr Kam Kee Hock was chosen from the very start to help Mr Stowell in scouting. The Headmaster, himself the strict Scout Master, personnaly took charge of this activity as he strongly believed it was the best medium for charecter building. Kam Kee Hock took a like long interest in scouting, eventually being appointed Asst District Commissioner for Province Welleslet. He was also successful as a gardening master and its reported the lettuces his gardeners produced for several seasons became famous even outside the province. He later became the supervisor of Stowell School - the feeder primary school to HSBM. He was truly a dedicated teacher and a perfect gentleman.