He wanted to make sure that every engineering student know most students who are senior or junior.
Sayagyi earlier served as Professor of Civil Engineering and Principal of GTI.
Sayagyi proposed the Twinning Program between RU and prestigious US universities.
Dr. Aung Gyi, U Min Wun, U Maung Maung Than, U Aung Khin, U Khin Aung Kyi, U Thit were some of the engineering students who benefited from the Twinning Program.
U Sein Hlaing, U Tin Swe and several sayas also benefited from the Twinning Program.
For the commemorative issue of RIT Alumni International Newsletter for SPZP-2000, Saya U Aung Khin requested Saya Dr. Freddie Ba Hli to write about Sayagyi.
Saya U Aung Khin wrote a preface to the article.
Saya Bilal Raschid (A) studied Civil Engineering at RU before pursuing Architecture in UK.
Co-founder of Myit Ma Kha International Trading Co. with her beloved spouse U Htein Win (M66, GBNF)
The following are sampling of her donations.
Donated twice (100 and 50 Lakhs) for YTU Library Modernization Project.
Major donor (along with Ivan Lee and U Sein Myint) for the 69er Health Care Fund.
Sponsored / Hosted several 69er Gatherings. Monthly Breakfast Gathering at Taw Win Hnin Si (e.g. for her birthday) Ad hoc Lunch Gathering (e.g. Welcoming Nyunt Nyunt Wai (Millie, T69) at Western Park Several tables at the Annual Dinner & Entertainment Gathering
Saya U Tin Maung Nyunt is a day older than Saya Allen Htay (GBNF). Their birthdays are December 30th and December 31st.
They would share their experiences with the younger people over lunch.
The two sayas bonded on the long return journey by sea from USA where they did their graduate studies in Agricultural Engineering and Civil Engineering. There were three other Burmese — including U Soe Paing and U Ko Ko Lay — on that ship. They played Bridge (a card game for four players).
The journey was lengthened by a strike at a port in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). It gave the sayas an opportunity to visit Kandy.
Saya U Tin Maung Nyunt (M60)
He worked briefly for a JVC (Joint Venture Corporation) run by his relative. He applied for States Scholar after seeing an advertisement in the newspaper.
Upon his return, he was assigned to Yezin Agricultural College. Before reporting for duty, he visited RIT to pay respect to Saya U Ba Than who asked Saya U Tin Maung Nyunt if he would like to join the Agricultural Engineering (Sub-department of Mechanical Engineering).
He moved to Thailand and then USA.
Saya feels blessed for three occasions. They involve the simple joys of life.
Food was scarce during the war time. Saya’s mother had a small jar of oil to cook. Occasionally, she would give “See nei Sar” (oil and salt) to eat rice. Saya remembers that as a “Nutt Thokedar” (delicacies of the deities).
After the Japanese evacuated, the Allied planes still strafe suspect targets. Since there was no available transport, Saya and his did had to trek a long time to the nearest “safe haven”. Saya had “htamin chauk and a tomato”. He had to ration his food to survive the journey. The small bites brought a lot of joy — that cannot be equaled by later all-you-can-eat buffet.
Saya lives in California, USA. One year, he went to Myanmar to participate in a meditation retreat outside Yangon. Probably due to side effects of taking some medicine, there was swfor elling in the body and the face. It was “Kan So” (bad luck). Two dhamma friends took him to a nearby hospital where the doctor and the staff treated him well. It was “Kan Kaung” (good luck). The services were good and the costs were reasonable.
Saya stayed fit by doing exercises (hiking, stationary bike) and by practicing meditation.
He had an operation a couple of years back. He has recovered fully.
Saya donated for the Training Component of the YTU Library Project and also to the General Fund of Cal RIT Alumni Association.
Saya Allen Htay (C58)
He joined the Civil Engineering Department as Assistant Lecturer. He received his MS from Harvard University. Upon his return to Burma, he was promoted to Lecturer.
He moved to USA.
Saya Allen Htay was special in his own ways.
He would take different routes (going out and then coming back) to enjoy nature and the scenery. (
He took me to a BAPS picnic. After he told me that it was time to leave, it took an hour (or so) to reach his car. It was a typical “Burmese Good Bye” greeting his colleagues, friends and former students along the way.
He would often arrive late and stay late at gatherings.
Saya remembered that his mother would take the food (which a child refused to eat) and put in the fridge. There was no concession. When the child felt really hungry, he or she will devour the food.
Saya was the de facto leader of the San Francisco Bay Area RIT Alumni Group. He served as President of “RIT Alumni International” which organized the First RIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe in Northern California, USA in October. His article “Brother, can you afford US 500 dollars?” resulted in having five Golden Sponsors for SPZP-2000.
He attended SPZPs in Singapore and Myanmar, and took photographs at the SF Bay Area Gatherings.
During a visit to Las Vegas for the MEHS Reunion (along with his spouse who matriculated from MEHS in 1957), Saya had a stroke. He briefly recovered, but finally succumbed to his illness.
He retired twice in the USA, but his former students offered him jobs to “un-retire”.
Two of his grandsons have Allen in their names : one as a first name, and another as a middle name.
Directed the movie “Hna Ma Let Shawt Nay Lay Dawt”. The movie was hard to appreciate by most Burmese. It set the record for the first movie not to have Full House at the First Day First Show. Grapevine says that some foreigners tried to purchase the movie.
Classmates : U Tin Htoon and U Aung Kyee Myint He would hang around at “Architects Incorporated” (founded by U Bo Gyi, U Tin Htoon and U Aung Kyee Myint) along with fellow artists U Paw Oo Thet and Director Win Pe.
Memories by Uzin Myo Tun (A69)
Memories by U Htun Aung (EP70)
Photos by U Aung Khin (A69) One photo shows U KMY in his younger days when he hung around with the Architect students
Uzin Bobby Myo Tun (A69) wrote :
U Kin Maung Yin was everyone’s friend – one of the most amicable individuals I’ve ever known. He was mentor to many of us student architects of the late 1960s and of the 70s. His versatile talents extended into move-making, authorship and painting. His avant-garde movie “နှမလက်လျှော့နေလေတော့” made six decades ago remains unrivaled to date in the Myanmar movie industry. He immersed himself in modern painting and writing during the last two decades of his life. An icon of the arts, indeed!
U Htun Aung (EP70) wrote :
In 1971, I was waiting for the governmental employment living with Demonstrator (civil) and Inlay hostel hall tutor Saya U Khin Mg Tint. One day U Khin Mg Yin came and unexpectedly invited me to accompany him as his aid in movie-making and shooting a film named “Bahman Bazan Akhyaung” (ဘမှန်ဘဇံအကြောင်း). For that film, he was the Director. I was always near him to help for everything he ordered me to do. In those days, from morning to night I was together with him at film shooting sites, especially at Collegian Nay Win and Dar Khin Marlar’s home where most of the indoor scenes of the film had been shot. Also we had to spend much time in making the film at Film upgrading [processing] Studio. The producer of the film was “Momyint Thawdar Film Production” which was owned by Daw Khin Mar Lar, Actor U Nay Win’s spouse. Time taken to shoot that film was nearly three months. Main actors were Collegian Nay Win, Khin Yu May and Aye Aye Thin.
After that film, I was also with U Khin Mg Yin to help reading and editing the directing schedules of the film named “Thway” the Novel written by Journal Kyaw Daw Ma Ma Lay. But that script was not approved by State Film Editing Committee [Censor Board] due to the Fascism hating point of view of the country at that time.
Kin Mg Yin 1Kin Maung Yin 2Kin Maung Yin 3Arch 1
U Naung Tun Lwin (M75, GBNF)
Directed several movies
Classmates : Daw Mar Mar Yee, Maurice Chee (U Hla Myint Thein) and U Than Po
Thamankyar Ko Myint (Min70)
Thamankyar Ko MyintKo Myint, Thein Htut and PBRS groupThan Win
U Aung Myint (Min70) and U Than Win (T70) are close friends and cousin brothers-in-law. U Than Win married Daw Zelma Yu, a cousin of U Aung Myint.
U Aung Myint became known as “Thamankyar Ko Myint”.
U Than Win wrote the script for the movie “Thamankyar”.
The movie was directed by Ko Myint’s elder brothers “A1 Than Htut” and “A1 Thein Htut” (twin brothers). Grapevine says that there are the reincarnation of two Japanese pilots.
The movie was produced by Maha Weik za hto Films (studio of U Nyi Pu, Ko Myint’s grand uncle). U Nyi Pu is considered to be the first Burmese movie actor.
A1 U Tin Nwe, U Nyi Pu, U Maung Maung Soe, A1 U Tin Maung (winner of two Academy awards) and their extended family members had several film companies.
U San Lin (Maung Lu Pay, M87) wrote:
YIT/YTU produced some movie stars including the following :
Ko Htin Lin , B.E (EP)1993 batch (aka) Dway ( GBNF )
Ko Aye Thein , B.E (EC) 1987 batch (aka) Min Oo.
Photo credit to Kyaw Kyaw (Set Hmu)
DwayMin Oo
U Aung Win (C87) added :
Also Pyi Ti Oo (Civil)
Nang Khaming (A70) wrote :
Most of the people didn’t like the movie Hna ma let shawt nay lay dawt because there was no dialog in the movie except ‘pea pyout’. Most can’t appreciate that kind of movie, but I like that movie and appreciate .
Ko Wint Khin Zaw (A79) wrote :
Architect UKMY must be too advanced for the period. I think he directed another movie called “Ba Hman Ba Zan Akyaung” which was appreciated a bit more by some audience.
Sayagyi is a former Rector of RIT and former Professor and Head of Textile Engineering Department.
Passed away at Bahosi Hospital in Yangon, Myanmar in November 2012.
Along with Dr. Aung Gyi and U Min Win, he was one of the earliest beneficiaries of the “Twinning Program” proposed by Sayagyi U Ba Hli.
Chaired the RIT Sports Council
Loves playing Chinlon and music.
Ko Khin Maung Zaw (EC76) added :
I vividly remember the days where I used to hang out with Saya U Maung Maung Than at Ko Maung Maung’s office အားကစားမွူး near Textile Dept. Saya U Hla Shwe (Textile, GBNF) and Saya U Win Maung (Civil) were among frequent visitors, we played darts there, had some good times there.
One time he lamented that he had to refrain from drinking in the evening due to an alert from the authorities on possible student unrest.
Only much later, I found out that he was a very good close friend of my cousin during their college days.
HlaMin 