nantahfriends
.com
   
  RESPONSES FROM ALUMNI  
  Editor, 10 August 2000  
 

Dear Friends and Alumni of Nantah, Ladies and Gentlemen

It is my great pleasure to write this article in less then two weeks after the debut of this web site http://friends.nantah.org (or better know as http://www.nantahfriends.com)on 29 July 2000. I am very delighted that ten alumni have sent emails. The evolution of this web site is on. With your feedback, it will evolve into a web site that suits you and at the same time projects a good image of Nantah. Without doubt, this web site welcomes your suggestions and comments.

Mao Tse Tung liked to shut people off by saying: "Without survey and research, you have no right to put up your opinion". No free thinking. It is very serious indeed. Nantah graduates may be familiar with a term called "constructive suggestion". Believe you me I do not entertain such nonsense. I welcome anyone including my critics to send their comments and suggestions.

This web site represents an independent voice. I answer to no pressure group but to my conscience as an alumnus of Nantah. As long as this web site maintains its editorial independence, it will have a future.

For reasons beyond control, I apologise for not able to disclose the names of those who send their responses. As a matter of fact, there is no need for me to do so. The extracts from the responses appear in italic and separated by broken lines. Any misquotations are not intentional and regrettable.

Web Site

 

Thank you for your hard work for producing another Nantah website. This is the second new website which came out in less than a month, a Toronto website was built at http://toronto.nantah.org two weeks ago.

I am glad to see more Nantah websites as I embrace Mao ZeDong's famous slogan "Bai3 Hau1 Qi2 Fang4, bai3 Jia1 Zheng1 Ming2". The more websites there are, the more we can generate the interests about Nantah's history.

My only concern is your .com domain name which could be mistaken as commercial entity (com means either commercial or company) with money making motives.

Editor: This web site is now accessible using http://friends.nantah.org and I shall discontinue to promote it as http://www.nantahfriends.com. I did not know nantah.org is able to do web forwarding and could have save US$50 registration fee if I knew earlier. Therefore, No "yum cha" for this friend when we meet. QED.

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What is the Chinese name of your site? Where is the city your site builder reside? What area/location your site intends to cover?

Editor: This web site does not have a Chinese name yet. Can anyone make a suggestion? I live in Sydney. This web site is not only cross city, cross continent, but cross century too.

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Your web site was very nicely created. It is indeed a good idea. It gives us an additional channel for communication among alumni and friends of Nantah.

Editor: I do not want to say anything. My very good friend wrote this.

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As Nantah.com has been designated as the Global Nantah Web Site, you may want to link to it.

Editor: This is already done using a drop down linking to all Nantah web sites. I noted that the term "Global" may be a problem. If Kung Soon Loong, an ancient Chinese philosopher argued that "White horse is not a horse", likewise I say:"Global Nantah Web Site is not a Nantah Web Site". Personally I would like to see it as another http://xxxxx.nantah.org. As such, all Nantah web sites are Nantah web site according to the argument of Kung Soon Loong. Very appealing.

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I like the quotation chosen: "Better to light a candle than curse the darkness"

Editor: I have removed the quotations which may be interpreted wrongly and shall keep this one.

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Whether you like to think your site is a Nantah site or not, it has its outstanding characteristics of one of the Nantah sites. Since you have obtained 500 sites from the search engine on "Nanyang University", you may have known how little of them really speak for the heart of Nantah alumni. It is even scarce the number of these "Nanyang University" sites promoting the Chinese language/culture.

Editor: Nantah web site? yes, yes, yes! To hang goat's head and sell dog's meat is illegal in Australia where I live; a small fine applies.

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The website that you have created would be very useful to all our fellow Nantah graduates. It would be good if it is linked to other Nantah websites.

Editor: Done

NEW WEB SITES

We in Melbourne are thinking of having our own website. It would be good if your website can incorporate Nantah graduate currently residing in Australia. Then we don't have to design our own webpages. I have a list of addresses of most of the Nantah graduates in Melbourne that you can put on your website.

Editor: I have directed your requirement to Boon Kang of http://www.nantah.org. A new web site http://melbourne.nantah.org may be a solution.

FRIENDS

Judging from the title of your site, I thought you mean all friends who want to befriend with our alumni. After reading your "WEB SITE DEDICATED TO FRIENDS TOO" and some other pages, I realize that your "friends" is NTU only. Why not include Ngee Ann and Singapore U. Further more, what about the three colleges in Malaysia which use Chinese?

Editor: This is a valid point. Friends should include graduates and non-graduates, people of all cultural backgrounds and all nationalities.

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I do not agree that there is no enemies of Nantah. Otherwise Nantah would not be closed twenty years ago.

Editor: Christ Jesus said: "If some one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." Let us forgive. We shall overcome.

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There were many more people supporting Nantah than those against Nantah. Perhaps it is time we should say thanks to these people who have helped Nantah than repeating the attack to those who were against Nantah. I hope we can do something more positive to enhance the image of Nantah and the image of Nantah graduates.

Editor: ZaoBao, the Chinese newspaper reported on 31 July 2000 that the structure at the entrance to the old Nantah now has the Chinese script of Nanyang University reinstated. The structure was not removed earlier because the Housing Board received no responses to its tender. I believe in this interpretation which my friend told me several years ago: "The contractors were not interested. It is not because they were afraid of the Curse of Tutankhamen. It is because in their hearts, they love Nantah no less than anyone else." Without the help of people in the Parliament and Mr Yeo in particular, I do not think we would have the structure ("Pei Lao") restored to its former glory. All friends of Nantah, inside and outside the Parliament, you truly deserve a great thank from all alumni of Nantah!

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NANTAH

"To me, Nantah was a historical tragedy. I always think that we stick together because we had toiled together, suffered together (Gong4 huan4 nan4) not beacause of other b.s.".

Editor: Be positive. It may be a set back. Even it is a tragedy we shall not moan. The Jewish people took 3,000 year to re-establish Isreal. Even it takes us 30 years to establish another Nantah, many of us will still be around God willing. Stick together. Keep the fire burning. We shall overcome.

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Yes, "Nantah spirit" has been mis-used for all kind of purposes. I heard someone went to teach at NTU also for "Nantah spirit".

Editor: Do not tell me that universities such as Beitah, Harvard and Stanford have no Spirit. Yet they do not talk about it like we do.


OPINIONS


I am indeed pleased to read your Nantah website forwarded to me by a friend few days ago. I am pleased both because I remember you very well and I like your positive point of view about NTU.

Editor: I do not mind to have a half brother likes NTU, something I can be proud of.

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I do not agree with your idea of establishing a Nantah College in Kuala Lumpur.

Editor: I say: "If I cannot convince you, I confuse you."

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I think this topic is worth discussing (Lu Ting Yu made the same suggestion in Nanyang SP on June 24 see Forum

Editor: Did not know the existence of this article earlier. In a fool's paradise, I thought it was my invention.


CENSORED

You should distribute your website into the island South of Causeway to benefit the alumni there. They are starved of news about Nantah because it remains a very sensitive issue there.

Editor: Shhh.... close the door.

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So far the Nantah associations are controlled by few people who like the media attention and like to make decision for the rest of us. The beauty of Internet is the power to democratize everything.

Editor: Someone has to do the job but communciation, consultation, debate, compromise and representation may be desirable.

DR LIN YUTANG

For a Nantah student, it is better to forget about Dr. Lin. I have an interesting story to tell you when we meet someday.

Editor: Hope that we meet next year in US.

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I notice that you have a link to a website for Lin YuTang. Depite what he did at the beginning of Nantah, I am also a big fan of LinYuTang, I have a small collection of his works.

Editor: I see Dr Lin as an author and like to know more about him. Having read a thesis on Dr Lin, it solves one of my puzzles: Why on earth that Lu Xun (Chou Shu-jen) took up a lecturing post at Amoy University? The fact is Lu Xun and Dr Lin were great friends and it was done through the Hokkien connection of Dr. Lin. Mission possible.


NEWSLETTER

I think a Newsletter is a good idea especially for those who have no web access. The problem is the cost (printing and postage). An electronic newsletter may be more pratical.

Editor: The Newsletter will be posted to the web site most likely http://newsletter.nantah.org. A token subscription fee to cover the printing cost and postage applies to alumni and friends who prefer hardcopy.

CHINESE DISPLAY

To read Chinese on IE 5:
1. Click (with left button of mouse) 'View'button on the top of your IE screen, a selection panel with drop.
2. On the panel, click 'Encoding' button, another panel will show
3. On this panel you should see a selection of languages including: Chinese Simplified (GB2312) Chinese Traditional (Big5)
4. You pick one of them depending the coding used on your webpage (I always use GB2312).

Editor: Thanks for the information. Chinese display now works on my NT 4.0 using IE 5.

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