The Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) has an excellent array of teachers, the most well-known probably being the English writer Anthony Burgess; the doyen of Bahasa Malaysia Za'aba and historian cum big rugby enthusiast NJ Ryan.

DJ Muzaffar Tate belonged to this super-elite class, who filled the meaning of the word 'teacher' to its very brink. To many of his students, the man known fondly as Cikgu Tate was an incredible personality, never to be forgotten.

I was struck by a tinge of sadness when I read that Cikgu Tate had passed away. In my heart, I uttered a silent Muslim prayer, "We are from God, and to Him we return."

And yet, I have never been his pupil in the formal sense. He was a teacher in MCKK over 30 years before my time in the August institution. I was not a close acquaintance, but I can only thank God for letting our paths cross over the years.

My first acquaintance with the name was indeed in MCKK, but it was because we used his textbook for history. The textbook itself was nothing exceptional the usual Malaysian textbook that did not encourage the spirit of enquiry but rather emphasised the dour details and encouraged rote-learning.

Then I entered Kolej Matrikulasi Yayasan Saad (KMYS), the main preparatory institution for UK-bound students (largely consisting of scholarship recipients); Cikgu Tate was in its Board of Governors. He was there partly because of the strong MCKK influence in KMYS, but it was also because of his incredible intellectual integrity and ability.

I was elected as the student council president, and thus, in one event a teacher introduced me to Cikgu Tate. As I shook his hands, I remarked: "We used your textbook in MCKK."

His face registered little pleasure, and he choose to say, "Ah, that's all propaganda."

Outspoken personality

Those were the only words Cikgu Tate ever uttered to me. Yet, that one short sentence summed up what Cikgu Tate was, an individual whose love for his adopted land made him an unusual outspoken personality, who dared to call a spade, a spade. Indeed, a rare breed today.

His intellectual ability as well as his ties with MCKK had afforded him to be in many comfortable honorary positions; but Cikgu Tate did not slide into being a mere sycophant. Too many people will do anything for someone in power, but not many will do anything for a friend in need.

Cikgu Tate was different. When one of his MCKK students, Anwar Ibrahim experienced a tragic coup de grace , Cikgu Tate, already in his late 60s, could have taken the easy route of doing nothing, or expressing muted sympathy. He did much more than that, and became an active writer and participant of the reformasi movement.

His columns in Berita Keadilan invoked parallels in history and compared it with the current flux (including comparing former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad with the Austrian imperial authoritarian leader Metternich).

He became a major intellectual inspiration to my own fledgling contribution to the newspaper. He attended many reformasi gatherings and the demonstrations at Anwar's trial, not only in the heydays of 1998 and 1999, but to the very end of his life.

Writing in Aliran about the birth of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, Cikgu Tate, the old historian and teacher was all enthusiastic and hopeful of the young entity: "The merger offers hope that new life will be given to the spirit of reformasi. Both these parties are quintessentially parties based on political principle, not sectarian interests. They both stand first and foremost for a genuinely democratic society based on social justice."

We were also involved, in one way or another, with the MCKK Centenary Celebrations Archiving, Book and Documentation (ABAD) Committee. Cikgu Tate was supposed to play a big role in a book set to be published in 2005 along with Rehman Rashid; whereas I am responsible for the website.

Rare breed

Cikgu Tate has always been in love with the school he taught (he also taught at Anderson School, Ipoh) and it is indeed unfortunate that this man who played such a role to so many MCKK boys did not live long enough to witness MCKK's Centenary Anniversary next year.

Nevertheless, he had lived his life along MCKK's motto: Fiat Sapientia Virtus Manliness Through Wisdom.

The world is filled with scholars and activists. But what the world lacks is a combination of both, one who thinks, speaks and then puts actions to his thought and speech; an individual willing to risk it all and swim against the tide for an ideal. Muzaffar Tate became a giant because he was that rare breed of individual.

I remember meeting PAS Tumpat MP Kamarudin Jaffar in his office. On his wall, among the School of Oriental and African Studies (also the alma mater of Cikgu Tate) and University of Kent at Canterbury was his MCKK testimonial. He remarked to me proudly, "It was signed by Cikgu Tate." Cikgu Tate's name is a symbol of integrity and respect.

Al-Fatihah to you, Cikgu Tate. I was three decades too late for you in MCKK, but you have been an incredible influence and role model in so many ways for your love not only in that August institution of ours, but more importantly for your commitment to our country as a whole.

Your undying love for Malaysia far surpassed many of us born and bred here. I pray that I can witness your dreams and aspirations become a reality in my lifetime, Insha Allah.

NIK NAZMI NIK AHMAD is currently reading law at King's College London. His political side landed him a column in Berita Keadilan and his love for his alma mater made him a columnist at Berita MCOBA. He would like to dedicate his gratitude and utmost appreciation to his own super breed of teachers who had taught him all these years.