Former students pay tribute to dedicated La Sallian educator

Aug 30, 2024

PETALING JAYA: After six decades as a dedicated teacher and as the oldest living La Salle brother in Malaysia, Ambrose Loke’s contributions and spirit were recently feted in a grand reception at the La Salle Hall off Jalan Gasing here.

Through the years, Bro Ambrose had touched the hearts and souls of students at his principal school, Melaka’s St Francis Institution (SFI), and 28 other La Salle schools in peninsular Malaysia as well as six associated schools in Sabah and Sarawak.

Bro Ambrose was elated when former students and teachers of La Salle schools in the country came together to celebrate his 80th birthday on August 8.

“I am very grateful to the Lord Almighty to have blessed me with longevity and the strength to share my 80 years of living with fellow Lasallians, family and friends.

“To me, this is the greatest gift of life from God: to be able to share such camaraderie with all of you, without whom our lives will be less colourful, said Bro Ambrose, who resides at the adjoining La Salle Provincialate residence overlooking SMK La Salle in PJ.

Reflecting on his decades in the education field, Bro Ambrose said he had simply done what other teachers had set out to do: to serve society across all races and religions.

And like many other dedicated educators, he is happy to witness the strides his former students have made in life. It gives me pride and joy to be among the teachers who have nurtured the lot, imparting knowledge to our young charges, he said.

During the celebration, Bro Ambrose exchanged pleasantries via video call with his close Japanese friend, professor Mishima Moritake from the Immaculate Heart College in Kagoshima prefecture, Kyushu island.

Moritake was instrumental in fostering student-exchange and homestay programmes between our two countries. We last met in Melaka in 2019 before the pandemic, and I am looking forward to rekindling our friendship by welcoming him and his entourage to Malaysia for many more years, Ambrose added.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Federation of Lasallian Alumni Associations secretary and Franciscan Club of Kuala Lumpur treasurer James Sia paid tribute to the former SFI director for the part he had played leading to countless success stories among his students.

Sia said Lasallian brothers like Bro Ambrose were special as they were pious, disciplined, and capable of imparting sound knowledge. It is for this reason that the dedication, sacrifices and services of the La Salle brothers live on 170 years after their arrival in Malaysia, he said.

Bro Ambrose’s younger sibling, La Salle Malaysia director Bro Andrew Loke, hoped that the Christian brothers’ legacy would inspire the young to pursue teaching at missionary schools to educate Malaysians of all races and creeds.

It is our wish for youths to better understand the paedagogy and best practices put forth by my fellow brothers, said Bro Andrew.

At the event, former SFI art teacher Choe Sim Chye, 90, was also honoured and presented with an enlarged replica of the school’s colourful crest, which he had helped design in 1958 beyond his teaching hours.

The crest has received accolades for being one the most attractive in the world.

Having served as SFI’s school magazine editor from 1991 to 2019, Choe was also presented with a compilation of magazines he had edited.