Tan Boon Lin

Books bring us together

Lim Siang Jin (PFS 1966-1972) was the Headboy in 1972 and appears in the book on page 253. Tan Boon Lin and his family wish to thank Siang Jin for his enthusiasm and support for the book project. As a veteran journalist, artist and published author, his professional advice and guidance was vital to the publishing and launching of Tan Boon Lin’s autobiography.
Quah Seng Sun (PFS 1966-1972) is featured with his wife, Lee Saw See, on page 253 of the book. Tan Boon Lin and his family wish to thank Seng Sun for his expert assistance for the book project, including reviewing the final proofs for printing. Seng Sun has authored several books related to Penang Free School including Let the Aisles Proclaim: the Story of the First 200 years of PFS (2016).
Ivan Ooi is a Trustee of Penang Free School, Chairman Yayasan (Foundation) Penang Free School, President of the Old Frees Association of Kuala Lumpur & Selangor, and was the PFS Head Boy in 2005. Tan Boon Lin and his family wish to thank Ivan for his enthusiastic support and assistance in the Book Launch on October 21, 2024.
Harris Beh, Deputy Head Boy in 1965 and Rugby Captain whose story appears on page 155 of the book, pays Dato’ Tan a visit and reminisces about the good old days.

When Mr. JMB Hughes (the last British Headmaster) announced to us that the next Headmaster would be an Old Free we all cheered. When he said it was Tan Boon Lin, I knew who he was because my father was his neighbour before in the teachers quarters in Sultan Abdul Hamid College.

Harris Beh (PFS Deputy Head Boy 1965)

Mohd. Hilmi (PFS 1961 – 1965) is the son of the legendary Free, Captain Noor.
Chew Soon Keong (PFS 1961-1967) with Dato’ Tan Boon Lin.

Mr Tan Boon Lin was my headmaster from 1963 till 1967. He was the first Malaysian headmaster at PFS, replacing the Englishman JMB Hughes in 1963.

Recalling his days as a headmaster, Mr Tan used to stroll down the corridors of the school to see how things were, checking equally on teachers teaching and behaviour of the school boys. We were always wary whenever he made those daily rounds and there would be a perceptible hush whenever he walked past the classes.

A good sport, he also turned up to check out on our extracurricular activities- especially at PERA- on Mondays and Thursdays and turn also to cheer students in their 400m or 800m Inter House races.

Those days of the mid sixties were best years at Free School as many students proudly scored well during the national examinations with high marks and distinctions to be among the best schools in Malaysia. Both teachers and Mr Tan were proud of these achievements. Likewise, many of the students, long after leaving school,  fondly and affectionately keep in touch with their teachers as well as Mr Tan.

It is a warm testimony of the high standards the school had set, guided and nurtured by Mr Tan .

Chew Soon Keong (PFS 1961-67)

L to R – Standing: Tan Poh Hwa (PFS 1958-64, he won prizes and cricket colours that are noted in the Appendix of Dato’ Tan’s autobiography) 1958-64, Goh Suan Choo (Poh Hwa’s wife. Dato’ Tan’s sister taught her Maths in Form 2 in 1960 in SGGS and she was in PFS 1964-65), Chris (Poh Soon’s wife and a friend of Dato’ Tan’s wife, Datin Wong May Lian, in YWCA). Seated: Tan Boon Lin, Chew Poh Soon (PFS 1957-1963), Tan Gaik Cheng.

Dear Master Boon Lin and Gaik Cheng,


Thank you very much for taking the time and effort to meet us on Mon morning. We were all so happy to see Master so well and alert and enjoyed our visit very much.


Thank you also for the nice picture of our visit which we have circulated to old school friends. We received very favourable responses including from an old cricketing and tennis friend, Teoh Eng Saik, now 86 years old and in Singapore, who says that your dad taught him history in school and was also his scoutmaster in Pinhorn house. His brother is the late Teoh Chye Teik, also a good old friend, whom your Dad brought to school to teach and take over as coach of the school cricket team as mentioned by your dad in the book…on Pg 142 of your dad’s book. He succeeded Master Tan Boon Soon, one of my all time favourite teachers and the cricket coach who told me in Form 1 to concentrate on cricket instead of playing soccer (he was also the school soccer coach). So I did and played for school from Form 3 and captained the school side in ‘62 &’63. Master Boon Soon also inducted Zainudin Meah into the same school side then when in Form 1, probably never done before or after. He is mentioned in the book on pg 154 and became school cricket captain after me in ’64&’65.


Master Boon Soon was a school icon and his brother was Dr Tan Boon Beng, another Old Free sporting great. Dr Boon Beng stayed opposite the CRC and his sons, Seng Jin, Seng Guan, Seng Yeang, our Tan Poh Seng and other outstanding Old Free Tan Song Kean formed the Malaysian Combined Schools tennis team which beat the S’pore Combined School team in 1960.  They also played cricket in the school teams with me.


Poh Soon (PFS 1957-63)

Eng Saik is seated on front row on extreme left of picture and Zainuddin on his left shoulder. Poh Seng is standing at the top row between Eng Saik and Zainuddin in the dark shirt and sun glasses.

Loh Kok Cheang (PFS 1969 – 1975)

Dear Dato’ Tan,

I have heard about you since my school days, even though I didn’t have the chance to be under your guidance for I had entered PFS in 1969 after you had left the alma mater to take the Education Director post in Pahang. 

Your outstanding career as teacher, principal, education officer and Chief Inspector of Schools spanning more than 3 decades reflects your capabilities and the trust by your superiors in the Ministry of Education. The impact you made has touched the lives of countless students, staff, colleagues and society.  You are a leader par excellence and have always put priority to help the people around you achieve their potential. . To quote Lao Tzu, the ancient Chinese philosopher, “When the best leader’s work is done, the people said, we did it ourselves”. You have definitely made a difference to the world of education. 

Going through your well written autobiography made me realise I was always following in your  footsteps,  albeit decades later, as a “pegawai perkhidmatan pendidikan” – teacher, college lecturer, nazir and principal. The Penang Free School has instilled values such as pride, loyalty, sense of duty and perseverance in all things we do and this has helped me in my work as an educator.  I am forever grateful for being a “Free” and to luminaries like you for the selfless contributions to nation building. If we have succeeded, it is because we stood on the shoulders of giants. 

Thank you, Sir!

Yours respectfully,

Loh Kok Cheang

PFS (1969 – 1975)

Mazlan Ismail, Trustee PFS (PFS 1976-1980), presenting the book to Dato Seri Cheah Cheng Hye (PFS 1967-73).
Prof Dr Koh Chong Lek (PFS 1964-65 – Form 6).
Yong Boon Hun (PFS 1971-77) was the Hutchings Scholar at PFS in 1978.
Dato Sri Suriani bt Dato’ Ahmad, the Secretary General Ministry of Health (PFS 1986-87), receiving her copy of the book from Dr Timothy Cheng, grandson of Tan Boon Lin.
Khoo Goh Keat (PFS 1960-1966) with Dato’ Tan Boon Lin.
Ho Thih Guan (PFS 1960-1964)
Lai Yoon Kong (right) with his wife and Cheng Hwee Ming (husband of Dr Tan Gaik Cheng). Mr Lai was taught by Mr Wong Soon Cheang (Dato’ Tan Boon Lin’s father-in-law) at Anglo Chinese School Melaka in 1947-1948!
June Tan (PFS 1977-78), Granddaughter of Dato’ Tan Boon Lin’s uncle Tan Kean Soon, seen here with Dr Tan Gaik Cheng.
Signing my book for my nephew Alan Wong and his wife Lih Ling.
Khoo Soo Peng (PFS 1955-61) who came to buy a book for his brother-in-law, Lim Eam Khoon, whose mother is Tan Boon Lin’s Grand Aunt!

I have spent the weekend (slowly) going through all the photos in Dato’s wonderful book. The best is yet to come – l shall enjoy reading the text!! The book makes me feel proud of what this Old Free has accomplished. That he held leadership positions in everything he had undertaken is nothing short of remarkable. His philosophy of the PFS (appearing after Page 149) serves to remind us all of the kind of people we should be. His concluding paragraph of the letter to new pupils must have inspired many to achieve ‘great things’.

Warm regards.

Khoo Soo Peng

Kung Beng Hong (PFS 1958-64)
Left to Right back: Tan Poh Seng (PFS Head Boy 1964, National Tennis Player), and his brother Tan Poh Beng (PFS 1968-72), Tan Gaik Cheng, Left to Right front: Tan Boon Lin, and Poh Seng’s wife Vivian (PFS 1964-65)

I was the Head Prefect of PFS the year your dad became HM of PFS. The prefectorial board in 1964 had a wonderful working relationship and the greatest respect for your dad

Tan Poh Seng (PFS Head Boy 1964 and National Tennis Player) 

He was there when I entered Form 1A in 1968 as the top student in the impromptu entrance exams. 

He noticed my name and asked me as he was congratulating me 

“You are Poh Seng’s brother?”

I said, “Yes, the 1964 Head Boy”

He left PFS later that year to become Chief Education Officer in Pahang. 

I did well in impromptu exams and remember wishing he was still HM of PFS when I entered 4 Science One in 1971 as top student again.

Tan Poh Beng (PFS 1968-1972)

Jeevaraja Sandanam (PFS 1975-1981) ran into Dr Tan Gaik Cheng while he was buying a book at the OFA offices in Penang.
Nora Nasir is a longtime family friend. Her father, Nasir Zain was a friend and colleague who appears on page 209.
In 1976, I was the Penang Director of Education, overseeing the establishment of new teacher training colleges and Nasir Zain was the Principal of a Teacher’s Training College, Maktab Perguruan Harian Jalan Northam.
Mohd Shah Bachik was a member of the Federal Inspectorate of Schools from 1979-81, when Dato’ Tan Boon Lin was Chief Inspector of Schools.
Angie Lim is a longtime friend and her late husband was Soo Ewe Jin, (PFS 1972-78).

I was privileged to sit with the author and hear him recount highlights of this highly readable and inspiring account of his life and times. Dato’ Tan, you have our deepest gratitude for your dedication and selfless contributions in establishing the highest national education standards during the critical years after independence. My late husband Soo Ewe Jin, a Penang Free School alumnus, was grateful for legends like you who shaped his values. May your legacy live on for generations to come.

Angie Lim

Book Sale at Trinity Methodist Church, Petaling Jaya, 17 November 2024.

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