Killerbatch visit to SCC HQ - the morning of 15 May 2009

The feeling was indescribable and dramatic. I don’t know if time stood still but it sure feels great standing there while all the press photographers set their camera flashes into frenzy towards us as we stood behind the Sabah Chief Minister

In the morning of 15 May 2009, the delegation from Killerbatch arrived at the Sabah Credit Corporation (SCC). The delegation headed by Taiko Raja Ali includes Cikgu Teh, Hasnan, Zamri, Meor, Megat, Azlan Yaakob and myself to witness the ground breaking ceremony of Asrama Donni. SCC being a partner in the project had welcomed us to visit their head office as well as took to task to make us feel at home during the 3-days visit to Sabah.

We were picked up from Hotel Imperial where we stayed at about 7.30 am and was driven to the SCC headquarters in Dongongon, some 20 minutes from Kota Kinabalu. Killers were first greeted by Salina, the assigned correspondence whom we previous known only via email. She appears to be a really pleasant lady with such sweet smile. She then took us inside the office where we were introduced to the management and staff of SCC. Our visit was actually set to coincide with the visit by the Chief Minister of Sabah to officiate the opening of SCC’s customer service centre. So the place was well decorated to receive the VIP for the occasion, and also to celebrate the month long Keamatan festival that falls this month. It appears that the staffs were very much aware of our visit and most of them were curious of the name Killerbatch and wondering how the “Killers” would look like. And so many conversations started with why the name and how it originated – which of course hit us real hard as it is a mystery even to us. Cikgu Teh had suggested that we come up with some story agreeable to all to relate the origin of the name.

Soon, the CM arrived and was greeted by management and staff and taken for a tour of the customer service centre. Then, the CM was about to be entertained by a choir group. The group comprised of employees of SCC from various departments. We were ushered to stand in front of the choir, with the CM a short distance to the left. As the men and women of the choir make their formation, they appeared relax and smiling towards us – we were unaware of their reputation and expect just a casual choir group. But as they sang their first line, we were awe-struck by the perfect rendition, complete with the high and low notes, all blended really well, they really caught us in stunned disbelieve. We didn’t know that the choir from SCC is actually state champions for three years in a row – no wonder. It was just awesome… then there was this Lady in blue.. but you will have to ask fellow Killers to tell that story at another time..

The VIP then proceeded for a presentation with the SCC Board with Raja Ali and Cikgu Teh invited in the boardroom as well. The rest of the Killers waited at the reading room just next door and were served light breakfast. So we chit chat and eat and laugh as Killers would as usual cracking jokes etc, oblivious to the fact that the people in the boardroom could hear us. Taiko had to SMS from next door to get us to shut. Sorry about that, we thought the walls were thick enough. But then again, thats what happens when a bunch of Killers congregate.

Some 30 minutes later, the moment we were waiting for had arrived. We were ushered first in a room where the cheque presentation ceremony was to take place. The display on the board reads “ From Kulim to Kiulu – cheque presentation of Asrama Donni SMK Tun Fuad Stephens – Witnessed by the Chief Minister of Sabah Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman – By Killerbatch MRSM Kulim and Sabah Credit Corporation. After a brief introduction of the project to the CM, Raja Ali was supposed to hand over the cheque to Datuk Vincent of SCC. The rest of the Killers were called onstage to stand behind the CM and witness the historic event. The feeling was indescribable and dramatic. I don’t know if time stood still but it sure feels great standing there while all the press photographers set their camera flashes into frenzy towards us as we stood behind the Sabah Chief Minister, Musa Aman as he witnessed Taiko Raja Ali handing over Killerbatch’s mock cheque to Sabah Credit Corporation (SCC) General Manager, Datuk Vincent Pung.

Raja Ali subsequently presented the CM with the Killerbatch 30th anniversary keychain and explained the features and the imprinted theme "From Kulim to Kiulu". Those were the moments all Killers should be proud of, the day the name Killerbatch gets its first media attention for taking up the challenge to contribute back to the society.

While the VIPs were taken for a tour of the SCC office, a group of journalists approached us to get more information about our delegation and the purpose of our visit. Like a seasoned politician, Taiko Raja Ali answered all questions convincingly but to the last question of why we were called Killerbatch – he quipped – "well you will have to ask that question our Cikgu Teh". So Cikgu Teh had to do the dirty job as usual and explained that from a teacher’s point of view which of course is full of positive stories about the public caning and the "liau", ,etc which amused the journalists and they really had a good laughed at it.

After luncheon and when the CM had left, Killers had the chance to chat with the SCC GM Datuk Vincent in the reading room for a while, as he had been busy attending to the VIP earlier on. It didn’t end there; we were again in for a pleasant surprise as Datuk Vincent had actually gathered his choir team once again to perform, but this time the Killerbatch as the guest of honor. So we were seated in the front row of the room, the choir presented us with three or four impressive rendition including my favorite song - Rasa Sayang Hey. All of the Killers there were absolutely delightful and we gave them thunderous applause in appreciation. True to the spirit of the Killerbatch, we were not about to let the choir team have it all without leaving our own marks. So someone decided that we should return the favor with our own rendition. Well, the only song that came to mind was our own Lagu Maktab.. so the Killers did that number whole heartedly. There are only seven of us, but the energy we absorbed from the choir’s earlier performances and the wonderful acoustics of the room helped echoed our voices and I think we put up an enviable performance in front of the state champion. Well.. luckily there were no judges, just some very supportive SCC staffs who clapped throughout and gave encouragement till the last line .. "Ke kuliah kita segera.. ! " Cikgu Teh who has been in the audience rushed to congratulate and hugged the Killers – and so did the wonderful staffs of SCC.

We then headed to the Masjid Bandaraya Likas for Friday prayer. A visit to the Istana Negeri to have an audience with the Tuan Yang Terutama Yang Dipertua Negeri Sabah was next in the schedule.