我国社会学者柯嘉逊脸书撰文:
悼念 莫泰熙——
华教园地中不懈的园丁
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“华教园丁”莫泰熙生前说，他到处去演讲华文教育故事，都会提到我国的“5·13”事件，因为我国的“5·13”事件与我国的华教运动息息相关。上图为莫泰熙手持柯嘉逊的有关著作，侃侃而谈“5·13”课题。
本文是柯嘉逊2023年6月18日在其个人脸书上发表的一篇悼念其亲密战友莫泰熙的文章。柯嘉逊是我国鲜明反对种族主义和反对种族歧视的著名学者。柯氏的这篇悼文全文如下（上图为《人民之友》编者所加，文内（华文）小标题经《人民之友》编者作些调整）——
莫泰熙（Bock Tai Hee）是马来西亚华教运动有史以来所拥有的最优秀的首席执行员之一。在1985年至2005年期间，他担任马来西亚华校董事会联合会（Dong
Zong）秘书处的首席执行员。
“老莫”（‘Old
Bock’是我给他的他自己也很喜欢的昵称！），在其他华教同道面前，他在退休后，自称为“马来西亚华教的园丁”。他以一个不言倦的说故事的人的角色在全国各地展开了一段激情四溢的旅程，讲述着“马来西亚华教的故事”，在学生和成年人的心中播下了母语教育的种子。没有任何一个华文教育工作者像他一样，采取如此有组织的方式培养人们对马来西亚教育运动的历史和成就的意识。幸运的是，他在马来西亚各地的演讲现场都被拍摄并录制下来，现在可以在YouTube上观看。
自1983年加入华教运动以来，我和他一直是同道。他一直对我的工作表示赞赏和支持，特别是在为统一考试文凭赢得国际认可和撰写马来西亚华教斗争历史上的第一本著作《A
Protean Saga》这两方面。
我期待阅读老莫即将出版的回忆录
老莫毋庸置疑是我见过的最专注、且具有战略思维的华教教育家。例如，他详细记录了每次会议的每个发言者说了什么，甚至记录了每个人坐的位置。这就是为什么我期待阅读老莫即将出版的回忆录，我相信其中将包括一些令许多人（包括我自己）都不为人知的爆炸性的内幕。毕竟，他曾在林晃昇、胡万铎、郭全强和叶新田的领导下担任秘书处的职务。我相信他对这些不同的董教总领导人的领导风格的观察和分析，为马来西亚教育运动的未来提供了宝贵的见解。
1995年我离开政党生活后，第一个到我家拜访的人就是老莫，他邀请我重新加入华教运动。这次是为被投射为“独立大学之子”的“新纪元学院”的申请及筹划。如同1983年一样，我认为这是一个既有可能实现，又符合我的能力和愿望的使命，所以我答应了。
老莫领导的团队成为华教运动核心
在加影的董教总教育中心，我发现老莫成功吸引了一支专注、充满活力、且致力于这个事业的年轻毕业生团队。很显然的，他非常重视人才，尤其是一心一意投入华教运动的年轻潜在领导者。他投入资源培训这些年轻领导者。看着他们运用自己的聪明才智、优秀的沟通能力和积极的态度投入到运动和教育中，真是一种乐趣。因此，这些年轻领导者有充分的机会展露才华。董教总的月度大会真正鼓舞人心，因为老莫会分享他的经验并分析当下的形势。在莫泰熙的领导下，董教总的秘书处成为整个华教运动的脉搏、良知和动力源泉。
在加影校园，我担任新纪元学院的校长期间，我与老莫密切合作，他负责监督三个校舍的建设和配备——董教总大楼、新纪元学院大楼和宿舍楼。他还确保校园具备绿色和文化环境，以促进母语教育与大学生的全面发展。加影校园的设计在很大程度上要归功于老莫的细心与关注。
叶新田排挤老莫造成华教队伍涣散
因此，当董教总主席叶新田在2005年将莫泰熙免职时，对华教运动的损失不仅仅是董教总秘书处失去了莫泰熙，同时也失去了二十多位在八十年代和九十年代为这个运动服务的最有能力和忠诚的年轻活动分子。他们离开是为了抗议前董教总主席林晃昇自七十年代以来建立的民主传统和工作方法的公然被破坏。
当社区向老莫告别时，他留下了一份遗产和难以企及的典范。他无疑是董教总秘书处有史以来最优秀的首席执行员之一；他是马来西亚华教运动中最专注和具有战略思维的人之一；他培养和造就了许多新的年轻领导者，通过他的“华教故事”，他展示了成为马来西亚华教运动的永恒的园丁的真正意涵。
不懈的园丁，我们将会非常想念您
莫泰熙是一盏照亮华教运动前进道路的灯塔，这个运动需要其领导者具备最高品质的性格，那就是要对运动历程的斗争有清醒的认识；坚定地站在我们的原则立场上；勇敢地做好为我们的信仰而牺牲自由的准备；在广招人才进入运动时能做到无差别对待；赋权于人及注重人的发展而不是仅仅服从于一连串的命令；成为优秀的沟通者以激励他人；最重要的是，要对运动有愿景。
老莫，我们将会非常想念您，我们不懈的园丁。请放心，多年来您培养和激励的年轻接班者将确保母语教育的花园永葆活力永远葱郁。休息吧，我的老朋友…
BOCK TAI HEE:
THE CONSTANT GARDENER OF MOTHER TONGUE EDUCATION
A tribute by Kua Kia Soong
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Bock Tai Hee (莫泰熙, 1944-2023) was one of the best executive directors
that the Malaysian Chinese education movement has ever had. He was CEO of
the Secretariat of Dong Zong (United Chinese School Committees’ Association
of Malaysia) from 1985 to 2005.
“Laomo” (‘Old Bock’ was the affectionate English name I gave him which he
liked!), to his comrades in the movement, called himself the “Gardener of
Malaysian Chinese Education” (华教的园丁) after he had retired from his post
at the Dong Zong (DZ) Secretariat - He started a passionate journey all over
the country as the tireless raconteur recounting “The story of Malaysian
Chinese Education”, planting seeds of mother tongue education in the minds
of students and adults. No other Chinese educationist has embarked on such
an organised mission to cultivate awareness of the history and achievements
of the Malaysian education movement. Fortunately, his stories at the
different venues throughout Malaysia have been filmed and recorded and these
can now be viewed on Youtube.
We have been comrades since 1983 when I joined the Chinese education
movement and he has always been appreciative and supportive of my work,
especially in winning international recognition for the Unified Examination
Certificate and in writing the first history book on the struggles of
Malaysian Chinese Education, ‘A Protean Saga’.
A dedicated and strategic leader
Laomo is without doubt the most dedicated and strategic thinking Chinese
educationist I have ever met. For example, he kept painstaking records of
every meeting, including what each attendee said and even where they each
sat. That is why I look forward to reading Laomo’s soon to be published
memoir which I believe will include some sensational exposes that not many
(including myself) are aware of. After all, he has served in the Secretariat
under the leadership of Lim Fong Seng, Foo Wan Thot, Quek Suan Hiang and Yap
Sin Tian. I believe his observations and analyses of the leadership styles
of these different Dong Jiao Zong leaders provide invaluable insights for
the future of the Malaysian Education Movement.
Laomo nurtured potential young leaders for the movement.
After I left political party life in 1995, the first person to visit me at
home was Laomo, who invited me to rejoin the Chinese Education movement,
this time to organise the application and planning for ‘New Era’ College’,
which was envisioned as the “Son of Merdeka University”. As in 1983, I
thought this was a mission that was both possible to achieve and was also
aligned with my abilities and aspirations, so I said yes.
At the Dong Jiao Zong Education Centre in Kajang, I found that Laomo had
managed to attract a vibrant team of dedicated, talented young graduates who
were committed to the cause. He clearly placed a high value on people,
especially the young potential leaders committed to the Chinese education
movement. He invested resources to train these young leaders. It was a
delight to watch them apply their bright ideas, excellent communication, and
positive attitudes to the movement and to education in general. Thus, these
young leaders were provided with ample opportunities to blossom. The
Secretariat’s monthly mass meetings were truly inspiring as Laomo would give
his colleagues the benefit of his experience and point to the situation at
hand. Under Bock Tai Hee, the secretariat of DZ served as the pulse, the
conscience, and the powerhouse of the whole Chinese education movement.
At the campus in Kajang, while I was the principal of New Era College (NEC),
I worked closely with Laomo who oversaw the construction and furnishing of
the three campus buildings – the DZ building, the NEC building and the
hostel block. He also ensured that the campus had a green and cultural
environment to foster the holistic development of tertiary-level students
and mother tongue education. The design of the Kajang campus is largely a
credit to Laomo’s meticulous care and attention.
A big loss to the Chinese Education Movement
Thus, when the Dong Zong chairman Yap Sin Tian purged Bock Tai Hee from his
post as CEO of the Dong Zong Secretariat in 2005, the loss to the Chinese
education movement was not just the excising of Bock Tai Hee from the Dong
Zong Secretariat, but the departure of more than twenty of the most
competent and committed young activists who had served the movement since
the Eighties and Nineties. They left to protest the blatant destruction of
the democratic traditions and working methods of the movement built up by
the former Dong Zong Chairman Lim Fong Seng since the seventies.
Bock Tai Hee’s enduring mark on Malaysian Chinese Education
As the community bids Laomo goodbye, he has left a legacy and a hard act to
follow. He was certainly one of the best CEOs the DZ secretariat has ever
had; he was one of the most dedicated and strategic thinkers of the
Malaysian Chinese education movement; he trained and nurtured many new and
young leaders for the movement, and he has shown through his “Chinese
education stories”, what it takes to be a constant gardener for the
Malaysian Chinese education movement.
Bock Tai Hee is a beacon that shines a light on the way forward for the
Chinese education movement, a movement which calls for the highest qualities
of character from its leaders, namely, being aware of the struggles the
movement has been through; standing firmly by our principles with courage
and being prepared to sacrifice our freedom for our beliefs; being inclusive
in attracting talents into the movement; empowering the people and
emphasising human development rather than subordination to a chain of
command; being good communicators to inspire others, and most important of
all, having a vision for the movement.
We will surely miss you dearly, Laomo, our constant gardener. Rest assured
the young leaders you have nurtured and inspired through the years will keep
the mother tongue garden vibrant and verdant. Rest now, my old friend –
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