The first ever gathering of RIT Alumni in Singapore took place at NTU Lecture Theatre, Singapore, on 13 April 2001 (Thingyan Eve).
A pamphlet was distributed to all who attended the ceremony full of songs and dances to mark the Burmese new year.
This gathering was also done with the intention to hold a RIT SPZP in Singapore in 2002.
SPZPs in Singapore
Singapore alumni hosted
SPZP-2002 in December 2002
SPZP-2007 in April 2007
SPZP-2010 in December 2010
Monthly Gathering of Seniors
Singapore
U Thein Lwin (EE, GBNF) is an alumnus of Lehigh University, USA. He taught at RIT and Singapore Polytechnic. He is the elder brother of U Myo Myint (ChE from USA), U Kyi Lwin (George, C67), U Tint Lwin (Daniel, M69) and U Thet Lwin (Henry, EE72).
Daw May Than Nwe (GBNF) stood first in Physics Honors in 1962 and joined the faculty as Assistant Lecturer.
Saya & Sayams passed away within a span of a few months.
U Tu Myint (M) studied Bachelor & Masters in the UK. He supervised the M73 students for the Hovercraft Project. He taught at RIT and Singapore Polytechnic.
U Kyaw Sein (M65, GBNF) was a moderator of Engineering Groups in Facebook.
U Tint Lwin (Daniel, M69) is Retired Associate Professor of NTU. He helped the alumni to have meetings at NTU.
U Myint Thin (M71, GBNF) is RIT Luyechun. He represented RIT in Rowing. He sponsored Sayagyi U Ba Than to attend SPZP-2007 in Singapore.
U Nyan Win Shwe (M72) is a Past President of the Burma Club. He chaired SPZP-2007.
U Tin Aung Win (M73) attends gatherings in Singapore. He joined U Tint Lwin to meet Saya U Ba Than (when he was visiting Singapore for medical check up).
Pu Zaw Pwe is a Noble Tradition that is practiced in Burma.
Thet Kyee PZP is for paying respect to the Elders. The age requirements vary.
Saya PZP is for paying respect to the sayas and sayamas. Some use the term Acariya PZP.
Thet Kyee PZP
In some places, a Senior Day is held. Transportation, Food, Entertainment and Photo-shoot are provided for Old people of all races and creeds.
Thet Kyee PZP may be held in conjunction with a Festival, e.g Thingyan or Thadinkyut. Buddhists may also pay respect physically to the Elders.
MES organized Thet Kyee PZP for Senior Engineers and Architects.
The All-Mechanical Gathering also had a program to pay respect to Thet Kyee Mechanical Engineers.
Acariya PZP
Examples :
Combined 1st BE Intake of 64 and 65
M72 (and some other Disciplines)
ICST/UCSY
Saya PZP
RIT Alumni International hosted the First RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP in San Francisco, California in October 2000. The term SPZP was chosen over Saya Ga Dawt Pwe so that Alumni of different Faith can pay back the Metta and Cetana of their mentors. I am honored to be a Core Organizer of SPZP-2000. I wrote the poem “SAYA PU ZAW PWE”. It was published in the RIT website and the Commemorative Issue of the RIT Alumni Newsletter for SPZP-2000.
Singapore hosted SPZP-2002, SPZP-2007 and SPZP-2010. Saya U Moe Aung (Tekkatho Moe War) and team published Commemorative Issue of Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saung for the SPZPs. My poem was reprinted on the Back Cover of SDYSS-2002. I wrote a poem “SWE DAW YEIK” for SDYSS-2007. I wrote an article “EE Sayas : A Sad and Short Clip” for SDYSS-2010.
Yangon hosted SPZP-2004, SPZP-2012 and SPZP-2016. Commemorative Issue of Swel Daw Yeik Magazine was published for SPZP-2012 and SPZP-2016. U Saw Lin (GBNF) was Chief Editor of SDYM-2012. Saya U Moe Aung was Chief Editor of SPZP-2016. Several Distinguished Authors (e.g Ma Sandar, Maung Sein Win — Padeegone, N Jar Thaing, Aw Pi Kye) also served as Editors.
Due to the pandemic, SPZP-2020 was canceled.
Some of the Organizers and Volunteers of the SPZPs are GBNF. They include Saya Allen Htay, Ko Saw Lin, Ko Aung Moung, Ko Than Sin Myint and Ko Robin.
Several Sayas are GBNF. They include U Ba Toke, H Num Kok, U Soe Khaw, U Khin Aung Kyi, U Thit, Dr. Mg Mg Win, S Arya, S Kyaw Aye, U Soe Lwin.
Sayas U Ba Than, U Aung Khin, Dr. Aung Gyi and U Min Win are 90+ years young. Many of our sayas are 80+ years young.
We hope to see SPZPs in the not so distant future (after the Calamities have ended).
HlaMin 