The “LSB Class of ’76 Reunion Bash 2024″ at the Eastin Hotel in Section 16 here was a nostalgic and emotional affair, as former students and teachers from La Salle Brickfields were reunited and new friendships were forged.
Present were the likes of entrepreneur Lawrence Yong Joon Leong, a schools judo champion in 1979; aircraft dealer Bahaman Mohamad Noor, who once played rugby for the country; and lawyer John Ng Keng Chuan, the 2005 Asean ParaGames table-tennis singles champion.
Then there was Reverend Father Patrick Boudville, who has had the distinction of being bestowed the title of Monsignor by the pope; and Steven Perian, the first Malaysian Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in England to be called to the Malaysian Bar.
Many others have led successful careers as pilots, bankers, surgeons, business magnates and other professionals.
Bahaman spoke of the closeness among the multiethnic and multifaith schoolboys who studied, played, ate and fought with one another like a big family. “We grew up in a colourful Malaysian environment since we were seven, and continue to (be close) today,” he said.
Alumni Chandra Gopal recalled Vespa scooter-riding teacher Denis Armstrong – a black-belt taekwondo exponent – as a sportsperson and disciplinarian who used the cane very effectively.
“Punctuality, tidiness and being industrious were the name of his game,” Chandra said of the now 86-year-old. “There was no room for compromise for rebels, who were dealt with accordingly.
“One can never forget his powerful cane lashes – you may not be able to sit for a week!”
Eddy Hon Poh Keong had fond memories of teacher Kua Beng Hock, who spent his spare time on weekends coaching athletes and helping La Salle Brickfields be the second 400m-track school in the city after Victorian Institution.
“Apart from instilling responsibilities and discipline, Kua demonstrated how to cope with setbacks and disappointments. He taught us to be competitive and to believe in ourselves – great traits we carried forward in our lives.”
Muniandy Krishnan expressed his admiration for Benedict Morais, 79, who embarked on a successful second career in accountancy and public relations upon his retirement from teaching.
“As a leader and mentor to many, Morais knows first-hand what it takes to manage and lead,” Muniandy said.
The students also paid tribute to teachers Lawrence Augustine Fernandez, Noel Chow, Victor Nesadurai, Albert Rozario, Mohd Idris Basri, Osman Nabun, Vivian James Sequerah and Ngoh Soh Mui.
‘Brother for Brother’
In addition, reunion organising chairman Basil Sylvester Francis revealed that the alumni has launched a “Brother for Brother” fund in the wake of the pandemic to assist old boys of the school who are less fortunate.
Basil also paid tribute to French missionary brothers such as Gaston Tremblay and pioneer teachers like Armstrong and Morais – “exemplary educators who groomed and moulded us to become success stories later in our lives”.
He added: “They exuded and instilled a strong sense of commitment and discipline to succeed. The foundation laid by the La Salle teachers created a strong sense of belonging among us.
“We owe a big gratitude to them for their enormous role in not just teaching and character-building in our formative years, but for continuing to inspire us to where we are today.”