The History
The history of the
Royal Military College started on 3rd July 1952 when a historic announcement
was made by the Secretary of Defence that the Malay Regiment Training Depot
in Port Dickson was to be up-graded to the Malay Regiment Training Centre
with the additional establishment of the Pre-Officer Cadet Training Unit
(Pre-OCTU) and a Boys Company. It was not until 1953, when the then British
High Commissioner to Malaya, Field Marshal Sir Gerald Templer conceived
a long term objective for the two establishments, that the FEDERATION MILITARY
COLLEGE was formally formed.
Since its inception,
the College has undergone various changes. From its original site at the
5th Mile Coast Road, Port Dickson it moved to its present campus in Sungai
Besi in 1961. From the first intake of 74 Budak Boy in August 1952, the
population of the present Putera stands at 377 today. Originally, the intakes
were for Form II but changed to Form III and Form IV when Form VI was introduced.
Due to the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia the intake was changed to only Form
IV. In 1980, Form I classes were introduced when it was decided to bring
the College in line with the other fully residential schools in the country.
Due to accommodation problem mainly, the intakes for Form I was stopped
and it was back to the intake for Form IV. However, Form II classes were
re-introduced for the academic year 1994/ 95.
From its original
role as a feeder institution for potential officers for the Armed Forces,
it's charter was fully embedded with the formation of the Federation Military
College in 1953 to prepare young Malaysians not only as officers of the
Armed Forces but as officers in the Public Service and as leaders in the
professional, commercial and industrial life of the country.
From an original
staff of less than 10 in 1953 (consisting of British teachers with the
exception of one Malay Language teacher) the staff consists of nearly 60
Military and Civilian teachers today. In line with the Malaysianization
of the College, the first Malaysian Senior Military Officer was appointed
in 1961. In 1965 the first Malaysian Director of Studies was appointed.
The name of the College was changed from the FEDERATION MILITARY COLLEGE
to the ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE in 1966. In 1967, the first Malaysian Army
Officer took over the post of the Commandant from the British Commandant.
The long-used term "Boy" was replaced with the term "Putera" in 1971.
Albeit these changes,
the charter of the College remained intact and the objective of the College
remained the same. To date, over 4,000 Puteras have graduated through the
College. Many have taken "their places as Officers in the Armed Forces,
in the higher divisions of the public service and as leaders in the professional,
commercial and industrial life of the country" . It is our hope that the
College will continue to produce such leaders.(-taken
from the OPA's Homepage)
As of 1997, RMC has
been "broken" into two. The cadet wing has been transfered to Ulu Tiram
in Johore while the Boys' wing has been placed under the local admin of
the Armed Forces Military Academy (ATMA). ATMA is currently the entity
which would produce the next generation of highly educated officers in
the Armed Forces and is now occupying what used to be the Cadet wing. Hopefully
this change would not affect the Boys' wing.
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