Methodist Boys' School, Penang

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In 1891, Rev. Benjamin H. Balderstone, a Methodist missionary from Prince Edward Island, Canada, arrived in George Town as part of a two-man mission in Penang.^[1] He subsequently established the Anglo-Chinese School within a rented shophouse at Carnavon Street on 28 May, with an intake of only one student.^[1][4] At that point, the Anglo-Chinese School in George Town was the fourth Methodist school in British Malaya, following the founding of three Methodist schools in Singapore - Anglo-Chinese School, Methodist Girls' School and Anglo-Chinese Girls' School.

Rev. Balderstone was forced to resign in 1893 due to his faltering eyesight. He was replaced by Rev. George F. Pykett.^[1][5] By then, the school had expanded considerably, taking over five adjacent shophouses along Carnavon Street. However, as student enrollment continued increasing, even this expansion was inadequate. A purpose-built school building at Maxwell Road was subsequently completed in 1897.

Pykett played an instrumental role as the principal of the Anglo-Chinese School. It was due to his efforts that the school was held in high regard by Penang's Chinese community. Among his accomplishments, Pykett led a mission to Sumatra and set up Penang's first Scout troop in 1910.^[1] The school was also expanded twice to cope with the rising student enrolment; 10 shophouses along Penang Road were acquired, followed by the rental of a building at Chulia Street.

Therefore, by the time of Rev. Pykett's retirement in 1932, there were three branches of the Anglo-Chinese School - the primary school at Chulia Street, the middle school at Penang Road and the secondary school at Maxwell Road. Rev Pykett, who died shortly after his retirement, was succeeded by Rev. Preston L. Peach.

Rev. Peach had purchased Suffolk House and its surrounding land at Air Itam Road in 1929 for $40,000 (Straits dollar) to facilitate the school's expansion. A proposal to build a new school building at the site was deferred, however, with the onset of the Great Depression. Nonetheless, a sum of $6,000 (Straits dollar) was raised by the school committee to renovate Suffolk House. The primary school and the middle school, at Chulia Street and Penang Road respectively, were then moved into Suffolk House, which was also utilised as a canteen.^[6] Suffolk House served as part of the school until 1975, when it was deemed structurally unsafe and vacated; the colonial mansion has since been restored as a tourist attraction.^[6][7]

The current school building at Air Itam Road was only completed in 1955 and opened by Malcolm MacDonald, the then British Commissioner-General for Southeast Asia.^[5] The secondary school was relocated from Maxwell Road into the building and renamed Methodist Boys' School, while the primary school, named Pykett Methodist Primary School, was shifted out to Pykett Avenue.

The following is a list of the principals of Methodist Boys' School since its inception in 1891.

• Abdullah Ahmad Badawi - fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia
• Koh Tsu Koon - third Chief Minister of Penang^[8]
• Kalimullah Masheerul Hassan - prominent journalist, media executive and businessman