NEARLY 20 years ago, St Mary’s School reopened its doors in Taman Intan Baiduri, far and away from its original location in Jalan Tengah Kuala Lumpur when it was founded in 1912.

Kuala Lumpur’s rapid development meant the school land was valuable and sold off to developers who have erected luxury high-rise condominiums where schoolgirls once studied. 

But the school kept its name, albeit in keeping with the norm – it was now Sekolah St Mary.

Other mission schools, too, have been renamed over the years, changing the one word in English to Bahasa Malaysia.

Well, except St John’s Institution and Victoria Institution which both had the ignominy of being reduced to being secondary schools and named sekolah menengah.

Of course, both reverted back to their original names this past two years, thanks to the alumni and those in government who see the value of retaining the old names.

Yet, that common sense seems to be missing from the St Thomas School saga in Kuantan.

The school is being relocated and renamed, wiping out 67 years of history, just as the Bukit Bintang Girls School suffered the same fate when it was relocated and renamed after 107 years of existence. 

Would this also apply to other mission schools in the future? Perhaps La Salle Petaling Jaya will be renamed SM Jalan Chantek or Assunta Convent switch to SM Perempuan Petaling Jaya?

Where does this madness stop? Where does the history and tradition of schools end and new ones forced on pupils who think school names can change as much as values seem to do in Malaysia these days?

Some 12,000 people have now signed a petition in the past 24 hours asking for the St Thomas School name to be retained. Those in authority need to consider this instead of railroading their plans despite the school’s relocation.

It is after all, the same school. Just as Bukit Bintang Girls School should have kept its name instead of being called Seri Bintang. Would the alumni feel anything for this school or lament the loss of their school that has become a shopping mall?

History and traditions together with name transcend brick and mortar and location. There really is no need to rename schools even if they are relocated.

If that is the case, perhaps it is time the religious bodies or old boys’ associations take these mission schools back from the government and run them because it is increasingly clear that government or little napoleons cannot be trusted to be stewards of mission schools.

These schools were and the catalyst of a nation from before its founding to now. To erase their history is to do a great disservice to their work in educating people from all strata of society to make this independent nation progress with time.

To rename them would be a great injustice to what they have done for Malaysians. 

Perhaps those in power have a poor memory of history but they stand on the shoulders of giants of the past, even if they rewrite history as they go along.

Just as we stand tall now due to the hard work of the missionaries who came here to educate us. Keeping the names of the school is the least we can do to honour the missionary school system and teachers who had taught us well. – November 29, 2017.