Month: May 2025

RIT Poet Laureate Ko Hla Min:

I must admit that I was suffering from a Monday morning “hangover”, having been intoxicated with emotional overdose over the reunion weekend [in October 2000].

Judging from the post-reunion emails I read, I am not alone. What a reunion!

By all measures, it was a success and did satisfy the alumni’s tremendous pent-up desire to reconnect with each other after many decades of separation. The dedication of the members of the organizing committee is second to none.

With the assistance of his lovely wife, Benny Tan devoted practically full-time to this project for several months. I had a first-hand experience to see how meticulous he was when he was designing the RIT T-shirt. It came out a winner!

I do appreciate the sensitivity the organizing committee displayed in making this event non-religious and non-political. Otherwise, it would have been very difficult for me to attend. The only regret is that I failed to locate the whereabouts of my buddy Ko Aung Min of Taunggyi (M70). I heard he went to Singapore, but so far my search has ended in “no find”.

Now that the grand reunion is over, everybody is slowly recovering from the “hangover”. The big question is who would go to Singapore in 2002, and how do we go about doing it?

With best regards,
Steeve Kay (Ko Thaung Sein)

Editor’s notes

• Ko Thaung Sein (EC70) is a multiple Golden Sponsor of SPZPs. He donated $20000+ to RIT-related projects and events.

• He attended GTI for a while before joining the first ever 1st BE class in 1964.
• Received MSEE from Stanford University and MBA from Pepperdine University.
• At the request of his sister, who is a medical doctor who had patents for processing “disability” claims, Steve decided to transform from a successful electronics designer to the Chief Executive Officer of QTC Management.
• After private investors showed interest in his company, he retired, but continued to lead a multiple-purpose fourth career: (a) visiting the places of the world’s leading religions
  (b) incubating the projects of young professionals
  (c) supporting education (e.g. as trustee of University of California at Irvine)
  (d) maintaining [diverse] business portfolio
  (e) helping those in need (via CABA)
  (f) continue paying back the metta and cetana of his mentors — as Golden Sponsor of RIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwes, Helen and Steeve Kay Health Care Fund for the RIT Sayas and Sayamas.

Editorial

Team

• Saya U Moe Aung (Tekkatho Moe War) & team published the commemorative issue.
• They printed my article “A Short and Sad Clip: EE Sayas” (renamed by Saya). The article will be re-posted separately.