SPI

Brother James Macken, obedient to his vows, was only 21 when he embarked on a journey to Malaysia. Little did he realize that this land was to be his ‘home’ for more than four decades except for the break between 1965 to 1967 when he returned to Dublin for his university studies and occasional home leaves. He is highly revered by the older students of St. George’s Institution, Taiping, St. Paul’s Institution, Seremban and St. Xavier’s Institution, Penang, many of whom now spread across various parts of the globe, holding key positions in industries.
Brother James was drawn to the lifestyle of the Brothers of the La Salle Order and their enthusiasm in educating the young. ‘The Brothers were clean living men and they spent the Spring and Summer afternoons showing us how to play football and I was attracted to them’, he was quoted in an interview about his vocation. His early education was also at a school run by the La Salle Brothers.

Brother James was posted to Malaya in November 1949, with a Teachers' Certificate from Strawberry Hill, London. His first assignment was at St. George's Institution in Taiping, where he remained until August 1965. After his university education in Dublin, he returned to Malaysia with an Honours degree in 1968 and taught for one year at St Xavier’s Institution in Penang. In December 1969 he was transferred to Seremban and began teaching in St. Paul's Institution in January 1970 as Sub-Director under Brother Felix Donohue. Brother James Macken took over the directorship of the school from Brother Felix in 1975.
By then, the secondary school's enrollment stood at 1,300 and once more space was scarce. A new block with three science laboratories, 12 classrooms and a canteen was envisioned, with a price tag of RM400,000. It was Brother James who spear-headed the construction of the building, with an initial grant of RM50,000 from the Ministry of Education and the rest of the funds raised through walkathons, public shows and even a SPILAB Lottery. The new extension was declared open on 23 September 1977 by the (late) Yang di-Pertuan Besar <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yang_di-Pertuan_Besar> DYMM Tuanku Jaafar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuanku_Jaafar>

No La Salle Brother served longer as Director of St Paul’s Institution than Brother James, and few emphasised tradition more than him. The Jamesian era, as many can recall, was a time when SPI secondary excelled both in sports and others co-curricular activities as well as academics. In a Letter to the Editor in the New Straits Times on 7th June 1989, the SPI Prefects wrote … “It was Brother James who enhanced SPI’s prestige and fearsome reputation both in the sports arena and in the academic field, with his special brand of decisive, dynamic leadership”. (Unquote) His contributions were intangible in nature and he instilled the winning psyche and the feeling of espirit-de-corps, which has kept the Paulian flag flying even till today! Brother James’ stirring exhortation that “winners never quit and quitters never win” has been adopted by many a Paulian as his personal maxim. He expoused values of sportsmanship and diligence, among other Lasallian values. With a reputation of being the best in Seremban under the capable leadership of Brother Felix Donohue before 1975, the school soared to greater heights with Brother James at the helm. In 1991 Rev. Brother James Macken, after 16 years as the Director of St. Paul's, retired and passed the baton to the first non-Brother Director; Mr. Kenneth Kulasingam.

On Thursday, January 26, 2012, Brother James Macken FSC breathed his last and returned to the Lord in Ireland. He spent more than 4 decades of his life in Malaysia as a teaching Brother and was a highly respected Brother Director of St. Paul's Institution, Seremban. He had touched the lives of numerous people - as a teacher, a leader, a friend, a mentor - the list can go on.
Just as the late Brother James inspired many through his noble aspirations and works, let us carry on the Lasallian tradition of serving the Last, The Lost, The Least. May his rallying cry of “We are Paulians and we are winners!!” always spur us on to greater excellence.