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Chung Ling High School
Information
Type	Secondary school
Motto	Chinese: 吾爱吾锺灵 (I Cherish My Chung Ling)
Established	9 February 1917 (9 February 1917)
Director	Koay Hean Eng
Principal	Na Lean Hong Ng Jooi Seah Aye Choy
Gender	Boys and mixed
Enrollment	5,840 (2023–2024)
Classes	81 (2020)
Campuses	Air Itam (public, private) Butterworth
Colour(s)	Dark-blue and ochre
Song	The School Anthem of Chung Ling High School by Wang Qiyu
Rivals	Penang Chinese Girls' High School Jit Sin High School

Chung Ling High School is a secondary school in Penang, Malaysia. Established in 1917 as a primary school, it is the oldest surviving Chinese high school in Malaysia, with secondary courses introduced in 1923. In 1956, it became the first Chinese public school in Malaysia. The school is famous for its distinct prestige and importance in the development of Chinese politics and education in the Malay Peninsular, and has educated numerous important Chinese leaders in Malaysia and Singapore.

The school has three campuses: two public and one private. Although the campuses are considered separate schools, they are administered by a single board. The private campus is ranked as among the five best private schools in the country, while the two public campuses are designated as Cluster Schools of Excellence by the Ministry of Education. As of 2024, the three campuses have a combined enrollment of 5,840 .

Historically, Chung Ling was notable for its all-male enrollment, which is currently retained in only one campus. Its curriculum was adopted as the national standard for Chinese schools throughout Malaya until the 1950s. In 1967, it became the first Chinese school to introduce pre-university courses in Malaysia. The school is notable for its longstanding affiliation and rivalry with the Penang Chinese Girls' High School and Jit Sin High School.

Naming

The name of the school, Chung Ling, has been defined by late Principal David Chen, as follows:

"The school has adopted the name Chung Ling, but what is the rationale behind it? It appears that most students are unaware of the reason. On one occasion I came across an article, in the Hu Zhou, Zhe-jiang Newspaper, of which its description on the region seems to be appropriate for the purpose of defining the name of our school. It reads:

“The scenery of the surroundings of Huzhou, Zhejiang, is picturesque, and it demonstrates a very desirable aura, which explains the phenomenon where the area is the origin to a great number of talents. According to an unofficial census, fourteen Central Councillors came from that area, a truly astounding figure. This amply demonstrates the aura and the availability of talent in that area.”

We could thus infer that a concentration of desirable aura (Chung has another meaning of ‘concentration’, and the saying ‘a concentration of aura encourages the emergence of talents’ is referring to the consequences of the concentration of aura.) may lead to the availability of a pool of talents, and the concerned area will naturally attract a lot of attention across the country.

Penang has enthusiastically been given the sobriquet "Pearl of the Orient," and, as we embraced this piece of land, we have obtained the privileged combination of a desirable ambiance, a strategic location and the unity of the people. If the students studying under such an auspicious condition could not make full use of their advantage and study hard, how could possibly they benefit from the desirable aura? Is not that such idleness hampers the process of developing talents and bring pride to the country? In view of this, the adoption of the name "Chung Ling" suggested an extremely strong hope on the future [of the students]. Of course, our school is not a nursery of Central Councillors, but it is not our objective to limit ourselves to producing a limited group of privileged class. Our mission is to educate each and every one of our students to become useful citizens, so as to form a backbone of the driving force that enables us to compete alongside the great powers.

There is a depth of meaning behind the adoption of a bell as our crest. It is hoped that, analogous to the propagation of the ring of a bell, one could enlighten himself as well as the world; if an enlightenment of such a scale is impossible for one, he should at least enlighten his community. Everyone should adopt the noble vision of "Nation and Community above all", and step forward in unity. If everyone could embrace the vision, how possibly could an enemy be successful in weakening us?

I really hope that by interpreting the name and crest of our school, our students could build themselves a solid foundation, and not to deviate from the above-mentioned principles!"

History

Background

Sun Yat Sen, leader of the Tongmenghui and later the Republic of China.

In the early 20th century, Penang received a large influx of Chinese immigrants due to political upheavals in Mainland China. This influx indirectly contributed to a rise of Chinese political movements in George Town. In December 1908, Sun Yat Sen and 29 Penang Tongmenghui members formed the Penang Philomathic Union at his residence at 404 Dato Keramat Road, serving as a branch of the Tongmenghui in Southeast Asia. The city's political importance was soon elevated when it housed the headquarters of the Malayan Tongmenghui between 1909 to 1911.

Chinese education in Penang, despite having establishments as early as 1819, was seen as undeveloped and outdated by the early 20th century, in contrast to established English institutions such as the Penang Free School (1816), St. Xavier's Institution (1852), and Anglo-Chinese School (1891). Reforming and expanding the reach of Chinese education, among the views of local educators and prominent social figures, was seen as a major step to improve the life standards and literacy rates of the Chinese diaspora. Newly formed Chinese pro-revolutionary institutions adopted the Three Principles of the People as the basis of their teachings for local support, both morally and financially. However, royalist sentiment was still sympathized by a large proportion of the Chinese diaspora prior to the Xinhai Revolution.

In 1904, Cheong Fatt Tze established the Chung Hwa School in Penang. It was the first modern Chinese school in Southeast Asia, adopting Vernacular Chinese as the standard curriculum. In the following two decades, Malaya witnessed a massive surge in new primary and secondary schools for the Chinese. In February 1919, Tye Siok Guan, with endowment from Tye Kee Yoon, founded the first Chinese high school in Malaya, the Penang Chinese High School, at the Ping Zhang Chamber in Penang. On 21 March 1919, Tan Kah Kee established the first Chinese high school in Singapore, The Chinese High School. However, Tye Kee Yoon's death in May 1919 struck a major blow to the operations of the Penang Chinese High School, and the school folded in 1921.

Establishment

The campus at 65 Macalister Road, c. 1918 – c. 1921.

Plans for a Tongmenghui-funded Chinese institution in Penang appeared as early as 1908. In 1915, five members of the Philomathic Union – Tan Sin Cheng, Lim Joo Teik, Khoo Beng Cheang, Khaw Seng Lee, and Chee Yeong It, began efforts to organize the creation of a privately funded primary school. Eventually, it was named Chung Ling School, a name provided by Chee.

Chung Ling School began operations on 9 February 1917 at the second floor of 16 Malay Street, a shophouse owned by the Philomathic Union. Lim Joo Teik and Chee Yeong It was elected as the first chairman and deputy chairman of the Board of Governors respectively. Goh Ah Long, an immigrated teacher from Fujian was appointed as principal. He was a prolific author and member of the Tongmenghui, and during his tenure assumed the role of managing director of Kwong Wah Daily. Throughout the year, the school had 81 students with three teachers, in a school building described as "small and crowded".

The issue worsened when there were 130 students in the following year, provoking calls for the school to move to larger premises by visiting scholars. In June 1918, the Philomathic Union, with the aid of large donations, purchased 65 Macalister Road at 20,000 Straits dollars as their new headquarters. The school and teacher's dormitories occupied the second floor. By 1919, there were 170 students.

In January 1921, Ong Choon Chong replaced Goh as principal. He created the first school motto: Justice, Honesty, Tireless, Sparing, four Chinese characters that were carved on a piece of wood hung on the school. Ong, along with the school's teachers, mass-resigned in late-1921 or January 1922 to protest against the controversial Education Ordnance of 1920, which forced all Chinese schools in Malaya to register under the British colonial authorities to counter rising radicalism in schools after the May Fourth Movement in China. In January 1922, to comply with new regulations, the Board of Governors abolished the position of principal and appointed Wong Kee Au as headmaster.

Transition into a secondary school

Talks of expanding Chung Ling into a high school began as early as 15 December 1920, when Tan Sin Cheng proposed in a newspaper article to convert Chung Ling into a middle-school. The decision for the school to offer secondary courses was finalised in a meeting on 11 November 1922. The effort was supported by Tye Kee Yoon, who donated the bulk of equipment and books from the defunct Penang Chinese High School.

The first junior high graduates, c. October 1925.

On 20 January 1923, Chung Ling High School commenced its courses. Ko In Beng, a graduate of Fudan and a former teacher at Pudong High School was appointed as the first joint headmaster of the primary and secondary departments. As a poet and English translator of the Straits government, Ko was notable for introducing English classes in the school, and adopted a mixed English-Chinese curriculum that is still widely implemented in the school today.

In a 1924 report, Chung Ling had 182 students and 9 teachers in five different grades, from two years of pre-secondary to three years of lower-secondary school. The tuition fees were 2.50 yuan for pre-secondary courses and 4.00 yuan for lower-secondary courses. Ten percent of all students were exempted from payment, while entrance exams were paid in full by the Board of Governors. New expansions that year included two buildings east of 65 Macalister Street, donated by the trustee of Phuah Hin Leong.

In October 1926, the school published its first annual. In May 1927, Ko resigned from poor health, and was replaced by Tang Tong How, who resigned in February 1929 to return to China. He was replaced by Ooi Cheow Cheng, the founder and headmaster of the Haimen Middle School in Jiangsu. During his tenure, the campus underwent some extensions aided by the school's alumni association and the Board of Governors. Ooi resigned in June 1931 to return to China.

1930s

David Chen, c. 1948.

The 1930s marked a "golden period" where the school garnered prestige as a well established Chinese high school, partially due to its unique bilingual curriculums introduced since 1924. The reputation attracted foreign students across Asia, especially Siam, the Dutch East Indies, and Singapore. In May 1935, Chung Ling introduced upper-secondary courses, becoming the first Chinese institution in Malaya to provide uninterrupted primary to secondary education.

On 18 July 1931, David Chen replaced Ooi Cheow Cheng as headmaster. In 1932, the campus was expanded again with funding from the local government. Multiple buildings west of the campus were purchased and converted into a library and multiple laboratories. However, the extensions were insufficient to cope with demand, and in 1933 it was decided that a new campus should be constructed in a different location. An 11 acres (4.5 hectares) plot of land near Kampung Ayer Itam was acquired for the construction, which commenced on 10 October 1934 with a stone-laying ceremony hosted by Khoo Beng Cheang, in conjunction with the National Day of the Republic of China. The cost of the construction was estimated to be 300,000 Straits dollars.

The campus during the 3rd Malayan Chinese Athletic Meet, 2 August 1935.

The new campus featured a grand central hall, 20 classrooms, administrative and teaching offices, dormitories, dedicated badminton and basketball courts, and a 400 metres (1,300 feet) athletic track. The athletic track was the first of its kind in Malaya, and was first used in August 1935 for track-and-field events of the 3rd Malayan Chinese Athletic Meet of the Philomathic Union. On 2 October 1935, the school's staff moved into the new campus, while classes began on 7 October. By 1936, the school had 939 students with 53 teachers.

In 1937, David Chen revised the school's motto and established the "Ten Commandments", which remains as the secondary motto of the school. In 1938, the first batch of upper secondary students graduated from the school.

Second World War

Lim Hooi Seong, c. 1930s.

By the late-1930s, events in China during the Second Sino-Japanese War provoked students and teachers to contribute to the war effort. In September 1939, David Chen resigned to Kunming to serve as general director of the Kunming National Zhong Zheng School of Medicine. He was replaced by Lim Hooi Seong, an anthropologist and teacher in Singapore. In late–1939, the school launched a nationwide donation campaign across Malaya for winter clothing for the war effort.

In late-1940, local authorities acquired the Ayer Itam campus to convert the building into a makeshift military hospital. As a result, after 9 September 1940, classes were held at a temporary campus at 41 Northam Road. In October 1941, Lim was fired by the Board of Governors for unspecified reasons. He would come to accuse the pro-Kuomintang administration for firing him for political sympathies to the Chinese Communist Party. Other explanations include Lim's refusal to expel 10 students suspected to be communists, which angered the board. The board reinstated David Chen as headmaster, who returned to Penang following an emergency concession by the Chinese government.

The temporary campus at 41 Northam Road. c. late-1940.

On 8 December 1941, the Japanese invasion of Malaya began at Kelantan. Classes were cancelled the same day. On 11 December, a special staff meeting was conveyed to discuss providing advance allowances for all staff, but were broke up when George Town was bombed by Japanese aircraft. On 17 December, a large quantity of school documents were burnt by the Old Boys Association to prevent them from falling into Japanese control.

Following the fall of Penang, all high school equipment were confiscated, looted or destroyed by the Japanese authorities. The Ayer Itam campus was repurposed as a Japanese school and military training centre, and after Allied bombings in 1945 destroyed the Government Offices, the campus became the administrative complex of the George Town municipality.

The authorities suspected Chung Ling of being a communist cell, and in several instances were able to uncover caches of anti-Japanese literature from the Northam Road campus. Fearing reprisals, the school's staff went into exile in China or into hiding. David Chen, who was wanted by authorities, hid as a vegetable farmer in the jungles of the Cameron Highlands. Attempts were made to facilitate clandestine rescue operations of teachers and students under Goh Say Eng, but were never carried out. Some students fled into the jungles and joined the Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army or Force 136.

Sook Ching reached Penang in April 1942, and on 5 to 7 April, with the help of two informants, the Kempeitai arrested 10 teachers and hundreds of students. Some students were arrested in Kedah, Singapore, Perlis, and Pahang. The arrested were imprisoned and interrogated in Penang Prison, and were released in July 1942. A 1947 report produced 54 names of those who were killed; eight teachers and 46 students, of whom three were killed during the fall of Penang in December 1941, and the rest died from imprisonment or were executed in 1942 to 1943.

Post-war recovery and the Malayan Emergency

The campus, 1948.

On 23 September 1945, preparations to resume classes began with David Chen and 7 surviving school staff. Classes resumed on 10 December 1945 with 847 students and 45 teachers. By August 1946, there were 1,323 students, including students from the Dutch East Indies and Burma. In February 1948, there were 1,334 students.

The unexpected uptick of students led to a major shortage in equipment and classrooms. In 1948, two new campus buildings with 16 classrooms were constructed. In May 1950, a new school hall with a capacity of 2,000 people was inaugurated, and renamed Huai Ze Hall after a local organisation who spearheaded the construction. It was the largest school hall in the country at the time, costing 250,000 Malayan dollars.

In 1951, as Malayan authorities began drafting a national education syllabus, the school was frequently referred as a representation from the Chinese community. Wu Teh Yao and William P. Fenn, draftees of the Fenn-Wu Report, visited the school on 15 to 17 March 1951. On 26 May 1951, on behalf of the Barnes Report, the school was visited by E.E.C Thuraisingham, Minister of Education of the Communities Liaison Committee and L.D. Whitfield, the chairman of the report. In the end, the school would come to oppose the Barnes Report, and endorsed the Fenn-Wu Report.

Communist infiltration

During the Malayan Emergency, Chung Ling was notorious for its highly political nature as a proxy between the nationalists and communists. The school's administration was aligned towards the KMT, to the point it led to accusations of them running a party school. Before 1948, it was standard practice for the school yearbook to include portraits of Chiang Kai Shek, Sun Yat Sen, and the anthem and flags of the Republic of China. As a result, the school was often targeted by Malayan Communist Party (CPM) members in the early-1950s, who infiltrated classrooms with student informants, and carried out several assassinations of academic staff.

On 20 September 1949, Boey Eng Eng, a retired senior teacher and a prominent leader of the pro-KMT Malayan Chinese Association was shot dead at his residence by an unknown youth. On 18 March 1950, local police uncovered 17,200 pro-communist pamphlets titled Truth in the school, and were meant for distribution in classrooms. On 22 June 1950, a student was sentenced to prison after police found CPM documents and communist newspapers at his home. On 27 January 1951, communist posters written in Chinese, were found in the school's dormitories and classrooms, leading to interrogations of teachers and students by authorities. On 10 February 1951, more pamphlets were found in the school which were handed over to police.

Chan Chong Yuk, c. early-1950s (left), and David Chen, c. 1952.

On 21 October 1951, Chan Chong Yuk, the school's dean, was shot dead on his trishaw near Kampung Kolam by communist snipers. Communist pamphlets distributed in the school's classrooms afterwards accused Chan of being a "covert KMT agent". On 4 February 1952, David Chen was assassinated in his car at a junction at Macalister Road. A grand funeral was held at the school hall on 7 February 1952, attended by over 4,000 students. Wang Yoong Nien, the school's dean, was appointed headmaster pro tempore on 1 June 1952.

On 6 February 1953, Cheah Cheng Teik, a 19-year-old student was shot and killed by unknown assailants during his transit to school. His death was attributed to his conflict with other members in an underground communist organisation.

Nationalisation

Wang Yoong Nien, c. 1947–1948.

A new school hostel complex, with 250 beds and a dining hall, was inaugurated on 30 May 1953. The central atrium of the campus was extended in 1954–1955 to form a six-storey clock tower. In 1955, 16 semi-detached houses were built behind the campus as dormitories for the staff, while the primary school department disbanded that year.

Throughout 1954 to 1955, the Malayan government encouraged the nationalisation of private vernacular schools. Due to opposition of a Malay-dominated national education syllabus, these schools were pressured by the Chinese and Indian diaspora, especially the Dong Zong to remain private. However, on 3 July 1955, citing financial struggles of a yearly deficit of 60,000 Malayan dollars, the Board of Directors accepted the federal government's offer to nationalise the school. The decision made Chung Ling the first public vernacular school in Malaya.

Wang Yoong Nien announced the decision on 6 July, and was received with widespread condemnation among the students and the Chinese community, especially among other private vernacular schools across Malaya. Wang promised the students that no changes would be made to the curriculum, a promise not taken seriously by the students. A student led school meeting was reluctantly approved and held on 7 July, where the students conducted an opinion poll on the issue. On 9 July, the administrator, Ong Keng Seng, admitted that the school negotiated with the government on nationalisation since 1953. On 14 July 1955, inspired by the events in Chung Ling, 800 students from Han Chiang High School launched a student strike against their headmaster, but was called off through negotiations with Lim Lean Teng. On 18 July, a student led demonstration occurred at the school hall, demanding the school board to revert their decision. Wang and Ye Chih Yen, the school dean, attempted to mediate the situation with no avail.

On 20 July 1955, a committee of 13 students drafted a memorandum rejecting the school board's decision, highlighting that Chung Ling's nationalisation did not pursue equal status compared to other English schools, and proposed to raise tuition fees as an alternative to resolve the financial deficit. The memorandum was approved overwhelmingly in a student-led referendum, and was submitted to the federal government for review.

During the early hours of 12 August 1955, 12 students from three schools were arrested and detained by the police for "removing communist infiltration from Chinese schools". All arrested students were accused of being communists, an allegation denied by the students. Seven students were from Chung Ling, and were nicknamed the "Chung Ling seven". A student strike of 1,400 students occurred the next morning, who refused to participate in examinations scheduled for the day. Simultaneously, student protests broke in Singapore for similar reasons. Fearful of copycat strikes, the Malayan government issued a nationwide ban on student gatherings, and threatened Chinese students that participation would "permanently damage interests of vernacular education in the Alliance government".

On 17 August 1955, an appeal demanding the release of all detainees was sent to Tunku Abdul Rahman by students and the Penang Alliance Party. On 20 August, all 12 detainees were released. Five boarding students were permanently exiled from Penang.

In May 1956, the Razak Report was formally published. Within the articles of the report, Chinese schools were to be incorporated into the national curriculum as "National-type schools", where the curriculum will be conducted in English instead of Chinese. The government aimed at using federal aid as a measure to lure the interests of the Chinese schools to integrate themselves into the newly implemented policies by the Razak Report. The school was officially designated as a National-type school on 30 June 1956. In August 1956, the federal government introduced a nationwide program that required parents to register their children for education. The move was responded by a fierce campaign by the Dong Zong, under the leadership of Lim Lean Teng, to promote Chinese and Indian parents to register their children in vernacular schools.

On 2 November 1956, the 41st issue of Xuebao, a student-edited publication, was found to contain elements that satirized the school's policy on nationalization. No consultations were made by the editors with Yeh Chih Yen, the advisor for the publication. The president, Yang Songbiao, was sacked from his position and expelled from the school, whereas the head editor, Chen Yuansong, was given two demerits by the school. On 8 November, Prefect Ye Longxin begged the headmaster to not expel Yang. Ye was immediately expelled and detained by the police. On 23 November 1956, students began a demonstration at the Huai-ze Hall, protesting against Ye and Yang's expulsion. On the evening, riot police entered the hall and clashed with the demonstrators. Fights ensued, but the hall was cleared moments after. The school was ordered to close for 3 weeks under the orders of the federal government. 402 board students were expelled from their hostels, becoming homeless overnight. The federal government bypassed the school's authority, resulting in the forceful expulsion of 88 students and the sacking of two teachers.

This act permanently damaged relations between the administrators of the school and the Chinese education community. Wang was accused as a traitor and was given the nickname "Buffalo Wang" (Wang Shui Niu, Chinese: 王水牛) for his involvement in the forceful expulsion of his students.

Post independence

The modern laboratories, auditorium, music room and canteen which in aggregate cost over 300,000 ringgit, were opened on 11 March 1962, by the Education Minister. A modern living skills workshop complex, completed at a cost of 200,000 ringgit, was opened by Mr Loh Boon Siew on 22 June 1968. The Sixth Form Block was completed on 14 August 1971, and was opened by Mr Cheah Phee Cheok. An indoor multi-purpose volleyball, badminton and basketball court was added to Huai Ze Hall in April 1977.

A room dedicated to the learning of technology, a collaboration between the school and Intel Malaysia, was opened on 19 August 1987. Such a facility and the collaboration in setting it up was the first in the country. Under the sponsorship of Kwong Wah Yit Poh, the school upgraded its electronic administration system into a local-area network in 1991 to increase the administrative efficiency of the school. The library received an upgrade in July 1993 and was air-conditioned. In addition, an alumni database and electronic network was set up to facilitate communications between alumni worldwide. The school set up its website in March 1996, and the library acquired Internet connections. In February 1997, the offices of teachers and staff, the staff lounge and the exercise room were renovated and air-conditioned.

The school launched a major expansion from 1997. The single-storey classrooms near David Chen Garden were demolished in June 1996. Replacing it were a four-storey building containing 24 classrooms, completed in October 1998. Similar arrangements were employed for the old classrooms on the other side of the school, of which the demolition works started in December 1998 and the new building was completed on late 1999.

Formation of the Private and Butterworth sisters

In 1961, Chung Ling (Private) High School was formed to take in those students who wished to receive their education totally in their mother tongue.

In 1986, Chung Ling High School Butterworth Branch was opened. It was later renamed Chung Ling Butterworth High School to reflect its independent identity. Together with the Private School, the three Chung Lings became known as Tri-Chung Ling High Schools which share a Board of Governors but are essentially three independent schools.

Changes in curriculum

The Education Minister, his deputy and alumnus Michael Chen inspected the school on 8 April 1966, when the Minister announced that the school would commence pre-university course the next year. The course commenced 16 January 1967, enrolling 36 students, of which five were women. It was the first time that the school had enrolled women students.

The school included extracurricular activities as one of the weighted subjects on 1 January 1989.

Development

The school celebrated its 50th anniversary on 25 August 1967, and held the third Annual Alumni Revisiting Day on the occasion. A diamond-jubilee celebration of the establishment of the school was held from 19–20 June 1992. The event concurred with the 10th Annual Alumni Revisiting Day. The school held two major events three years later. The first was the first Tri-Chung Ling High Schools Joint Sports Carnival, held on 15 August. On the same day, a memorial service was held in memoriam of the teachers and students died during the Second World War.

Wang Yoong Nien retired as principal in December 1970. His position was occupied by Yeap Eng Hoe, who taught pre-university mathematics. Yeap Eng Hoe retired as principal on 14 September 1998. He had served Chung Ling for 29 years, and had been a principal for 27 years. He was succeeded by Teh Kwan Like.

2000s

Apart from the two new buildings mentioned above, two new basketball fields, adjacent to each other, was built in 1999. A new clock tower, sponsored by Datuk Lim Siak Yu, was added in 2000. Other works include the completion of an amphitheatre, a guard house, covered walkways, landscaping projects, upgrade of old classrooms and air-conditioning systems of the library. The clock tower complex was renovated, with the teachers’ offices modified into administrative offices, the gerko center renovated into guests’ rooms, re-partition of office on the first floor and addition of a meeting room. A dental treatment room was added in 2001.

A memorial service was held for Principal David Chen on 4 February 2002, fifty years after his assassination, to show appreciation of his efforts to improve Chinese education and the school. Among those attending were board of directors of the Tri-Chung Ling High Schools, representatives of the Parent-Teachers Association, alumni worldwide, the Chen family, teachers and students of the Tri-Chung Lings and volunteers of Chinese education. The group was led by Datuk Oo Jooi Tee, the Chairman of the Memorial Service Committee, to pay respects to Principal Chen at his resting place at Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah (Northam Road), Penang.

2010 Penang dragon boat tragedy

Main article: 2010 Penang dragon boat tragedy

On 17 January 2010, the school's dragon boat team capsized during practice, having collided with a tugboat amid strong currents. The tragedy claimed six lives in total. Among the dead were coach and school teacher Chin Aik Siang and students Jason Ch'ng, Brendon Yeoh, Goh Yi Zhang, Wang Yong Xiang and Chiah Zi Jun.

The school

With over 90% of its students studying in the Science Stream, Chung Ling High School conforms to the government policy of 60–40. The 60-40 Policy encourages students to focus on the study of science (Science Stream/Curriculum) as compared to the study of art or commerce (Art/Business Streams/Curricula) to the ratio of 60:40.

The school enrols approximately 2,200 students as of 2019. The students are being served by over 160 academic and non-academic staff.

School identities

The school shares its name, logo, flag, anthem, and the Ten Commandments with Chung Ling Butterworth High School and Chung Ling Private High School.

Anthem

The school anthem, titled School Anthem of Chung Ling High School (鍾靈中學校歌) was originally written by Wang Qiyu (1880–1939), a teacher of the school. The melody of the tune is set to Annie Lisle, which was adopted as the standard melody for over 200 school anthems, most notably Cornell University, Soochow University and Hwa Chong Institution.

Current version

Simplified Chinese 槟屿屹屹，华裔林林，何以进文明？ 廿一世纪，学术竞争，岂敢后他人！ 交流文化，咀华含英，亲爱作新民。 努力创造，奋志前程，吾爱吾钟灵！ 宏舍矗立，嘉木成荫，时闻弦诵声。 秩秩信条，煌煌校训，在实践躬行！ 交流文化，咀华含英，亲爱作新民。 努力创造，奋志前程，吾爱吾钟灵！ Pinyin Bīn yǔ yì yì, huáyì lín lín, héyǐ jìn wénmíng? niàn yī shìjì, xuéshù jìngzhēng, qǐgǎn hòu tārén! Jiāoliú wénhuà, jǔ huá hán yīng, qīn'ài zuò xīnmín. Nǔlì chuàngzào, fèn zhì qiánchéng, wú ài wú zhōnglíng! Hóng shě chùlì, jiāmù chéng yīn, shí wén xián sòng shēng. Zhì zhì xìntiáo, huánghuáng xiàoxùn, zài shíjiàn gōngxíng! Jiāoliú wénhuà, jǔ huá hán yīng, qīn'ài zuò xīnmín. Nǔlì chuàngzào, fèn zhì qiánchéng, wú ài wú zhōnglíng! Traditional Chinese 檳嶼屹屹，華裔林林，何以進文明？ 廿一世紀，學術競爭，豈敢後他人！ 交流文化，咀華含英，親愛作新民。 努力創造，奮志前程，吾愛吾鍾靈！ 宏舍矗立，嘉木成蔭，時聞弦誦聲。 秩秩信條，煌煌校訓，在實踐躬行！ 交流文化，咀華含英，親愛作新民。 努力創造，奮志前程，吾愛吾鍾靈！ Bopomofo ㄅㄧㄣ ㄩˇ ㄧˋ ㄧˋ ， ㄏㄨㄚˊ ㄧˋ ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄌㄧㄣˊ ， ㄏㄜˊ ㄧˇ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄨㄣˊ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ？  ㄋㄧㄢˋ ㄧ ㄕˋ ㄐㄧˋ ， ㄒㄩㄝˊ ㄕㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄥˋ ㄓㄥ ， ㄑㄧˇ ㄍㄢˇ ㄏㄡˋ ㄊㄚ ㄖㄣˊ ！  ㄐㄧㄠ ㄌㄧㄡˊ ㄨㄣˊ ㄏㄨㄚˋ ， ㄐㄩˇ ㄏㄨㄚˊ ㄏㄢˊ ㄧㄥ ， ㄑㄧㄣ ㄞˋ ㄗㄨㄛˋ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄇㄧㄣˊ 。  ㄋㄨˇ ㄌㄧˋ ㄔㄨㄤˋ ㄗㄠˋ ， ㄈㄣˋ ㄓˋ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄔㄥˊ ， ㄨˊ ㄞˋ ㄨˊ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄌㄧㄥˊ ！    ㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄕㄜˇ ㄔㄨˋ ㄌㄧˋ ， ㄐㄧㄚ ㄇㄨˋ ㄔㄥˊ ㄧㄣ ， ㄕˊ ㄨㄣˊ ㄒㄧㄢˊ ㄙㄨㄥˋ ㄕㄥ 。  ㄓˋ ㄓˋ ㄒㄧㄣˋ ㄊㄧㄠˊ ， ㄏㄨㄤˊ ㄏㄨㄤˊ ㄒㄧㄠˋ ㄒㄩㄣˋ ， ㄗㄞˋ ㄕˊ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ！  ㄐㄧㄠ ㄌㄧㄡˊ ㄨㄣˊ ㄏㄨㄚˋ ， ㄐㄩˇ ㄏㄨㄚˊ ㄏㄢˊ ㄧㄥ ， ㄑㄧㄣ ㄞˋ ㄗㄨㄛˋ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄇㄧㄣˊ 。  ㄋㄨˇ ㄌㄧˋ ㄔㄨㄤˋ ㄗㄠˋ ， ㄈㄣˋ ㄓˋ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄔㄥˊ ， ㄨˊ ㄞˋ ㄨˊ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄌㄧㄥˊ ！ –School Anthem of Chung Ling High School (Chinese: 鍾靈中學校歌)

Translation

On the island of Penang, the Chinese people abounds, how do we improve our civility?
In this 21st century, where we compete our academics, we dare not to fall behind others!
The interactions of cultures, the importance of language, our care for family and country.
We work hard in the creation, of a great and shining future, as we love our Chung Ling!
 
Standing firm on our roots, shielded by great intellects, listening to the tunes of wonder.
From the Ten Commandments, and the glorious laws of code, we shall practice in person!
The interactions of cultures, the importance of language, our care for family and country.
We work hard in the creation, of a great and shining future, as we love our Chung Ling!

The present lyrics were modified twice: the first in 1962 when the 3rd and 7th lines of the lyrics (where it exemplified the Three Principles of the People) were replaced with alternate transcriptions, and the latter in 2000 when the 2nd line of the lyrics were changed to fit the then newly arrived 21st century.

Ten Commandments of Chung Ling

一，锺灵中学的学生是纪律化的 : 他遇事镇静，有判断能力，绝对服从真理，处处顾到秩序。

二，锺灵中学的学生是尊重的 : 他言行不苟，尊重父母、师长、和团体的领袖。

三，锺灵中学的学生是忠诚的 : 他处世以诚，不说一句谎话，或做一件欺骗的事情，受了人家的嘱托，肯负责去做。他看学校如自己的家庭，事事物物，无不竭诚爱护。

四，锺灵中学的学生是勤俭的 : 他勤于学业，刻苦耐劳，不浪费时间，并能充份利用他的机会。他节省费用，乐以助济他人，或达到他个人有价值的目的。

五，锺灵中学的学生是谦恭的 : 他以礼待人，态度谦逊，出言和善，对于妇孺老弱，更知爱护，且有相当敬意。

六，锺灵中学的学生是勇敢的 : 他有主持正义，疾恶如仇，不避艰险的勇气。他不受谄媚，不怕威吓，任何失败，不能灰他的心志。

七，锺灵中学的学生是清洁的 ： 他保持他的身体、思想、言语、习惯的清洁。他参与清洁运动，使环境美化。

八，锺灵中学的学生是乐群的 ： 他没有怪僻的脾气，和不近人情的行为。对于利群的事情，从来不规避 ，总能拥护多数人的意思，通力合作，以求其实现。

九，锺灵中学的学生是乐观的 : 他时常含有笑容，能敏捷的，愉快的，尽他分内的职务，事务愈困难，心中愈快乐。

十，锺灵中学的学生是进取的 : 他不自满，不多言，向着他高尚的目的去努力，挫折愈多，努力愈甚。

One, students of Chung Ling are well-disciplined: He always face problems calmly, with the ability to judge, to always conform with justice, and to maintain his discipline.

Two, students of Chung Ling are respectful: He never speaks unwisely, and always respect their parents, mentors, and the leaders of their organisations.

Three, students of Chung Ling are sincere: He treat their life with honesty, without speaking a word of untruth, or conduct an act of trickery; when he's entrusted by someone, he will fulfill his duties; He treats his school like his family, giving his full care for all matters.

Four, students of Chung Ling are hardworking: He is passionate in his studies, with great tolerance and endurance. He never wastes his time, and uses all his opportunities wisely. He saves his money, happily helps anyone he could, or achieve anything with value.

Five, students of Chung Ling are courteous: He is polite and humble towards others, and speaks friendly. He treats the elderly, the sick and the weak with full respect.

Six, students of Chung Ling are courageous: He upholds the uttermost importance of righteousness, despises all forms of evil, without flinching from disaster. He refuses to tolerates false accusations, not frightened by threats. He does not give up from all failures.

Seven, students of Chung Ling are clean: He maintains his cleanliness, ideology, speech and habits. He participates in rehabilitation movements, beautifying the environment.

Eight, students of Chung Ling are friendly: He does not throw tantrums, and never goes anti-social. He avoids going opinionated, and is eager to listen everyone's opinions and to co-operate for the common goal.

Nine, students of Chung Ling are optimistic: He always smiles, and is diligent and joyful. He gives his full responsibility for his duties; the harder the problem is, the more happy he is.

Ten, students of Chung Ling improve themselves: He is never arrogant, never bloats, and fights for a noble cause. The more trouble he faces, the more effort he provide.

—The Ten Commandments of Chung Ling, David Chen (1937)

The campus

The school has 86 classrooms, 14 Science Laboratories (of which four are dedicated to Biology, five to Physics and five to Chemistry), five Workshops for Living Skills, one Field, three Basketball Courts, four Indoor Badminton Courts and five Computer Laboratories.

Huai Ze Hall (怀泽堂) was named in memory of Chung Ling students and teachers who died for the school in the Second World War. To the front of the hall lies the clock tower which also houses the staff and administration of the school. The hall was designed in the early 1940s to have 14 entrances, which were spaced out evenly across the side of the hall. Many of these 14 were never used, and in the subsequent renovation in the Year 2004, six were sealed off, and there only remain eight. Glass windows were fixed, along with curtains to replace the grills and bamboo blinds.

There have been two sets of Blocks A and B. The first pair were single-storey buildings flanking the clock tower, and at the end of each, there were two two-storey science labs. In the 1960s, they were demolished, and new buildings were built in their place. The latter set of Blocks A and B were these, two three-storey buildings, each with 5 classes to a level. The old science labs were renovated to fit into both blocks. Today, Blocks A and B consist of 25 classrooms, two discipline rooms, a knowledge centre, the gerko room and the Vice Principals' Room.

Blocks D and Es flank both sides of the hall and are two-storey buildings with four classrooms per level. The classrooms found here are the oldest ones in the school still in use.

Blocks C and F are the newest buildings of the school, with Block F being finished in 1998 and Block C in 1999. They are the highest buildings in the school at four storeys and six classrooms to a level. The predecessors to these new buildings were two-storey ones. The topmost level of Block C holds the Computer Labs 1 to 3, with 4 and 5 being kept at the former science labs at Block A.

Block G is the oldest building in the school, and its ageing condition is evident. This block's classrooms were used until 2004, where the last occupants were two Lower Six classes. Its classrooms have been converted into bookshop, gymnasium, counselling section, school cooperative, prefects' room, prayer room, dental clinic and bookloans room. A pathway which splits Block G into two leads down to the air-conditioned music room, Amateur Wireless Society room and numerous sports stores.

The Sixth Form Block houses most of the sixth form students and eight of the school's 14 labs. The Sixth Form Block holds a library for the students and has seven lecture halls which have been partitioned to form nine classrooms.

• 
  Huai Ze Hall.
• 
  Block B.
• 
  Block E.
• 
  Block C.
• 
  Block G.
• 
  Form Six Block.

Extracurricular activities

Chung Ling High School Choir

In 1969, a group of Chung Ling High School students came up with the idea of forming a choir with the support of the alumni.

Present and former staffs

Executive Directors

Portrait of Ong Keng Seng, 1948.

• Khoo Beng Cheang – 1917 to 1919
• Xie Sheng Zhen – 1919 to 1920
• Khaw Seng Lee – 1921 to 1923
• Lim Lean Teng – 1924 to 1925
• Chen Min Qing – 1926 to 1928
• Khoo Beng Cheang – 1929 to 1930
• Lin Shun Tian – 1931 to 1932
• Khaw Seng Lee – 1933 to 1935
• Lim Lean Teng – 1936 to 1937
• Liu Yu Shui – 1938 to 1941

Interregnum (Japanese occupation of Malaya, December 1941 to September 1945)

• Ong Keng Seng – 1947 to 1962
• Xu Jin Liang – 1963 to 1964
• Loh Poh Heng – 1965 to 1967
• Cheah Phee Cheok – 1968 to 1980
• Tan Sri Loh Boon Siew – 1981 to 1994
• Datuk Ong Hoo Kim – 1995 to 2000
• Dato' Oo Jooi Tee – 2001 to 2010
• Dato' Seri Tan Boon Pin – 2011 to 2013
• Dato' Seri Koay Hean Eng – 2014 onwards

Headmasters

Portrait of David Chen, 1951.

The school practices an unofficial tradition where its headmasters can only be a former alumnus. This has been the case for 9 successive headmasters, the first being Yeap Eng Hoe in 1971. The present headmaster is Na Lean Hong, since September 2021.

• Goh Ah Nong (吴亚农/吳亞農, 1891–1943) – 9 February 1917 to January 1921
• Ong Choon Chong (王存統/王存统, d. unknown) – January 1921 to December 1921
• Ong Kee Au (王寄歐/王寄欧, d. unknown) – January 1922 to December 1922
• Ko in Beng (顧因明/顾因明, b. 1881) – 20 January 1923 to May 1927
• Tang Tong How (唐桐侯, d. unknown) – May 1927 to February 1929
• Ooi Cheow Cheng (黃照青, 1887–1962) – August 1930 to June 1931
• David Chen (陳充恩/陈充恩, 1900–1952) – July 1931 to September 1939
• Lim Hooi Seong (林惠祥, 1901–1958) – October 1939 to March 1941
• David Chen (陳充恩/陈充恩, 1900–1952) – October 1941 to December 1941

Interregnum (Japanese occupation of Malaya, December 1941 to September 1945)

• David Chen (陳充恩/陈充恩, 1900–1952) – 11 November 1946 to 4 February 1952
• Wang Yoong Nien (汪永年, 1902–2001) – June 1952 to 31 December 1970
• Yeap Eng Hoe (葉榮和/叶荣和, 1943–2005) – January 1971 (interim)/ 1 April 1972 to 14 September 1998
• Teh Kwan Liek (鄭權力/郑权力) – 1 October 1998 to 5 June 2004
• Sim Jin Tang (沈仁東/沈仁东) – 1 August 2004 to 9 May 2006
• Tham Kong Chee (譚匡智/谭匡智) – 16 May 2006 to 6 December 2007
• Chuah Yau Chou (蔡耀祖) – 6 December 2007 to 2012
• Ooi Poh Beng (黄保明) – 2012 to 2014
• Teh Min Hwa (鄭明華/郑明华) – 2015 to 2017
• Soo Seng Poh (朱聖保/朱圣保) – 2017 to September 2021
• Na Lean Hong (藍年豐/蓝年丰) – September 2021 onward

In December 1930, the school's alumnus founded the Chung Ling Old Boys Association at Aboo Sittee Lane, the first alumni organisation for the school.

Notable alumni

• Wu Teh Yao, political scientist
• Goh Boon Poh, educator
• Soo Khin Wah, sinologist
• Chuah Hean Teik，scholar
• Ewe Hong Tat, scholar
• Fong Seow Hor, swimmer
• Zy Kher Lee, swimmer
• Cheng Khee Chien, editor-in-chief of Nanyang Siang Pau
• Yong Soo Heong, chief executive officer of Bernama
• Michael Chen, President of the Dewan Negara
• Song Ban Kheng, educator and state representative
• Tan Seng Giaw, parliamentarian
• Kee Yong Wee, senator of the Dewan Negara
• Lai Kuan Fook, state representative
• Ong Tin Kim, parliamentarian
• Koh Tsu Koon, chief minister of Penang
• Lee Kah Choon, parliamentarian
• Ng Wei Aik, parliamentarian
• Sim Tze Tzin), Malaysian Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry
• Wong Hon Wai (born 1973), parliamentarian
• Joseph Ng (born 1980), state representative
• Lee Khoon Choy, Senior Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office
• Khaw Boon Wan (born 1952), Minister for Transport
• Chan Kai Yau, Secretary-General of ASEAN
• Chumpon Chantharakulpongsa, Thai neurosurgeon;
• Ming Tatt Cheah, immunologist;
• Lin Jun Jing, poet; he is theorised to be Han Yu Zhen, author of The Jasmine Princess (1963), a landmark poem in Malaysian Chinese literature;
• Lee Kim Chong, writer and historian
• Fu Cheng De, poet
• Low Lim Wah, columnist and cartoonist
• , major general of the People's Liberation Army
• Ngan Ching Wen, philanthropist
• Woon Wen Kin, maestro
• Lee Yee, singer;
• Hong Juk Hee, news anchor
• Law Chu Hian, news anchor
• Axian, television personality
• Jho Low, former businessman
• Adrian Teh, film director

Notable Students

• Zy Kher Lee (born 2006), Para Swimming Athlete