Section 54: Chi Wen Primary School

A Brief History of Bahau Chi Wen Primary School (1925 to 2012)

Bahau Chi Wen Primary School, often regarded as the largest school in the eastern region of Negeri Sembilan, is also the alma mater of many residents of Bahau.

Over the years, Chi Wen Primary School has consistently nurtured numerous talents from Bahau. Some of its students have now aged with white hair, have children and grandchildren, and remarkably, some of these subsequent generations have also become students of Chi Wen. Many other students have ventured into society and have made their mark in various fields.

How many people still remember the past of Chi Wen Primary School? Let us step back into the tunnel of time and take a look at the journey this Chinese school has undertaken since its establishment in 1925, through the ups and downs it has faced until 2012.

Bahau Chi Wen Primary School was founded in 1925 by pioneers including Li Yongxia, Zhang Ganlian, Tang Yimin, Xu Zeyang, Wu Nian, (李永霞、张甘联、唐逸民、许则仰、伍年)and others. They rented the building at No. 2 Main Road, Bahau, and named it "Ming Xin Public School (明新公立小学)." Wu Nian 伍年 served as the first chairman, and Fan Zhiqing 范峙青was the school's principal. In the early days, there were more than 50 students.

In early 1929, Ye Danbo 叶淡波took over as the principal, but by the end of the year, due to certain circumstances, the school was temporarily closed. This marked a pause for Ming Xin School.

In early 1930, enthusiastic educators revived the school, and Chong Kean Sau张简素 was elected as the chairman. They appointed Kuang Yongxiang 邝永祥as the principal and renamed the school "Public Chi Wen School."

In 1931, Guo Baishen 郭柏燊was appointed as the principal, and from 1932 to 1934, Li Xiaoxia 李晓霞served as the principal, with Ye Gen 叶根 as the chairman. In 1935, Li Xiaoxia resigned, and Yu Tianyan 余天演became the principal. From 1937 to 1938, Fangshi Jun 方式君was in charge. During 1935 to 1938, the chairmen were Zheng Mei Wu 郑梅五 and Chua Gui 蔡贵. From 1939 to 1940, Wang Huiyao 王会尧took over as the principal, with Thong Yimin 唐逸民 as the chairman.

In 1941, Zhang Zhaosheng 张肇生assumed the role of principal, and the total number of students in the school increased to over 200. Due to the inability of the original school premises to accommodate this influx of students, pioneers such as Ye Gen, Zhu Qifu, Thong Yimin, Xu Zeyang, and Chong Kean Sau 叶根、朱其富、唐逸民、许则仰, 张简素initiated fund-raising efforts to construct a new school building. However, their plans were thwarted by the outbreak of the Second World War, during which the Malay Peninsula was occupied by Japanese forces. Teachers and students were scattered, each ensuring their own safety, and the original construction plans could not proceed.

In 1945, after the end of World War II, the school was reestablished and renamed "Zhonghua Primary School." Cai Gui served as the chairman, and He Runmin 贺润民was the principal. However, it was temporarily closed once again shortly after.

A Brief History of Bahau Chi Wen Primary School (1925 to 2012)

In March 1946, after a reorganization, the school was reopened and renamed "Chi Wen Primary School." Zhang Jiansu 张简素 became the chairman, Xu Zhengyi 徐正义served as the principal initially, but within a year, He Qiuliang 何启良 took over as the principal. The number of students increased significantly after the school's reopening, and the original school building was no longer sufficient. As a result, temporary premises such as the Guanyin Temple, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and the former Japanese administrative office were used to accommodate the students.

In 1947, plans were made to construct a new school building at the current location. The project was initiated by then-chairman Yan Shitan 颜世坦, along with Chu Qifu 朱其富, Xu Zeyang许则仰, Chong Kean Sau张简素, Chua Gui蔡贵, Yap Liaoshui叶料水, and others. By September 1948, the construction was successfully completed, providing 15 classrooms to accommodate over 600 students at that time.

In 1949, He Qiuliang resigned, and Zhang Chaobang 张超榜 took over as the principal. By the end of the year, Yan Shitan 颜世坦stepped down as chairman, and Chua Haiben 蔡海本assumed the role of chairman. From the founding of the school to its temporary closure and subsequent reopening, a total of 14 principals served in various periods, with an average tenure of less than 2 years for each.

In 1950, Lee Youqi 李佑启 took over as the principal, and the number of students exceeded a thousand. Classes were divided into morning and afternoon sessions, although the learning environment was less than ideal. Principal Li advocated for the construction of four additional classrooms. With the assistance of social organizations and enthusiastic individuals, four new classrooms were successfully added, bringing the total to 19 classrooms in the school.

In 1951, Ye Liaoshui assumed the role of chairman, and Lee Youqi continued as the principal. The school had over a thousand students and 26 teachers. From then on, Chi Wen Primary School not only expanded its facilities but also constructed additional buildings, including a cafeteria and teacher dormitories. It had become one of the top Chinese schools in Negeri Sembilan.

In 1953, the school adopted the New Salary Scheme. Over the following years, under the leadership of Principal Li Youqi, the school's academic atmosphere flourished. Many students, after graduating, pursued further studies in places such as Kuala Pilah, Seremban, Singapore, and Penang.

In 1957, as Malaya gained independence, Li Youqi continued as the principal, and Cai Gui assumed the role of chairman. In the same year, Chi Wen Secondary School was established.

In 1958, Ye Liaoshui became the chairman. In 1959, Lim Zihua 林子华was elected as chairman but resigned by the end of the year. In November of the same year, Li Youqi also stepped down from his position as principal.

A Brief History of Bahau Chi Wen Primary School (1925 to 2012)

In the 1960s - The Largest Chinese Primary School in Negeri Sembilan

In 1960, the Board of Directors elected Cai Gui as the chairman and appointed Yan Kaijiang (颜开疆)as the principal. During this period, there were significant adjustments to the school's operations, including the addition of various facilities and fund-raising for the construction of a basketball court.

By 1961, the student population had grown to a staggering 1,600 students, leading to the construction of a new cafeteria capable of accommodating 500 students. The old cafeteria was converted into the principal's residence with funding from the Board of Directors.

In 1962, the school started receiving full government subsidies, and the primary and secondary sections officially separated. Chi Wen Primary School had 1,475 students.

In 1963, Lin Zihua became the chairman, serving until 1967 when he was succeeded by Lai Gaochao (赖高超).

By early 1968, Chi Wen Primary School had a student population of 1,624, making it the largest Chinese primary school in Negeri Sembilan. The Board of Directors applied to the Ministry of Education to establish a new Chinese primary school, and their request was granted.

In 1970, Lim Kok Tiong (林国仲)was elected as the chairman, and the student population once again increased to 1,855, with a total of 41 classes. The school also converted the auditorium into classrooms for teaching purposes.

By 1971, the student population had further increased to 1,990, and there were a total of 43 classes with 52 teachers. In June of the same year, Bahau Chinese Primary School was completed, and on July 1st, 600 students and 16 teachers were transferred to Bahau Chinese Primary School. At that time, Bahau Chinese Primary School was led by its first principal, Chen Ruyu (陈如玉), which temporarily alleviated the rapid growth of students.

In 1972, the Ministry of Education approved the position of Vice Principal for Chi Wen Primary School, and it was filled by Kwan Ming Bo (管名博).

From 1973 to 1974, administrative reforms were carried out, with the transfer of teaching staff falling under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education. During this time, the Chi Wen Primary School Parent-Teacher Association was established in which Yew Chin Chien (饶进见) served as the chairman, Ng Chi Fan (吴志芬)as the secretary, and the principal acted as an advisor.

In May 1975, Principal Yan Kaijiang retired at the age of 55, and Vice Principal Guan Mingbo temporarily took over the school's administration. On October 1st, the Ministry of Education appointed Luo Zhengrui （罗正锐）as the 17th principal of Chi Wen Primary School.

In 1977, Vice Principal Guan Mingbo was transferred back to his hometown, and the school's sports director, Ng Yap Swee（黄协水）, as well as the textbook borrowing director, Zheng Xindi（郑心缔）, were promoted to principals at other schools. With the assistance of Rao Jinjian and Wu Zhifen, along with cooperation from other teachers, Chi Wen Primary School successfully managed its affairs.

In 1978, Chi Wen Primary School celebrated its 50th anniversary with grand celebrations. Thanks to the efforts of Principal Luo Zhengrui, the school was granted permission to construct an additional 6 classrooms.

In the 1980s - Hosting Thousand-People Banquets for Three Consecutive Years。

In 1980, Principal Luo Zhengrui was transferred, and Jiang Yangcai （江仰才）took over as the principal. During Jiang's tenure, Chi Wen Primary School completed the construction of a new two-story school building, including classrooms, teacher offices, principal and vice-principal offices, and restrooms. This new building was officially opened by Deputy Minister of Education Chen Zhonghong （陈忠鸿） in October 1982.

In October 1984, Hee Hock Sin（许福生）became the 19th principal. Subsequently, the school organized events like thousand-people banquets, top ten singers' performances, and charity bazaars in 1988, 1989, and 1990 to raise funds for the construction of a new school building. This building included classrooms, a library, a dental clinic, administrative offices, offices, and a religious room. The Ministry of Education provided a grant of RM50,000, and the remaining funds were collected over several years through contributions from the board members and the community.

The new school building was completed at the end of 1990 and was officially inaugurated. Due to space limitations, students continued to attend classes in morning and afternoon sessions at that time.

In 1993, Hsu Fusheng stepped down from the position of principal, and Lee Weiwen （李维文） took over. In 1995, Lin Guozhong, who had been the chairman since 1970, resigned from his position as chairman in 1995. He was succeeded by Chong Chi Siong（莊其祥）, who has held the position of chairman to the present day.

In 1997, Leong Shu Rong（梁树榮） became the principal of Chi Wen Primary School. In the same year, the Ministry of Education initiated the construction of two new school buildings at Chi Wen, one with three stories and the other with four stories.

In 1998, Leong Shu Rong stepped down as principal, and Huang Shuncheng （黃順成）took over as the principal of Chi Wen Primary School.

In 1999, both the three-story and four-story new school buildings were completed and put into use. On April 26, 2001, Lim Jianyi （林漸溢）assumed the position of principal and has held it to the present day (2012). In 2007, the Ministry of Education constructed a two-story computer lab at Chi Wen Primary School, equipped with 40 computers. In the same year, as part of the 9th Malaysia Plan, Chi Wen Primary School received upgrades for the teacher's office and library.

In 2008, the Board of Directors initiated a renovation project for the school's auditorium, installing air conditioning and adding modern equipment to make it more contemporary. Additionally, to commemorate the contributions of teacher Zheng Yongyao （郑永耀）, who had dedicated many years to the school's athletics program, including training numerous students and bringing many honours to the school, the Board of Directors named one of the school's corridors "Zheng Yongyao Teacher Athletics Corridor."

In 2010, the Chi Wen Primary School Parent-Teacher Association upgraded the school's restroom facilities, making them more comprehensive and well-equipped.

In early 2011, due to a reduction in the total student population to just over 800, the Board of Directors, after extensive discussions, decided to change the class schedule for all students to morning sessions. This marked the end of a system that had been in place for about 60 years, where the school had morning and afternoon sessions, a practice dating back to 1950. It was a significant historical shift for the school.