Student cards | Historical Documents Series (part 1)

12/10/2025

Bersejarah, di kenali ramai, Sekolah Abang Ali...

Mencipta nama di semua arena, mengharum nama diri...

Oh excuse me. I was singing a school anthem.

It has been 24 years but I still remember it.

Proudly, such is a proof that I had been to that great school. Of course, anyone can refute the claim by saying I copied the lyric somewhere and paste it here. If you did, thank you for being critical.

As signalled by the lyric's first word: "Bersejarah", feast your eyes on these historical documents to show that I am indeed was a student of SK Abang Ali Sibu, along with 2 other memorabilia.

My first school, SK Abang Ali, Sibu

"let's see M. Shahrim's card - oh God, the fonts, the orientation, it's so 2000..." - Patrick Bateman

Madrasatul Islamiah Sibu

My parents also sent me to Islamic tuition in the afternoon. I was introduced to the learning of Arabic language.

This school is owned and managed by LAKIS, which stands for Lembaga Amanah Kebajikan Islam Sarawak.

The thick lamination used on this card made it sturdy and bendable, preserving much of the paper from water vapor and mold.

SMC Public Library, Sibu

I am also a member of local library. Am still now.

They glued an actual photo instead of digitally pasting it.

The library. The interior hasn't change much. Perhaps in future posts, I will write about the tour insides.

Knowing history is half of wisdom. The other half is knowing what to do with it

These historical documents are the source of history.

"Sources are our way of peering into the past" - Emma Groeneveld, World History Encyclopedia

As for me, the truly important message of this snippet from the past means my parent did a lot in their capacity to expose me to the seeking of knowledge. I may not turn up to become a successful person, but I did develop a mind and habit to love knowledge and the search for it.

In the next part, I will find some more historical documents and together we pry open what the past can teach us.

Mohamad Shahrim

author of The Laksamana