New Straits Times, July 11, 2004
A Brother beyond compare

By Koh Soo Ling

A LA Sallian Brother was recently honoured with The Order of Canada for six decades of dedication towards the people of Southeast Asia as a teacher and school administrator. He talks to KOH SOO LING on the value of serving others.

IN October last year, Canadian-born Brother Lawrence Spitzig, a retired teacher and a former principal of St John's Institution in Kuala Lumpur, had the pleasant surprise of his life.

The 86-year-old was informed that he was to be decorated with a coveted award - The Order of Canada - by Governor-General of Canada Adrienne Clarkson for his six decades of dedication towards the people of Southeast Asia as a teacher and school administrator.

It is Canada's highest civilian honour, awarded to those who adhere to the Order's motto Desiderantes Meliorem Patriam meaning "they desire a better country".

It was created on July 1, 1967, on the country's 100th anniversary, to recognise Canadians who have made a difference to Canada. The Queen of Canada is Sovereign of the Order and the Governor-General is its Chancellor and Principal Companion.

Spitzig, an unassuming man, was invested into the Order of Canada in February this year at Rideau Hall, Ottawa, Canada.

Fondly known as Brother Lawrence, Spitzig plays down his achievement.

"No matter how lowly a person is, he can still use his talents and gifts to serve others."

Originating from Toronto, Spitzig became a temporary La Salle Brother in 1935.

"I joined the Brothers because I felt attracted to their way of life and their unconditional commitment to a great cause - education. I wanted to be a teacher just like them.

"Normally a brother is not transferred to another country. However, I heard a talk given in 1937 about schools in Malaya, Hong Kong and Singapore which needed volunteers. So I put in my name with three other brothers, Anthony Knoll, Michael Blais and Gaston Trembley. That's how I ended up in Malaya and in St John's Institution many years later."

Within a few weeks, this adventurous quartet was mission-bound and on arrival in Singapore, were quickly assigned to various schools. Spitzig was put in charge of Standard II B at St Joseph's Institute, Singapore.

In 1941, Spitzig was told that he would be transferred to St John's Institution. Armed with an indomitable spirit and a willingness to serve, Spitzig stepped into a new phase of life.

War clouds were gathering at this time and Spitzig was required to take on night patrol duties as an air raid warden.

Night patrols were from 8pm till midnight and from midnight till 6am. Despite this, Spitzig did not neglect his teaching duties.

Then it happened. A squad of soldiers fell in just outside St John's church and arrested five civilians. Spitzig was one of them.

White-faced students stared as the five were hoisted onto a military truck. One little boy from Spitzig's class broke ranks and elbowed his way through the military guards.

He cried out, "Where are you going, Brother Lawrence?"

Spitzig answered, "I don't know."

Choking with emotion, the little boy pleaded, "You can't leave us. We need you."

But it was World War Two in Malaya and Spitzig was sent to Pudu prison.

From his prison cell, he could hear rickshaw bells and music from the kopitiam. Most of all, he could hear the sound of free people.

Later, Spitzig became a prisoner of war (PoW) in Changi, Singapore from 1941 to 1943 during the Japanese occupation, for the simple fact that he held a British passport.

It was during this time that his endeavour to survive and to serve, reigned supreme in his mind.

Spitzig recalls: "As a PoW, I suffered from starvation. I could not communicate with home. I stayed at D-3-1 (Block D, third floor, cell 1).

Letters bearing news of the war were undelivered until the end of the war.

At the time, A. R. Payne, the then Director of Education in Malaya, was deeply concerned about the juveniles in prison.

"Two Gabriellite Brothers, Brother Vincent and Brother Adolphus, started a school in prison for young boys. It was there that I first started teaching boys with disciplinary problems and I made a professional commitment in Changi Prison to become a teacher."

Spitzig's passion for humankind went beyond education. He got involved in medicine as well.

During the war, there was a great shortage of medicine and British doctors and trainers were imprisoned. So there was a need for orderlies (hospital attendants) to join medical training centres to train people for nursing duties like bed-bathing and caring for the elderly.

"There was a very wealthy man from England who was a PoW in Changi Prison. He developed a skin disease and needed intensive care. We took turns to nurse him. He was really bad tempered and flew into a rage when orderlies took over," said Spitzig.

"The chief medical officer asked for three volunteers to help nurse him. Without hesitation, Arthur West, Jimmy Erskine and myself took it upon ourselves to feed him and wash his big blisters.

"Every Monday, bandages were removed from the upper part of his body. The new blisters had to be pricked, soiled bandages put into an empty tin can and then boiled to disinfect them.

"On Tuesdays, we carried out the same routine for the lower part of his body. On Wednesdays, it was the upper part of the body again. We had to reuse the bandages again and again. We all learnt what it meant to care for others."

Six months before the end of the war, the Japanese decided to move 5,000 civilian prisoners to a prison camp called Sime Road in Singapore.

"There were 52 attap shacks and we occupied these shacks. Teaching the boys became more difficult then. We had to go look for the boys in the shacks if they did not come for classes."

Later, Spitzig was repatriated from Sime Road to Canada via Liverpool aboard a small New Zealand military supply ship with no frills called the Monawai.

From Liverpool, Spitzig boarded the Queen Mary 1 to Canada. It was believed to be the biggest ship at that time and was formerly a passenger ship which had become a military ship. It crossed the Atlantic ocean in three days and 21 hours.

Sharing a special bond with young people, Spitzig's forte has always been teaching. He taught English, literature, history and religion.

One significant case was J. Blaikie, a Eurasian schoolboy whose son later became a La Sallian Brother. After that, Spitzig went all out to champion education matters.

In 1954, he was made the principal of St John's Institution. He took charge for six years. In 1960, he was transferred to St Xavier's Institution, Penang as principal.

In 1967, he became a principal in La Salle Secondary school in Petaling Jaya. From 1974-78, he carried out administative work for the brothers.

In 1978, he was transferred back to St John's as director and principal. Finally in 1983, he retired.

But Spitzig's tireless contribution to teaching did not stop. After 1983, he became interested in schools in rural areas in Sabah.

Sonsogon, a small village, caught his attention. It had no piped water, hospitals, doctors, schools or clinics.

Spitzig says: "I used to wear a fully black gown but because it was hot, I changed it to a white one. We started bringing in medicine and provisions for the villagers in Sonsogon.

"After a few years with support from benefactors, we started a one-room school and used it as a chapel. This doubled up as a classroom for the children.

"The nearest hostel was at Kota Marudu which housed 45 children and was run by Franciscan Sisters. These sisters supervised them and sent them to national schools.

"Nobody wanted to come into the interior to teach the children. If it rained, trails became muddy. We raised enough money to build a hostel in the interior. The aim was that in the next five years, as many children aspossible could go to schools. We made use of Landrovers with winches to get through the muddy trails."

What is Spitzig's motto? Fide Labore. This is the zeal and faith for spiritual things. It is the passion, understanding and concern for others.

There was a case where a student's father died and that prompted the student to leave school. But St John's Institution provided him with a scholarship to complete his studies and he later went to Europe to start an art gallery. That, to Spitzig, is an example of Fide Labore.

An early riser - at 6am - who ends his day at about midnight, Spitzig lives life one day at a time.

How does he feel about St John's Institution's 100th-year celebration?

Excitedly, Spitzig says, "This is quite a distinction. Few schools in Malaysia can boast 100 years of educational achievement. Imagine the
thousands of young people who have benefited from this style of education.

"St John's Institution is not a `filling station'. It is a formation centre. A place where young minds and lives are shaped as we impart knowledge and spiritual values to them."

To Spitzig, the perils in life are but challenges. To overcome difficulties is to make a mark on the lives of others.

Perhaps Spitzig's achievements can be encapsulated in the following lines:

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And departing leave behind us
Footsteps on the sands of time;
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

* kohsl@salam.uitm.edu.my
* The writer is an Associate of the Office of Academic Affairs and an Associate Professor at the Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam

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