A  Brief History of St.Anthony’s School,Teluk Intan  

          The Founding Fathers and the Lasallian                                         Directors

Our Alma Mater had its humble beginnings in a wooden shack which was known as the Vianney Tamil School ion 2^nd February 1932 and it was situated in the compound of St.Anthony’s Catholic Church,Teluk Anson (Teluk Intan). The founder of this humble cradle of learning  was a zealous French missionary  priest,Father Bonamy. There were no primary classes at that time and the primary schoolchildren  were under the tutelage of the Convent  HIJ, Teluk Anson.

In 1935, Mr Keir,Inspector of Schools,Perak, recorded that there were 30 boys under two teachers at St.Anthony’s.There were 8,8,5,5 and 4 pupils in Standard One  to Five  respectively. His Excellency  Bishop Devals was pleasantly  surprised the next year to note that enrolment had risen to 52. Our Alma Mater  is name after St Anthony of Padua (Italy). He is one of the most revered saints in  Catholic iconology. He is greatly admired for his charitable work for the poor and for his love of children. He is also ranked as one of the greatest preachers and educators in the history of Christianity.Truly he can be regarded as one of the most eloquent practitioners of “CARITAS NON FICTA” – our school motto.

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ST.ANTHONY’S SCHOOL  (1940s)

Under the next Parish Priest, Rev.Father John Edmond, the school continued to make rapid progress . Soon further classes were opened  on the ground floor of the parochial house,  known in later years as the Assumption (Private) School. It was Father Edmond who acquired the land across the road (Jalan Sekolah), the present site  of our school .It then had six classrooms  and it was ready in January 1941. The main block was opened  at 5 p.m. on January 27^th 1941 by British Reident, the Honorable Mr Marcus Rex, CMG. The school now afforded accommodation for classes from the Primary School up to  (Secondary)  Standard VII.

THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION (1941-1945)

The Imperial Japanese Army closed St.Anthony’s School and established its camp therein. Hundreds of Japanese soldiers were billeted at St.Anthony.

 THE LASALLE BROTHERS

Rev.Father John Edmond strove to re-open the school because he had to face several financial and teacher shortage problems. This was the time of the visit to Malaya of Rev.Brother Lawrence O’Toole, Assistant Superior-General of the worldwide Lasallian   brotherhood. In June 1947 , there were 333 pupils.By January the next year  four classes on the right wing  were ready and the number rose to 351. Rev.Bro. Matthias Patrick (1940-50) took over from Rev.Bro Finan Owen (1947-1949)  as the secomd Director of St.Anthony’s. A second extension, this time on the left wing was undertaken and completed before he left and another four classrooms were added to the school. In 1950, Rev.Bro.Henry (1950=55) took over from Rev.Bro.Patrick.In January, 122 boys were admitted and the year ended with 474 on the rolls in 1951. A third extensionon  became necessary in continuation of the second on the left wing  to provide accommodation for another 300 boys. In September 1952 work was started and by the beginning of the next year , the boys moved in. The complete building was 110 yards  long with 11 classrooms  to each floor. In  1952,  the Old Boys Association  was founded.  In March 1953, the Brothers Quarters was provided for on the upper floor of the left wing. Adjacent to these quarters  were an ornate chapel and a spacious study room.  In 1954, enrolment grew to 798.

BROTHER DENIS  (1956-1960)

 Under his tenure, St.Anthony’s grew in size  and stature to become the most highly  accredited English-medium school in Lower Perak. Bro Denis required a two-acre plot at the junction  of Anderson Road and Jalan Syed Abu Bakar .This became our school field.

BROTHER ALBAN DE ROZARIO  (1952 – 1965)

It was during Rev.Bro.Alban de Rozario’s stewardship that a basketball court was built. In addition, a 3-acre site was acquired along Jalan Sungei Nibong for the relocation of our primary school. Brother Alban was a strict and grim figure whose dour mien masked a great love for the education of young people. The school grew in educational stature under his leadership.

BROTHER DAMIAN OLIVER ( 1965 – 1973)

Under his dynamic leadership, St Anthony emerged as one of Malaysia’s outstanding schools,particularly in the sciences and at English studies.Brother Damian established St.Anthony’s Sixth Form Centre. The school library and the laboratories were updated.The crowning moment of his career at St.Anthony’s was the completion of the  new School Hall which today bears his name. Of his achievements it can fittingly be said:

                                  “Bliss it was in that dawn for be alive

                                   But to be young was very heaven.”

BROTHER KEVIN  (1973- 1976)

He took over from Brother Damian in 1973.Under his leadership,the number of students  increased and the school continued to be noted for its academic excellence.

BROTHER OLIVER ROGERS (1976)

Brother Oliver was the last Lasalle brother to be the Director of  our Alma Mater. The story of St.Anthony’s moves on.Let us hope that the future principals, teachers and students of this great school will live up to the hope and promise of  our founding fathers.      

Blogger Louis Rozario Doss (Old Boy & Past Principal)
email:louisrozariodoss@yahoo.co.uk
hp 010-3905011

Memories of Brother Damian Oliver, FSC   

by  Mr P.Manoharan

(This tribute to Brother Damian Oliver is written by Anthonian  Mr Manoharan Palaniappan  who studied at SASTI  from 1962 to 1965 (Form 2 to Form 5). Mr Mano as he is popularly known is also a former member of the Anthonian teaching staff (1970 - 1972). He has had a distinguished career in the Malaysian Education Service, having served as Guru Cemerlang (Specialist Expert Teacher) in Biology at Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Ipoh (1974 - 2002). His last post before retirement was as Principal of SMK Seri Putera,Ipoh.)

Brother Damian Oliver will always be cherished in my life. During my school days at St.Anthony's , Teluk Intan, I had the rich benefit of being his student at Biology and Chemistry. Brother Damian did everything he did with a gusto that was the delight of his classes. Even in the days when there was no video clip or overhead projector in the classroom,let alone the computer, Brother Damian brought vivacity and animation to the classroom by his sheer power of narration in the best English.  

   In 1965, I left for India for my higher studies and after graduation, I  took up appointment in a business organization named Industrial Realty Group (INRS).  Prior to this I had applied for a teaching appointment at St Michael's Institution,Ipoh.  While my application letter lay in the Director's desk at St Michael's, it so happened that Brother Damian now the Director of St Anthony's was also hunting for a Biology teacher for the Sixth Form at our alma mater. I later learned that it was Brother Damian's custom to make frequent visits to St Michael's in Ipoh in order to study the file on job applications. Thus it was that in 1970, Brother Damian spotted my name and application letter. When he saw that I  was an Anthonian, you will not believe what he did to hunt me down! Along with a clerk from St Michael's ,Brother Damian (without GPS!) personally tracked me down to my address in Buntong which was then a huge Indian and Chinese settlement. Only an indefatigable champion of St Anthony's would have been equal to such a task in those times. That was the kind of man Brother Damian was!

    I taught at St Anthony's for one and a half years  before I was admitted to the University of Malaya to do the Diploma in Education. Brother Damian was not one to block the pathway for my academic promotion. He was not interested in exploiting me to the school's advantage. He cared about me enough to let me go in search of professional upgrading. 

    Yes, I am writing to say that without Brother Damian my entire lifeline would have been different. I am a teacher to this day because of such a great Lasallian educator. It was bliss to have lived in his shadow.     

A Note on Mr Manoharan  

Mr Manoharan is a legendary name as a Biology teacher at SPM/STPM and A-Level. He continues to be a great promoter of the subject in Ipoh and beyond.

Writer Mr P.Manoharan (R) with blogger Louis Rozario Doss (L) 

Father John Edmond 

Fr John Edmond is another great name in the history of St Anthony’s School,Teluk Intan. It was he who strove to give the school its new home in Jalkan Sekolah opposite the church. It was also Father Edmond who managed to get the Lasallian Brothers to take over the administration of the school.The story of our school might have been avery different one if not for the vision of Father John Edmond…..

Here are the basic biodata facts on this remarkable priest who was also known as the “Tony Curtis” of Teluk Intan.

  Born : Penang

Parents: Mr & Mrs Arokiasamy Pillai (Singapore)

JE was their only son.

Ordained: By Mgsr Perrichon, at the Church of St Anthony Kuala Lumpur on 21^st Oct 1928 

Educated at St Joseph’s Institution,Singapore

Joined major seminary,Pulau Tikus 1921

The early years...

The St. Anthony's School had its humble beginnings way back in 1932, in a wooden shack adjoining the St Anthony's Catholic Church. The founder of this humble cradle of learning was a zealous French missionary priest, Father Bonamy. The School was named after St. Anthony of Padua, Italy - one of the most revered saints of the Catholics - greatly admired for his charitable work for the poor and for his love of children. St. Anthony is regarded as the most eloquent practitioners of 'CARITAS NON FICTA', the school motto.

In March 1936, Rev Father John Edmond succeeded Father Bonamy as Parish Priest and Headmaster of St. Anthony's, Telok Anson. Young and dashing, Father Edmond worked with boundless energy and managed to secure the land across the road from the Church. On this piece of land was built the first six classrooms in one block. The main block was opened on 27 January 1941 by British Resident, the Hon. Mr Marcus Rex, CMG.
In 1943 with the outbreak of World War II, the Japanese Imperial Army closed St. Anthony's School and made it a camp for hundreds of its soldiers. It was to remain that way till 1945 when the Japanese surrendered and Malaya came under the British Millitary Administration.

Fr John Edmond  with Anthonian Victor Rao (R) on the grounds of the Church of Our Ladyof Lourdes,Silibin,Ipoh circa 1950s 

In the face of severe financial and manpower problems, Rev. Father Edmond strove to reopen the School. During this time, Father Edmond learned of the visit to Malaya of Bro. Lawrance O'Toole, Assistant Superior-General of the La Sallian Order in Rome. Father Edmond met Bro. Lawrance in Penang and urged him to send the La Sallian Brothers to manage and guide St. Anthony's. Thus began a bold new chapter in the history of St. Anthony's.

The early La Sallian years were tended by Rev. Bro. Finan Owen (1947-1949), Rev. Bro. Mathias Patrick (1949-1950) and Rev. Bro. Henry (1950-1955).

From 1956 to 1960 the School came under the care of Rev. Bro. Denis Hyland, the former director of St. Michael's Institution, Ipoh. During his tenure, St. Anthony's grew in size and stature to become the most highly accredited English medium school in Lower Perak. Rev. Bro. Denis was instrumental in acquiring for the School, a 2-acre piece of land at the junction of Anderson Road and Jalan Syed Abu Bakar, which became our School field.

In 1962, Rev. Bro. Alban D'Rozario was appointed Director. He was Director of St. Patrick's Institution Singapore prior to his arrival at St. Anthony's. Remembered as a disciplinarian, Rev.Bro. Alban was responsible for building the School basketball court and acquiring a 3-acre site along Jalan Sungei Nibong for the relocation of our Primary School.

Perhaps the most fondly remembered of all our directors, Rev. Bro. Damian Oliver assumed stewardship of St. Anthony's in 1965. A Cambridge educated biologist, Rev. Bro. Damian took St. Anthony's to new heights. The School emerged to be one of Malaysia's outstanding schools particularly in the sciences and in English language studies. Rev.Bro. Damian established the St. Anthony's Sixth Form Centre, updated the School Library and laboratories. The crowning of his career was the completion of the new School Hall which today bears his name.

Rev. Bro. Damian left St. Anthony's on July 1, 1975 after 13 glorious years to take up directorship of St. George's Institution, Taiping.

Blogger Louis Rozario Doss ,old boy of SMK  St Anthony (1962-64) and past Principal (1996-98)
email louisrozariodoss@yahoo.co.uk or call HP 010-3905011 

Fr Michel Bonamy 

Born: Nantes,France  1902

Ordained 1927 at the Seminary of the Paris Foreign Mission (MEP)

Died aged 54 in Singapore 14^th May 1957

Last post: Vicar-General of the Malacca  Diocese (inc Singapore)

                                            The story of the Catholic priest who founded our alma mater is a colourful and inspiring one. Father Michel Bonamy was a man of boundless energy who was destined for high office within the Catholic Church in Malaya. He was  educated in France and spent some years in India studying Tamil in order to prepare for missionary work among the Tamil-speaking people of the Malay Peninsula. He is described as a fluent speaker in Tamil.

                                            Upon arrival in Malaya in 1927, he was posted as Assistant Parish Priest of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd in Singapore. He served at this post for a year before he was posted to the Federated Malay States for nearly 30 years.His missionary work took place mainly in Kuala Lumpur, Teluk Anson and Sungei Petani.

                                          Father Bonamy  served as Parish Priest at the Church of St.Anthony, Teluk Anson, from 1931 to 1934. He founded our school in 1931 with 11 pioneer pupils. The final impetus for the completion of the new school building came from Father John Edmond who served as Parish Priest from 1936 to 1947. It was also Father John Edmond who made the strongest efforts to get the Lasalle Brothers to run the school. The transfer of the school administration to the La Salle Brothers took place under Father Arokianathan (1947-1949). In later years, Father Matthias Ki (1959-70) started St.Anthony’s School,Langkap. 

                                          Now let us return to the subject of Father Bonamy. When he arrived in Teluk Anson in 1931, this town was virtually the capital of South Perak which covered the entire area from Tapah-Bidor to Bagan Datoh as well as Sitiawan-Lumut and Ipoh.This was the vast area covered by Fr Bonamy as a missionary priest. Travel from Teluk Anson to Sitiawan-Lumut was by boat while much of the rest of the hinterland was travelled by motorcycle. The founder of our school was a man of stamina noted not only for his rugged, handsome looks but was a man of deep religious faith and personal piety. He was clearly being earmarked for greatness in his priestly vocation.

                                        Father R.Girard, personal secretary to Archbishop Michel Olcomendy of Malacca-Singapore (1950s-60s)  was Father Bonamy’s classmate at the seminary in Paris where they were both trained for the priesthood. Father Girard recalls: “ He was a priest much admired and beloved of his parishioners. He drove himself very hard as a missionary, visiting homes and especially the sick.”    

                                        In 1941, Father Bonamy returned to Singapore as Parish Priest of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. He was to remain at this post until he was appointed Vicar-General of the diocese of Singapore-Malacca (the second highest post in the Catholic Church in Malaya). He was clearly destined to be the future Archbishop of the Catholic Church in Malaya. But it was not be. From the age of 50, Fr Bonamy suffered a heart ailment which took his life at the age of 54.

                                        His memory is special to us at St Anthony’s. He was a firm believer in the best education for the young. He was a man of deep religious faith. He also believed that young people achieve great things through self-discipline and the inspiration of their educators.

(A Note on Other Priests of Note who served in Teluk Anson)

Father  Rene Michel  Marie Fee ,founder of the parish of St Anthony Teluk Anson was Parish Priest 1894 – 1896. He was installed as Bishop  of Singapore on 22 November 1898

Father Louis Perrichon  Parish Priest  (1896-1900) became Auxiliary Bishop of Malacca.

Blogger Louis Rozario Doss  past Principal
of SMK St Anthony (1996-98) is currently Head
of A Levels at Tenby International School Ipoh

Father Dominic Vendargon  ,Parish Priest (1950-51)  became the first Bishop of Kuala Lumpur in 1955.

Father Antony Selvanayagam, an old boy of st Anthony’s School,Teluk Intan, was appointed Bishop of Penang in the 1980s, a post he held until his retirement in 2014. 
(Contact: Blogger email: louisrozariodoss@yahoo.co.uk Hp 010-3905011)

              Calling all Anthonians! 

This blogspot is our rallying point to cherish and appreciate the great days we shared at our alma mater. Your memories, thoughts and pictures will be an invaluable resource for a forthcoming souvenir book on "Our Anthonian Story". The Anthonian Alumni will spearhead this project under the able tutelage of prominent Anthonian lawyer,Mr S.Santhana Dass.

         Jog your memories to share your thoughts and pictures. Write about the great and no-so-great moments that you wish to immortalise. Write tributes to the great teachers who inspired ypou......Brother Damian Oliver......Mr Teoh Boon Jim..........Mr Toh Soon Guan..........Tuan Hj Azahari.......Mr Kong Thye Soon.......Cikgu Tajuddin................Mr Anthony Au.......Mr Kong Fook Keomg........Mr Sothilingam.............Mr Arumuhgam...............dont't forget the inimitable Mr Anthony Kee .........the names are legion! 

Send your posts to  me at louisrozariodoss@yahoo.co.uk. Call me at HP 010-3905011 for a chat on what's up............  
                                       CARITAS NON FICTA

                      Louis Rozario Doss
               Anthonian (1960s)
               Currently : Head of Sixth Form 
                                   Tenby International School Ipoh.     

Father Bonamy
The French missionary priest who founded St Anthony's School,Teluk Intan in 1937. He belonged to the MEP ( Paris Foreign Mission) and was the parish priest of St,Anthony's Church,Teluk Intan. Anthonians salute the far-sightedness and vision of this missionary who brought a new brand of education to Lower Perak. 

Dewan Damian (Damian Hall) erected by the late Brother Damian Oliver (Director, 1970s) is a standing monument to Brother Damia's sterling leadership of what used to be one of Malaysia's most promising schools. 

(Pic L to R:  Rt Rev Sebastian Francis (Bishop of Penang),
Y Bhg Dato' Chong Paik Kee, Director of Social Welfare Services Perak, Fr.Michael Dass and Mr Louis Rozario Doss (former Principal, SMK St Anthony)
.The occasion was Family Day Food Fair at the CWS Home for Senior Citizens, Kampung Simee,Ipoh on 4 May 2014)   

        (Blogger contact email: louisrozariodoss@yahoo.co.uk or call Hp 010-3905011)