La Salle Alumni dinner honours La Salle Brothers
KOTA KINABALU: The Association of Ex-Students of La Salle and Sacred Heart (La Salle Alumni) held its 57th annual dinner on Saturday night and celebrated 60 years of the La Salle Brothers’ presence in Sabah and their contributions to the state’s education.
Special guests at the dinner included some of the first batch of Form Five students of SM La Salle - the Class of 1958.
Guest of honour, Anthony John Wong, was one of the alumni of the Class of 1958 and he congratulated La Salle Alumni for their dedication to the school. He added that with the future relocation of the SK Sacred Heart, the alumni committee will have their hands full.
“As the relocation project will be a major one, I urge all members to please do their part and help out,” Wong said.
Patron of La Salle and Sacred Heart, Brother Justin Mobilik, in his speech, said that he was proud to see the spirit of St La Salle still strong in the La Salle Alumni.
“Achieving dreams together is still working because of the spirit,” he said, adding that it was also possible because of the values that the school’s teachers have imbibed in their students.
“The spirit must live on. Enjoy whatever you are doing but don’t forget your alumni,” Brother Justin urged.
Meanwhile, La Salle Alumni president Lasallian Herman Yee, in his welcoming speech extended the alumni’s gratitude to the La Salle Brothers for their contribution since arriving in Sabah in 1958.
“Brother Charles O’Leary, Brother Raphael Egan and Brother Thomas Carney took over the education of students in Sacred Heart primary school and La Salle secondary school. We are indeed indebted to the pioneers and all the La Salle Brothers who came after them for giving us the opportunity and privilege to be educated in the holistic Lasallian way,” he said.
Yee said the passion and dedication of the late Brother Peter Phelan and the late Brother Datuk Charles O’Leary who served unstintingly in Sabah have inspired him.
Their dedication and sacrifices over the years have resulted in the growth of a large and diverse network of a Lasallian fraternity in Sabah, he pointed out.
“Let us continue with more commitment and pay it forward by giving back to our Alma Mater,” said Yee, adding that the alumni’s dream of acquiring the Sri Murni apartments, which began in 2009, is finally achieved this year.
“Our sincerest and most heartfelt thanks to all donors and contributors for making this dream a reality,” he said.
Yee added that the alumni’s future plans are to establish an English learning centre and to set up a scholarship fund for students as they aim to continue their efforts to make La Salle a much sought after institution of learning for all while at the same time reaching out to the underprivileged.