As a high-ranking government official who once studied at a Chinese primary school, Datuk Wria M Noor Azman Taib is strict and disciplined.

The Housing and Local Government Ministry secretary-general who joined the public service in 1996 maintains a similar approach when dealing with colleagues at work.

The four years spent at a Chinese primary school – SJKC Lam Min, Ayer Hitam, Kedah, provided him a diversified environment to grow up.

He is always reasonable and accommodating dealing with colleagues of different ethnic groups.

Few people knew about Noor Azman’s early education at a Chinese primary school, including the Minister of Housing and Local Government Nga Kor Ming, who only discovered it through casual conversation.

At the age of seven, Noor Azman was enrolled at Lam Min, a decision made by his father.

“Going to a Chinese primary school was not my choice; it was my father’s decision. I was only in Year One at that time and had no idea of choosing a school,” he said.

Noor Azman’s father was a grocery store owner in a rural area where most of the suppliers were Chinese.

Through frequent interactions with them, his father became fluent in Hokkien.

“My father’s Hokkien was so fluent that when he spoke, people sometimes mistook him for a Chinese man rather than a Malay.

“Although he never received a formal Chinese education, he had many close Chinese friends, and this helped him learn Hokkien,” he said.

Noor Azman was exposed to the Chinese culture and language from an early age.

“As a child, I often heard my father speak Hokkien with his friends. Hokkien is a common language of communication in Kedah.”

Because of this, Noor Azman’s father hoped that by sending his son to a Chinese primary school, he could master Mandarin, making it easier for the son to communicate with Chinese suppliers and help with the family business.

Noor Azman recalled that although Lam Min was quite far from his house, his father insisted on sending him there without complaint.

“The school was about 6 to 7 kilometres from my house. In the rural setting at that time, this was considered quite far compared to the national primary school, which was just a kilometre away,” he said.

Without a car, his father took him to school on a motorcycle every day, often stopping along the way to purchase supplies for his grocery store.

Noor Azman learned to be independent since young. In Year One he sometimes took the bus to school by himself.

“My father wanted me to build confidence, so he let me take the bus to school.

“I had to wake up at 5.30 am, wait for the bus at six and take the bus to school,” he recalled.

Unfortunately, Noor Azman’s father passed away when he was 10 years old.

Due to transportation difficulties, his family decided to transfer him to a national school closer to home so that he could walk to school.

Nevertheless, he remembered the emphasis Chinese primary schools placed on academics.

Teachers were strict to ensure that pupils completed their homework on time or they would be punished.

“The education I received in a Chinese school is an advantage because it enables me to understand better and accept different perspectives from various ethnic groups.

“There was a lot of homework in Chinese school. I remember staying up late to finish it.

“Since my parents couldn’t help me with Chinese subject, I had to figure it out myself. Sometimes, I even asked the ‘uncles’ who delivered supplies to my father’s shop for help,” he said.

The strict approach at Chinese school instilled in him a strong learning spirit and laid a solid foundation for his studies in future.

“The teachers were strict. Those who did not complete their homework or made mistakes in the homework would be caned.

“Such learning environment actually made me stronger,” he said.

Noor Azman still could remember being caned.

“It was very painful but I did not cry. I dared not tell my parents for fear I would be scolded by them,” he said.

Apart from being caned, he also recalled participating in a Chinese story-telling competition on behalf of his class.

It was a huge challenge – he had to memorise and recite a story in Mandarin in front of the audience.

“I remember being chosen in Year Three to compete. The hall was filled with parents and teachers. I stood on stage, telling a story about a tiger and a deer in Mandarin. In the end, I won second place,” he said.

Noor Azman made many Chinese friends. They went camping and hiking together, strengthening their friendships through extracurricular activities.

Even after so many years, he still keeps in touch with some of his Chinese classmates.

“In the Chinese school, I was ranked around 15th or 16th in my class of 30 students. But when I moved to the national school, I consistently ranked first in both mid-year and year-end exams,” he said.

He attributed this success to the strict education he had received at the Chinese school, which built a strong academic foundation and prepared him to excel in his studies.

“When I was in Year Four, I could speak Mandarin fluently. But after being transferred to a national primary school, I had fewer opportunities to use the language.

“Now I can only understand simple sentences. Losing my Mandarin skills is something I truly regret.

“If someone talks bad about me in Mandarin, I still can catch it though,” he quipped.

Having worked in the public sector for many years, Noor Azman has always maintained an open and inclusive attitude toward officials of different ethnic backgrounds.

“The education I received in a Chinese school is an advantage because it enables me to understand better and accept different perspectives from various ethnic groups.

“I have no issue working with officials from different backgrounds – it actually helps me understand them more easily.”

He mentioned that his younger brother has four children. His nephews and nieces speak Mandarin fluently, and sometimes he communicates with them in Mandarin as all of them study in a Chinese primary school.

“Besides English, wherever you go in the world, there will always be Mandarin-speaking communities,” he concluded.