For past students of St John’s Institution (SJI), two chalkboard icons – the Fernandez brothers – are among those who remain revered.

David and his older brother, the late Vincent, were born leaders who went above and beyond in the name of education to shape young minds.

Stories about David capture the gratitude and admiration felt for the 80-year-old man, who endures as a monumental SJI character.

Vincent, later Zahari Abdullah, passed away in 2012, and yet often something comes up, something on schools hockey or radio sportscasting that makes Johannians think of him.

Their two brothers , Lawrence and Clement, who have passed on, had also made a significant contribution to the La Salle education cause in schools in Brickfields, Sentul and Petaling Jaya.

The Fernandez brothers’ vigorous promotion of the Lasallian ideal of teaching minds and touching hearts has been expressed by many as commendable.

Ozair Omar, a member of the SJI’s board of governors, said Vincent and David were teachers who gave students self-belief and “whose impact you never forget.”

“Like so many other teachers, they transformed our lives and we are forever indebted to them.”

“In sport, their biggest influence was on self-esteem,” said Ozair, 67, a past president of St John’s Alumni Association.

“And that self-worth drove academic improvement and sporting spirit because it gave us a can-do attitude.”

Last Saturday, Ozair organised a reunion of 50 students from the class of ’74, with David and two teachers from his era, Phuah Seng Teong and Peh Cheng Hoe, taking centrestage.

Alumni adviser David said: “This group of past students is special in the sense that they meet every year, some coming from abroad, in a celebration of human relationship.

“To be able to meet them every year in such numbers is a special blessing that I shall treasure.”

Today, David, SJI’s longest-serving teacher, will make the closing speech at the royal gala to mark 120 years of the school on Jalan Bukit Nanas.

“It’s an honour for me to paint the picture of SJI’s role in nation-building, to relate its great achievements and to speak about outstanding personalities,” said David.

Royal alumnus, Perak’s Sultan Nazrin Shah, a former student of both Vincent and David, will grace the event that will also see 38 retired teachers and over 650 people in attendance.

Fernandez field and Fernandez Cup

The Fernandez field of SJI and the annual Fernandez Cup football tournament for former students are named after Vincent and David, who cultivated an interest in sports among Johannians.

Vincent was the hockey coach while David coached the school’s football and softball teams, both bringing glory to SJI at state and national levels.

“What a beautiful thing it is for a school field and a football championship to bear our names.

“It never stops feeling special seeing as Vincent and I were both students and teachers at SJI,” said David.

He said competitions at the field were a guarantee of joy, especially when the school song rang loud, starting with ‘Cheer, cheer and courage display’, and ending with ‘onward to victory’.

David noted that the Fernandez Cup, which is open to former students aged 35 years and above, has remained a sought-after event, largely due to the efforts of the Johannian Sports Club.

Firecracker of a teacher

For many students, David’s reputation alone was enough to instil fear into the idle and quell the unruly.

He barely had to do anything to keep order. His arrival for class, his imposing physique, forceful personality and a voice to match caused the students to fall silent, instantly.

David touched the lives of numerous secondary students through his mathematics classes and sports coaching from 1968 until 2012.

La Salle schools chronicler, Benedict Morais, said David was the dreaded discipline master, but also the teacher who smiled with a smile that warmed students on the inside.

“On the field or at school assemblies, David could replicate a regimental sergeant-major’s commanding voice.

“Sometimes, I wonder if David chose the wrong profession. Had he joined the army, he would surely have risen to become a senior officer.”

Morais said David was a pillar of SJI and served as a close confidante to six brother directors (principals) including brothers Basilian Wong and Lawrence Spitzig.

“David remains a great ambassador for the noble Lasallian ethos, traditions and values. Even after his retirement, he is still called upon to assist at some school events.”

Last year, he received the Eagle Award for his contributions to the old boys’ association.

Vintage Vincent

Morais said Vincent carried out teaching and coaching with a passion and intensity rarely seen these days by sports officials and coaches.

“That is because he had a disarming, relaxed and easy-going manner,” said Morais, 79, an alumnus of SJI and a friend of the Fernandez brothers.

He said Vincent served for many years as sports secretary at the school and was well-known as a credible and successful hockey coach, winning many trophies.

Vincent was also a household name to many in Malaysia in another capacity.

He was a popular and competent sports presenter for Radio Malaysia, doing live commentaries, daily round-ups on Arena Sukan and being the frontman for Sunday Sports Talk.

Morais said Vincent had upon retirement contributed tremendously to keep the school’s old boys’ association active.

“He only gave up that task when he fell gravely ill. His part in keeping the association alive was then taken over by David, who served as vice-president for many years, and now serves as its adviser,” he noted.

The Brothers Four

Morais described the Fernandez brothers as “the indefatigable brothers”.

He said: “I do not think there has ever been four brothers who have made such a selfless and sizeable contribution to the La Salle education cause of delivering education to the last, the lost and the least.”

The Fernandez siblings consisted of six males and two females, four of whom took up teaching as a profession.

Lawrence was the eldest in the family, followed by Vincent, who was the fourth, David, the fifth, and Clement, the sixth in the family.

Vincent, David, and Clement qualified as teachers from St Joseph’s Training College in Penang, which was set up in the 1960s to train old boys to become teachers.

Lawrence taught initially at La Salle primary in Brickfields from the mid-1950s, and later became the principal before serving in the same position at the La Salle primary in Sentul.

In his spare time on Saturday mornings, he provided free tuition in math to underprivileged students, and persuaded Morais to provide free English language lessons for these students.

For giving much to education, he was conferred the status of auxiliary De La Salle brother.

Morais said Clement, in many ways, mirrored the manner and achievements of his elder brothers.

Besides being a general science teacher at the La Salle secondary school in Petaling Jaya, Clement coached the athletics and football teams.

“There was another compassionate and caring side to Clement. He initiated weekend seminars for married couples at St Francis Xavier’s Church in Petaling Jaya and kept it going for many years,” said Morais.

“The brothers were teachers who could not stop teaching and born leaders who would make one sit up straight just thinking about them,” said Morais.