By SARAH CHEW, Sunday Star, 30March 2008

PKR vice-president and newly elected MP for Subang, Selangor, R. Sivarasa’s non-conformist streak was evident even during his school days. The 51-year-old shares memories of being a student in several institutions.

Tell us about your alma mater(s).
I studied in a primary school on Jalan Kuantan, Kuala Lumpur, before moving on to Batu Road Boys School, which was the main feeder school for Victoria Institution (VI).
In VI, I was under about four successive headmasters, but I remember one in particular – Murugesu. He was a disciplinarian but the school excelled under him, academically and in sports.
I had wanted to do medicine in Universiti Malaya, but as my grades weren’t good enough, I did a science degree instead.
After graduating and teaching part-time, I applied for the Rhodes Scholarship and studied law in Oxford University (United Kingdom).

How were you as a student – naughty, quiet or goody-two-shoes?
I never became a prefect, so that means I wasn’t a model student!

Describe your co-curricular experiences in school.
I was active in societies and sports. I joined the literary club, the debating society and the Interact Club.

Share your most cherished school memories.
I got into the finals of a talentime competition and played Yesterday on the guitar. That was nice.
Another memorable experience was being caned by the headmaster. I was told to run around the school field, but refused as I felt the punishment was unjust. I was given one stroke of the rotan instead.

Who were your favourite teachers, and why?
I don’t think I had any favourite teacher but there were some teachers who were hard to forget.
There was a geography teacher, Bernard Koay, who taught in an interesting way, although he would pinch us and be ‘physically cruel’!
Then there was Bain Sourajen, who seemed rather vain about his appearance. He taught us history.
One headmaster, Victor Gopal, was the sort who reasoned with students. For example, he would ask us why we wanted to keep our hair long.

Was there something in your student life that sparked your interest in politics?
My interest in social activism only started when I was in Oxford, when I read books on Malaysian history and realised it was totally different from what I had learnt.
I joined the Malaysian students group and did things like visiting coal miners on strike under Margaret Thatcher’s regime.

What is your view of the current education system?
Our system doesn’t provoke thought. Here, nobody asks you to think; they just ask you to remember facts.

What changes would you like to see in our education system?
Repeal the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA). In Oxford, lecturers could describe judges as “thick”. They were irreverent about institutions or systems, but made relevant arguments.
Repealing the act will allow people to become free intellectuals who would think without worrying about what the state will do, or whether their salary will be affected.
Schoolteachers need to train students to ask questions and think about what is right and wrong so that the latter can make moral decisions and defend them.

What is the one thing that you would have liked to do as a student but never did?
I think I did everything I wanted to do!