We are all ONE.
When One is harmed, all are harmed.
When One is helped, all are Healed.

Sunday Star, Opinion, Sunday, December 9, 2007
One or two MPs do not make Malaysia
Recent remarks from Barisan MPs about missionary schools can best be described as irresponsible and ignorant.

The Star, Saturday, December 8, 2007
Bishop lauds cross assurance
PETALING JAYA: The Christian Federation of Malaysia has lauded the Education Ministry for its assurance that crosses and religious images in missionary schools in the country will stay.

The Star, Friday, December 7, 2007
Relief for all mission schools
KOTA KINABALU: Mission schools and Christian groups in the state here heaved a collective sigh of relief when it was decided that the schools could continue displaying crosses in their compounds.

New Straits Times, Tuesday, December 5, 2007
Mission schools' controversy
BARISAN Nasional MP Syed Hood Syed Edros has come out in defence of his controversial mission schools speech in the Dewan Rakyat last Oct 29.

The Star, Tuesday, December 5, 2007
MP defends proposal on crosses
PARIT Sulong MP Syed Hood Syed Edros defended his proposal to remove the crosses and images in missionary schools, saying he raised the issue to seek clarification from the Education Ministry.

The Sun, Tuesday, December 4, 2007
I was merely voicing public concerns: Syed Hood
Syed Hood Syed Edros (BN- Parit Sulong) has defended his Oct 29 debate in the Dewan Rakyat (Parliament) in which he questioned the display of images of Jesus, Mary and crosses in mission schools.

New Straits Times, Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Dewan Rakyat: Christian images to stay
THE Education Ministry will not remove the cross and other Christian images from mission schools.

The Star , Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Noh: Crosses won’t be removed
CROSSES in Christian missionary schools will not be removed.

Malaysiakini.com, Monday, December 3, 2007
Crucifixes can stay in mission schools
The Education Ministry has assured that crucifixes displayed in mission schools will not be taken down.

Malaysia Today, Monday, December 3, 2007
Demand for removal of Christian cross and demolition of Christian statues
Demand for removal of Christian cross and demolition of Christian statues in mission schools signs of growing intolerance and increasing extremism inimical to successful nation-building.

Pahlawan Volunteers, Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Call to sack two ignorant MPs with immediate effect
Pahlawan Volunteers calls on UMNO to sack two ignorant MPs with immediate effect to restore public confidence in the Government the rakyat voted in.

Malay Mail, Monday, November 19, 2007
Three mission schools get govt aid
THREE Christian mission schools received RM450,000 in financial aid from the Education Ministry to repair and upgrade facilities.

Malay Mail, Monday, November 12, 2007
Christian mission schools to continue operating
CHRISTIAN mission schools in Sarawak must continue operations to contribute to nation-building despite the financial burden to run them, a State Cabinet Minister said.

The Star, October 23, 2007
Mission schools in need of funds
The Malayan Christian Schools Council (MCSC) hopes the Education Ministry will provide more aid to mission schools throughout the country.

New Straits Times, Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Set up governors' panels
MAY I congratulate Education Minister Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein and his ministry for adopting the concept of cluster schools.

New Straits Times, Tuesday, May 3, 2005
90-year-old St George's needs help
I WOULD like to thank Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein for announcing recently that schools more than 100 years old will be recognised under a programme to be implemented by the ministry.

Sunday Star, Nation, May 1, 2005
Aid for mission schools lauded
The National Union of Teaching Profession lauds the Education Ministry's move to help mission schools under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

The Star, Nation, Saturday, April 30, 2005
Mission schools to get special aid
Mission schools will be given specific development assistance under the Ninth Malaysia Plan as part of the efforts to strengthen national schools, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said.

The Star, Nation, Saturday, April 23, 2005
Alumni: Retain our heritage
Changes made to the names of SK Assunta 1's sports houses and colour of its school tie have sparked off strong reactions from the school's alumni and others who want the ethos and character of the school to be preserved.

The Star, Nation, Monday, April 18, 2005
Spell out plan for old schools
The Education Ministry has been urged to elaborate on its plan to help schools of over 100 years to continue producing students with excellent results.

Sunday Star, Nation, April 17, 2005
Help for mission schools too
Devastated during World War II, the rebuilt St Xavier's Institution (SXI) is trying hard to retain its 153-year-old tradition started by the La Salle Brothers in 1852.

Sunday Mail, January 9, 2005
Convent Light Street - Penang
THE first such school to be established for girls in Malaysia was the Convent Light Street in Penang in 1851.

New Straits Times, September 9, 2004
Alumni must chip in to save Parit Buntar school
IT has been a while since I last set foot in Parit Buntar. Although I have made several trips to Penang, the thought of making a detour to this town of my birthplace never crossed my mind because there is little to see.

New Straits Times, July 30, 2004
A memorable day for two longest-serving nuns
KUALA LUMPUR, Thurs. - For Brede Forde, 90, and Anna Deledalle, 82, two longest-serving nuns at the Infant Jesus Convent, today was a day to remember as church members, former teachers, principals and other support staff celebrated their long service and dedication at a function in Cheras.

The Star, Nation, July 17, 2004
Respect ethos of mission schools, D-G tells principals
School heads must respect the ethos and character of mission schools, and not act indiscriminately by removing crosses and other fixtures from the schools.

Malay Mail, July 12, 2004
Good training in mission schools
SIBU: Schools started by Catholic missionaries in Sarawak are places to get good training in discipline, Chief Minister Tan Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud said yesterday.

New Straits Times, July 12, 2004
Training ground for discipline
SIBU: Schools started by Catholic missionaries in Sarawak are places to get good training in discipline, Chief Minister Tan Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud said yesterday.

New Sunday Times, July 11, 2004
Grande dame of mission schools turns 100
SEKOLAH Menengah Kebangsaan St John Kuala Lumpur, or St John's Institution, turned 100 this year. Among its distinguished old boys are the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Education Minister Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein.
A Brother beyond compare
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.

Sunday Star, Star Education, July 4, 2004
A bit of history
About mission schools in Malaysia.
Mission to preserve legacy
School heads need to understand and respect the heritage of mission schools.
Preparing students for life
Children from mission schools leave with a certain X-factor that makes them great leaders.

New Straits Times, June 24, 2004
Raising funds for 100-year-old St John's
SEKOLAH Menengah Kebangsaan St John Kuala Lumpur, popularly known as St John's Institution, turned 100 on Jan 18.

Malay Mail, May 6, 2004
Mission to restore St John's Institution
UNDERLYING the coming St John's Institution's alumni centenary celebrations is a mission to save the school from the ravages of time.

Sunday Mail, September 21, 2003
Anglo Chinese School, Ipoh, Perak
THE Anglo Chinese School (ACS), also known as the Methodist School, in Ipoh, has been a premier educational institution for more than 107 years. The school has grown from a small attap-roofed Malay house to one of the top schools in the country.

New Sunday Times, August 24, 2003
Ensure students are adept in English, parents and teachers urged
KUALA LUMPUR, Sat. - While stressing academic excellence, teachers and parents should also promote intercultural, inter-religious understanding and sports among students, besides encouraging them to acquire language skills, New Straits Times Press group editor-in-chief Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad told students of SMK La Salle Brickfields today.

Sunday Star, Star Education, May 11, 2003
Old vision, new mission
The board of governors in mission schools must be vigilant to ensure that their unique character is preserved.

New Straits Times, January 27, 2003
When schools were centres of excellence
FOR more than half a century, Penang Free School, founded in 1816, had no rival in what was then loosely called British Malaya. Malacca High School, founded a decade later, also became a prestigious school, but it never attained the same stature as PFS.

New Straits Times, December 23, 2002
La Sallian ethos can help break down racial divisions
IT was with deep pride that I, as an old Michaelian, joined other old boys of La Sallian schools in Malaysia to celebrate the 150th year of La Sallian education.

Have You Signed Yet?

NATIONWIDE PUBLIC OUTCRY
AND COMMENTS:

• Demolish Statues, Destroy Crosses in Mission Schs, said UMNO MP Parit Sulong
• Morons of Parliament: Demolish Christian Statues, Destroy the Crosses
• "Destroy Statues and Crosses" MP: My Intentions Misunderstood
• Hell Hath No Fury like a Woman Scorned!
  
• How many mission schools in the country have the cross removed from school emblem?
  
• Demand for removal of Christian cross and demolition of Christian statues
• We cannot allow Malays to look at the crosses and statues
  

Ethos: The distinguishing attitudes, beliefs, and values of a community. The term also refers to the spirit of a community. While not directly observable, the ethos of a school or college campus can be a formidable force in shaping the minds and hearts of students. The root meaning of the Greek word for ethics, ethikos, signifies an ethos that is rooted in community and transmitted through customs.

Character: Rooted in the Greek word charakter, the term "character" has come to mean the constellation of strengths and weaknesses that form and reveal who we are. Our character does not consist of a single statement or a random act but of those qualities and dispositions that we place consistently--both good and bad. Assessing our character means taking an inventory of our dominant thoughts and actions. As Aristotle once said, "We are what we repeatedly do." Character, as a concept that explains personality and behavior, is neither liberal nor conservative because it is not primarily about politics or policy.

Conscience: The term literally means "with knowledge." Thomas Aquinas considered conscience a "sacred and sovereign monitor" that governs our moral decisions. Kant emphasized the judicial aspect of conscience, "duty's inner citadel." Many educators believe that helping students develop a strong conscience--a desire to do what's right--is at the heart of a character education.

Critical Thinking: The careful observation of a problem followed by a thoughtful and reasoned response. One outcome of the college experience is to foster a more systematic, thorough, and focused mode of thinking.

Idealism: A state of mind that carries the desire to recognize and aim for the best in our own life and for the life of the community of which we are a part. The pursuit of a great vision, a dream, a hope for a better future.

Integrity: Strength and firmness of character; utter sincerity and honesty. A person of integrity keeps his or her word. This quality includes the ability to articulate deeply held values and principles and the ability to resist betraying those values.

Justice: Fairness or equality in apportioning advantages and rewards, as well as punishing wrong conduct. We need justice in order to protect the rights of everyone. The quality of justice means standing up for our own rights and the rights of other people.

Morality: A system of rules or principles prescribing how we should act and defining what our rights and obligations are. A moral person is one who is capable of distinguishing right from wrong and demonstrates a predilection for what is right.

Personal Responsibility: This term signifies being dependable and displaying integrity. Personal responsibility means being accountable to ourselves and others by fulfilling obligations and keeping promises.

Respect: Showing regard for one's own worth and the worth of others. This includes treating our own lives as having inherent value, treating others as having dignity and rights equal to our own, and treating property as an extension of a person.

Self-Control: The ability to delay gratification or to make decisions based on meeting long-term goals. Self-control enables a person to avoid at-risk activities (such as binge drinking), which often have harmful consequences. Historically, learning to practice and display self-control or self-discipline has been an essential aspect of the undergraduate experience. It is arguable that the majority of personal and social problems in society today--drug abuse, violence, school failure, alcoholism, unwanted pregnancy, debt, and poor eating habits--involve deficiencies or failures in self-control.

Spiritual Growth: A process by which a person searches for meaning, connectedness, and significance, often within the context of religious belief and understanding. An outcome of spiritual growth during the school and college years is a vision of moral integrity that coheres and connects our beliefs to our behavior.

Values: What we judge worth having (a job, wealth, wisdom), worth doing (helping others, enjoying family time, planning a vacation), or worth being (honest, happy, successful). Values can be considered nonmoral (such as the benefits of exercising, gardening, reading) or moral (such as the rewards of self-discipline, fairness, compassion). Some personal moral values (serving those less fortunate) are those that certain individuals freely accept without imposing their strong sense of obligation on others.

Virtues: Lived moral values; objectively good moral qualities or attributes (patience, prudence, compassion, courage). A virtues-infused character education has become very popular in colleges and universities.