The last few days, the newspapers have been covering a lot about ragging, especially due to the death of a Form 4 student in the Royal Military College due to alleged ragging by his seniors. I was very sad to learn about this case - a case of ragging going way too far, way too extreme.
Ragging is actually a form of initiation. I remember when I entered PPP-ITM to do my A-Levels. Boy, were we ragged by our seniors! Who can forget about "Tabik Spring" then. Everytime a senior walks by, regardless of what were we doing, we must drop everything and give a "Tabik Spring"! Then at nights, seniors will barge into our room and the next 30 minutes or so, turned the room into what they called " living hell". Singing whilst each person had to hold the table up, getting questioned on so many "things" private or otherwise. And all sorts of other things!
But it never got physical ie getting whacked or slapped or such. Never. Things were always conducted with a sporting mood and laughter. Of course, we were not laughing, the seniors / raggers did.
Even the 'lembik' ones took it in their stride though with more complaints and as what it used to be called " banyak songeh".
But at the end of the orientation, we became good friends with the seniors. The "Tabik Spring" we had to do at each and everytime we met the seniors, which looked more like a frozen dead chicken with a salute - the seniors lined up and gave us one at the end of the orientation in the spirit of fun.
When I was a senior, it was my turn on the juniors. I have to admit I did my fair share of ragging, but in the same spirit when I was ragged then. Never anything physical, never meaning any harm.
And things turned out well enough.
In all fairness, ragging done right, is actually good fun. And it gets us closer to the seniors and amongst our own colleagues.
One of most "memorable" times getting ragged - when I first joined the BLUES, Form 5 in VI . Now that's a different story. Good, hellish and a good learning experience. Victorians you generally know what I mean.
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1 comment:
Hi,
Agreed with your words, Abg Ikmal. I have no such 'ragged' experience in UM because I got in there late. Nowadays, most of the teenagers are just like 'mama's kid'. Anything which made them uncomfortable or they don't like then that is ragging. They will report to the parents and hit back to the others. Come on, be a man!
Besides that, we should look at another point which is the moral value of the seniors in boarding school. They almost misuse their authority and status as a senior. Well, no doubt that they wanted to do the same thing as what their seniors did to them -- REVENGE. But they use the wrong method.
I have to say out another point that some parties would feel bad. I am sorry but I have to say it out. Some boarding schools are applying the army training system to the teenagers' life after classes. So, indirectly it has been influenced the students or seniors to apply that method to the juniors.
All above are just my response toward this article, others may not agree with me BUT try to listen to every of it. Thank you!
SY Hong
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