La Salle Secondary School, Kota Kinabalu (Malay: Sekolah Menengah La Salle Kota Kinabalu) is a co-educational secondary school for boys and girls (mostly boys) and one of the oldest schools in Kota Kinabalu on the coast of Borneo in East Malaysia.
It was established in 1953 by Rev. Fr. Bernard Davies, a Mill Hill Missionary. Despite being an all-boys mission school, the students consist of all races regardless of religion.
The school is divided into two pieces of land. The Senior Block (Forms 4 to 6), that has been renovated since 2014, remains at its current location while its long-standing Junior Block (Forms 1 to 3) has been relocated to the new ground to accommodate the increase in student enrolment.
This single-session secondary school is located in Tanjung Aru and it is a few minutes walk from Pekan Tanjung Aru township. Next to the Senior Block is SM Stella Maris, an all-girls Catholic school under the oversight of the nearest area Catholic parish, Stella Maris, since this school is under the Sacred Heart Cathedral parish albeit located in the same area.
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History
La Salle Secondary School Kota Kinabalu was established in July 1903 as Sacred Heart Primary School by Father Van Der Heyden. By June 1913, the school had around 50 students which increased to 215 by the year 1923. Between 1941 and 1945, a wooden school building with eight classes was built on the site where the current Sacred Heart Primary School stands.
In the early 1950s, the Catholic Mission started the Sacred Heart secondary school and Father Bernard Davies who served as its first principal. In 1953, the Catholic Mission obtained 3 hectares of land in Tanjung Aru and moved the school to its present location.
By 1958, the La Salle Brothers took over the management of the school with Brother Raphael Egan being the first principal. On 22 May 1958, Sacred Heart Secondary School was subsequently renamed La Salle Secondary School. This name was derived from the founder, Jean Baptiste de La Salle.
The school is affiliated to other Lasallian educational institutions in Malaysia.
Principals
Rev. Fr. Bernard Davies, M.H.M. (1953–1955)
Rev. Fr. Arthur Crowther, M.H.M. (1955–1958)
Bro. Raphael Egan, FSC (1958–1966)
Bro. Brendan Dunne, FSC (1966–1968)
Bro. Datuk Charles Michael O’Leary, FSC, PGDK (1968–1985)
Mr. Stanley Liew Hyuk Hiong (1986–1999)
Dr. Edward Miku Tionsu (2000–2003)
Mdm. Katherine Philip (2004–2006)
Mdm. Julia Willie Jock, ADK, ASDK (2006–2017)
Mdm. Mary Macdalena A. Komuji (2017–2022)
Mr. Vijayakumar Arumugam (2022–present)
Notable alumni
Bernard Dompok – former state chief minister
James Wong – former Malaysian footballer
Peter Mojuntin – late former state cabinet Minister who perished in the Double Six Crash
John Lee – Emeritus Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu
Richard Malanjum – Chief Justice of Malaysia from 2018 to 2019
Salleh Sulong – late former state cabinet Minister who was also a victim of the Double Six Crash
Donald Peter Mojuntin – former state cabinet Assistant Minister and Deputy President of the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation since 2018
Peter Rajah – former Malaysian goalkeeper
Joseph Pairin Kitingan – former Chief Minister of Sabah
Ahmadshah Abdullah – State Governor from 2003 to 2010
Lee Wai Ming – former Malaysia rugby player
Nestor Majin – former Malaysia rugby player
Frankie Joilin – former Malaysia rugby Player
Farish A. Noor – Malaysian academician, historian and political scientist