Bukit mertajam: Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong has expressed his appreciation to his former teachers, whom he described as key figures in shaping his life journey from primary school through to secondary school.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Sim said this year's Teachers' Day celebration was especially meaningful as he had the opportunity to reunite with his former teachers from Stowell Primary School and Bukit Mertajam High School after more than 30 years. He emphasized that the guidance and lessons imparted by his teachers remain fresh in his memory, including those from his first Malay language teacher in Year One, Puan Zaniyah, who taught him to read, write and master the Malay language.

Sim expressed his deepest appreciation and thanks to all his former teachers, acknowledging that they were instrumental in shaping his life. 'Without them, I would not be where I am today. I pray that all teachers are blessed with good health, mercy and abundance, and that they continue to be rewarded for their service as long as their students put the knowledge they taught into practice,' he stated in a Facebook post in conjunction with Teachers' Day.

Sim also mentioned that among the teachers he still remembers is Cikgu Idrus, the older brother of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who served as headmaster when he was a pupil at Stowell.