While many Indian friends come to mind during the celebrations, Rafizi said, a few of his teachers remain unforgettable.
“The first teacher who comes into my mind is my English teacher when I was in Year Two. Her name is Miss Angelina. She taught me when I was in Sekolah Rendah Sultan Ismail Kemaman in 1985,” the former PKR deputy president said in a video posted on social media.
Rafizi also fondly recalled his teachers at Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK), singling out the legendary warden and English teacher Purushotaman Paniker.
“He was also an all-round sportsman who played many games and coached the students. He coached us in athletics, volleyball and cricket. But something I will never forget about him is that he loved to recite idioms before he caned the students.
“One of them is ‘Sepandai-pandai tupai melompat, akhirnya jatuh juga’ (No matter how great one is, they will still fail in the end),” he said.
He shared a story of Purushotaman catching a student out of bed past lights-out, only for the boy to escape by pretending to pray.
“I am told he is still around and lives in Selayang,” he said.
Another teacher Rafizi remembers fondly is Esther Daniel, who taught him Biology at MCKK before moving on to become a lecturer when he entered Form 4.
“Although I had only a short encounter with her, every student knew that she was a very good teacher and extremely patient. She was also always smiling. Last I heard, she was with Universiti Malaya as a professor. She may have retired, I am not sure,” he said.
Rafizi also highlighted Tamam Singh, an “exceptionally fit and committed teacher”.
“He is the fittest teacher I have come across. When we woke up at 5am for our prayers, he would be jogging around the town. I remember being pinched in the stomach by him when I was very playful in his industrial arts workshop,” he said.
Years later, as an alumnus, Rafizi approached the retired Tamam to coach the MCKK hockey team from 2006 to 2012.
“He was about 70 when we approached him to become the coach. He agreed and never accepted a single cent for it. He used to be at the school field every evening, coaching students. He was not part of the school at all, but still was so committed,” he said.
Reflecting on the festival, Rafizi said Deepavali reminds him of human goodness and the bonds that bring out the best in people.
“This is actually the light that shows love among the people who are made differently but exhibit love to help each other despite the differences,” he said.