Leader of the San Francisco Bay Area RIT Alumni (which formed RIT Alumni International and hosted the First RIT Alumni Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe in October 2000.
SF Bay Area Alumni
President, RIT Alumni International
SPZP-2000 Organizers
Saya wrote the article “Brother, can you spare US $500?” for SPZP-2000. It resulted in five Golden Sponsors and many donors.
He provided the Class photo of C58 with help from Saya Dr. San Hla Aung and U Khin Maung Win (Sid Chen) for the caption.
C58
He took photos for the 10th Anniversary of RIT Alumni International. Saya was President of RIT Photography Association.
Experience
Matriculated in 1952 and attended RU.
Per his mother’s advice, he did not apply for Scholarship before graduating in 1958 with Civil Engineering.
Joined the Civil Engineering Department as Assistant Lecturer.
Received Masters from Harvard University.
Promoted to Lecturer.
Moved to USA.
Worked as Advisor for a UNDP project in Bangladesh.
Retired twice in the USA.
After first retirement, Saya U Thein Aung (Met72) invited him to Lawrence Livermore Lab at UC Berkeley.
After second retirement, Saya U Myat Htoo (C68) invited him to Caltrans.
Final Years
Saya accompanied his spouse Daw Mu Mu Kin (MEHS57) to the MEHS Reunion in Las Vegas. Saya had a stroke and was admitted to a hospital.
Saya continued medical treatment in the San Francisco Bay Area, but he finally passed away.
Family
Saya left behind his spouse, son and daughter.
After saya’s demise, four grandchildren were born.
Daw Mu Mu Khin & grandkids
In Saya’s memory, Daw Mu Mu Kin donated saya’s books to YTU Library. She also provided financial aid to eligible YTU students.
He joined UCC as Chief Operator. He led the team of on-line and off-line operators.
He was called CO U Hla Min or simply as CO.
He passed away in his mid-30s.
CO and UCC colleagues
Pauk Si (Nickname)
He was called Pauk Si by his classmates at SPHS (St. Paul’s High School, Rangoon). His father had lent money to a Pauk Si vendor, but the vendor could not pay back the loan. So, at break time, he would go to claim one Pauk Si or more depending on his appetite.
CO (Chief Operator)
He matriculated in 1964 and received his B.E. (EP) in 1970. He joined UCC as CO.
Under the UCC program, he studied for a year in the UK and also found his soulmate Daw Tin Win who was undergoing advanced nursing training.
He was afraid of getting hospitalized. He was healthy. He would rarely wear the coat/jacket that is mandated for those working in the air conditioned Computer Room. He would often wear a sports shirt. So, it was a surprise to learn that CO, after returning from spending as a temporary monk at Taung Pu Lu monastery, fell ill.
He was admitted to RGH where Dr. Min Lwin (Maurice Hla Kyi, 5th in Burma in 1964 from SPHS, cousin of “Lake” Win Maung) examined him and found out a serious problem.
Dr. Min Lwin (3rd from Left)
CO’s voice had lost intensity during his stay in the hospital. He told us to be good towards the sayas, colleagues, friends and family members. We sensed that it was his farewell message.
Sad to say, he passed away in his mid-thirties. He did not drink or smoke, but he ate (may be a little bit indiscriminately). He presumably had Hepatitis and later “cirrhosis”.
Tone Kyaw
When CO passed away at the tender age (may be 35), I became a Tone Kyaw.
Some people were not aware that there were two Hla Min who attended SPHS & RIT and worked at UCC. They both have spouses from the medical profession.
It was not surprising when two government departments (Cooperatives Training School and Trade Corporation Training School) where I had given guest lectures inquired UCC where and when they could send wreaths (Lwan Thu Pan Khwe) for me. A representative from one department said, “It is said that people laugh a lot before they die. U Hla Min was telling us jokes.” A person from the second department said, “U Hla Min looks frail and unsteady when he walks. No wonder he passed away.”
To top it all, Ko Moe Hein (Ajala, ChE69) took a day off to send me off. He was RIT Selected for Swimming and Water Polo. He had a loud voice that can drown the voices of ten or so “normal” people. So he became the de facto cheerleader for the RIT Sports Teams. He was working at HIC (Heavy Industries), where my older brother was in charge. At Kyandaw Cemetery. he came down from a bus. When he saw me, he stared at me as if I was a ghost. He explained, “Your brother seemed so calm when we learned that you had passed away. So I look a day off to give you last respects thinking that ‘If your brother does not care about you, there will not be many people at last journey’”. That’s how I became a Tone Kyaw.
Relationship With Kaba Aye Sun Lun Gu Kyaung
CO was partly responsible for the UCC staff members visiting Kaba Aye Sun Lun Gu Kyaung and then later participating in the Thingyan Su Paung Yahan Khan Pwes.
He and Saya U Soe Paing were temporary monks at the monastery where Sayadaw U Wara (Win Paing, GBNF, ChE70, SPHS 64, younger brother of Saya U Soe Paing) was Taik Oke (second in command).
U Wara (GBNF)
U Soe Myint (M72, GBNF) and his family (parents and siblings) are devotees.
I visited CO and Saya Paing and later became a devotee and a Donlaba monk in the Thingyan period.
One year, several UCC employees and students became Donlaba (temporary monks) at Kaba Aye Sun Lun Kyaung. The tradition of “UCC Su Paung Yahan Khan” carried on at the various monasteries (Chan Myei Yeiktha, Mingun Kyaung, …).
UCC Yahan
U Aung Myint (AM, GBNF) and U Maung Maung Gyi (GBNF) were his classmates at SPHS. U Soe Win was his classmate at RIT.
MMG, KMZ and AM
RIP (Rest in Peace) my dear friend and my name sake. We remember you saying, “Sayas, You will realize my values when I am gone.”
U Khin Maung Zaw (KMZ, EC76) wrote :
KJ, my advanced and sincerely apology for what I am going to say here. As the Sayadaw U Vinaya has mentioned more than once at the time, “ဂျော်နီ နှိပ်ဆက် very bad”, you were the one who brought us to Kaba Sun Lun Gu Kyaung, to be ordained as Donlabas. The first time, if my re-collection is correct, was on Saturday – eve or day before the eve of Thingyan. The entire HE Engineering gang was there as we were leaving after the weekly Saturday maintenance.
Many of us, excluding me, had their head shaved there, and Ko Aung Myint went back home in E2000. had to tell his wife that he would be in monkhood, collected some essentials and came back to the monastery.
Please don’t get me wrong, I am forever indebted to you for introducing there including the meditation.
U Aung Myint (UCC) wrote :
KJ make sure (taking advance deposit or ‘စရံ ‘ ) that we can’t change our minds or asking excuses. We (Ko Ngwe Soe and myself) we’re shaved ahead our hair before taking our belongings in our homes.
One may learn about Uniform Distribution in Probability and Statistics.
Some schools may mandate their students to wear uniform on specified days (and may be every day).
Bogyoke Aung San and U Thant had a debate on Uniform during their University days.
SPHS
SPHS Uniform
During our younger days, we had to perform drill at the School Sports and at the Aung San Stadium for specified events (e.g. Education Day Celebration). We had to dress up in uniform.
A uniform could specify
Short or long pants (e.g. Kakki)
Shirt (e.g. long sleeved white shirt)
Necktie — optional
Badge — optional
Coat — optional
SPHS Blazer & Badge
Burmese Dress for Males
Pasoe (or Longyi)
Taik Pon
Gaung Baung
The optional items may be worn at formal functions (e.g. Award Presentation Ceremony).
U Nu
PPBRS Concert
Sailor
Engineering College
C58
Sayagyi U Ba Hli is seen in photos wearing a uniform.
U Ba Hli
UTC
Those joining UTC (Universities’ Training Corps) are given two sets of [usually old] uniforms. Most prefer to buy or order their own.
UTC
RUBC
RUBC (Rangoon University Boat Club) awards Half Green, Full Green and Gold. RUBC specifies Dress Code for the award winners.
RUBC 1RUBC 2
Graduation
USA Sports
In the USA, sports team have at least two sets of uniforms: one for playing at Home, and another for playing away.
He was the first Dean of Engineering at the University of Rangoon. He also served as Professor of Civil Engineering. He is credited for the “Twinning” with the prestigious universities in the USA.
He earlier served as Principal of the Government Technical Institute (GTI) and Professor of Civil Engineering.
The commemorative issue of RIT Alumni International Newsletter for the first RIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe paid respect to Sayagyi.
Sayagyi U Aung Khin (former Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and the driving force behind SPZP-2000) wrote an introduction to the special article written by Saya Dr. Freddie Ba Hli (the only child of Sayagyi U Ba Hli).
Saya Dr. F Ba Hli (GBNF)
Dr. F. Ba Hli received his Sc.D. in Electrical Engineering from MIT. He helped Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi and Sayagyi U Min Wun, who were two of the first undergraduate engineering students from the University of Rangoon to be given State Scholarship as part of the “Twinning” program.
Dr. F. Ba Hli’s spouse Daw Myint Thwe is the sister of Sayagyi U Tin U (C), Sayagyi U Ba Than (M), Dr. Myo Tint (father of Ma Kay (EE93)), U Tin Htoon (A60), Saya U Myo Min (UCC) and U Thaung Lwin (EC66). Note that four are Past Captain and Gold of Rangoon University Boat Club.
Dr. F. Ba Hli has a daughter (Tin Tin Hlaing) and two sons (Tha Hlaing and Min Thet Htoo).
Dr. F Ba Hli
Grand children of U Ba Hli
Ma Tin Tin Hlaing (UCC) is the spouse of Ko Htay Aung (Victor, EC80, UCC, nephew of Saya U Sein Hlaing (EE)).
Ko Tha Hlaing (EC83, UCC) stood joint first with Ko Thaung Tin (KMD, former Deputy Minister) in their final year. He, his father and his paternal grandfather form Three Generation of Burmese engineers who are sayas or alumni.
Min Thet Tun did not smoke or drink, but succumbed to lung cancer. He lamented why some people who drink and smoke lived long.
HlaMin 