Thomasians disappointed with move to rename school

I REFER to your report “New name for Kuantan’s St Thomas school” ( The Star, Nov 25).

As an alumni (Class of 19701980), I believe it is one of the premier schools in the east coast. It is known for its strict discipline, dedicated teachers, academic excellence, sportsmanship and hardworking multiracial students.

St Thomas was established in 1950 by Rev Father Louis Guittat under the order of the Marist Brothers. In 1960, it was taken over by the Brothers of St Gabriel.

It is located in the heart of Kuantan town. It was embroiled in a controversy following a legal tussle between the St Thomas Catholic Church and the Pahang state government over the 2.4ha school land along Jalan Gambut owned by the church. But the acquisition did not proceed after the state government dropped the case.

But the primary school and secondary school were forced to temporary squat at other school compounds in Kuantan in January 2014.

Although the state authorities had announced plans for a “new” school infrastructure, there was no formal communication until the recent announcement.

The Education Ministry must clarify whether this is simply a shifting of an existing school to a new location or the creation of an entirely new school.

There are thousands of St Thomas School old boys including Tengku Mahkota of Pahang Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, and his younger brother, Tengku Muda of Pahang Tengku Abdul Rahman Sultan Ahmad Shah.

Thomasians are naturally disappointed with the ministry’s proposal to rename the school – St Thomas is deemed “no longer suitable”, whatever that means.

The name St Thomas bears the iconic soul of this great school nurtured by the many dedicated tea- chers and committed students, and leadership of past dynamic and visionary headmasters.

If the Education Ministry wants to build a new school in Kuantan to cater for the education needs of a rising population, then by all means, do it.

Thomasians, as good Malaysians, support the building of new schools to provide good quality education for the society of tomorrow.

Should the name of St Thomas be “dissolved”, Thomasians will continue to cherish this great school, keeping its tradition alive through the many Thomasian annual reunions.

Stories of this great mission school will forever be told and retold for many generations to come and written in the pages of Kuantan history.

THOMASIAN CLASS OF 1970-1980 Subang Jaya