KOTA KINABALU: It was an auspicious day here yesterday at the Sabah State Library when James Power, the former principal of St Patrick’s school launched his book My Tawau Days.
The event was officiated by Deputy Minister of Education Datuk Mary Yap Kain Ching and graced by the attendance of K.Y Mustafa, the head organizer, as well as Power’s wife and family who had come all the way from Australia.
My Tawau Days is a 128-page book written by the 87-year-old former principal who ran St Patrick’s for nine years from January 1957 till December 1965.
“It is a record of the times and experinences of my wife, Betty and myself in Tawau during the 1950′s and 60′s,” he said during his speech.
He thanked Hap Seng Consolidated Berhad for their generosity in bearing the cost of publication as well as the publisher Datuk C.L Chan and Hin Ching for promoting Sabah generally.
The guest of honour in attendance, Datuk Mary Yap, who was also principal of St Patrick’s, was very humbled to be given the opportunity to officiate the launching of My Tawau Days.
“Time endures and marches on, but it will never fade away the happy memories of being a student of both St Patrick’s Primary School and St Patrick’s Secondary School,” she said.
In her speech, she attributed her success to Power and his wife for giving her a meaningful and holistic education.
This form of education, she said, not only focuses on academic success but also the value of discipline, respect, integrity and ethics.
“May the past be ever present as we read your book,” she said before officiating the book launching.
Another alumni of St Patrick’s, K.Y. Mustafa, during his speech, said how much he appreciated the discpline of the school when it was under James Power.
He was thankful for all the lessons both curricular and extra curricular that he learned in St Patrick’s.
“E-mail brought us all closer despite great physical distances, but it has always been St Patrick’s that keeps us together,” he said towards the end of his speech.
St Patrick’s is currently one of the most well-sought after schools in Tawau which has maintained the ethos and culture of a mission school.
The book, My Tawau Days can be found at bookstores and costs RM50 per copy.