It is therefore not surprising that many of his former students championed relentlessly for the road leading to Sacred Heart School to be renamed in honour of him. Sacred Heart School Old Students Association (SHOSA) embarked on this crusade at the start of 2016, at the behest of then-president Robert Lau Hui Yew (SHS ’82)
And for five years, SHOSA persevered – moving forward with courage. In view of the contributions from this educator who taught so many Sarawakians including past and present state and corporate leaders, it is befitting to honour him by naming the road which leads to the school where has done so much for the people, after him.
When news broke in Nov 2020, that the authorities have approved the road renaming, former students were jubilant. The legendary principal of Sacred Heart School who had given his life to educating the Last, the Lost, and the Least, was being honoured for his dedication and sacrifices.
BACKGROUND | Jalan Oya
The Oya Road we knew it in the pre – 1990’s, has been fragmented into three portions with three different names – Jalan Oya, Jalan Oya Lama and Jalan Ulu Oya. Modern and infrastructure development from the 1990s replaced its importance as one of the main protocol road of Sibu.
It is widely believed that, in the olden days, local folks called it Jalan Oya because the road led to a river called Batang Oya within the Sibu District.
FRONT PORTION | Jalan Brother Albinus
Only the front portion of Oya Road will be renamed. It begins at the junction of Jalan Oya – Persiaran Brooke and ends at junction of Jalan Oya – Jalan Wong King Huo. The said portion leads to Sacred Heart School, where Brother Albinus gave almost two decades of his life to the empowerment of the people through education.
ADDRESS CHANGE | A new era
There are 319 units of rateable properties along the road and its lanes. Renaming the road will also include 8 lanes as follow: Jalan Oya | Lorong Oya1 | Lorong Oya 2 | Lorong Oya 5 | Lorong Oya 7 | Lorong Oya 9 | Lorong Oya 11 | Lorong Oya 13 & Lorong Oya 15.
Two other lanes Lorong Oya 4 & 6 are just short 10-15 meters bypass with no houses address registered to those lanes.
WHO WAS HE | Brother Albinus
From the testimonials given by State and Corporate leaders at the wake and funeral of Brother Albinus, all of which were widely published in mainstream news publication, it can be deduced that there is a great deal of respect and admiration for this outstanding educator. The local community in Sibu are also known to hold Brother Albinus in the highest regards and many parents from the 70’s to the 80’s would resort to various means, just to enrol their children in Sacred Heart because they know Brother Albinus to be a strict disciplinarian and one who will give his best in educating their children.
He was also a recipient of the Sarawak Meritorious Service Medal (Pingat Perkhidmatan Bakti) from the-then Governor of Sarawak, His Excellency Tun Datuk Patinggi (Dr.) Ahmad Zaidi Adruce bin Muhammed Noor.
One of the principals who led the school In the 70’s and 80’s, left a lasting impression and to this day, former students still speak fondly of a great teacher and principal who was also a father figure to them.
He belonged to that generation of legendary La Salle Brothers who helmed mission schools for boys in Sarawak and Sabah from the 1950s to the 1980’s.
Brother Albinus was known and respected for his commitment in educating the Last, the Lost and the Least. As principal, he would also undertake the responsibilities of teaching the weakest or the naughtiest class. His firm belief was that everyone deserves the best education, irrespective of whether they were rich or poor, clever or academically disadvantaged.
He was also blind to race, religion, social status or other worldly matters. All he cared about was ensuring his students get the best in education, engage in healthy activities such as sports and be disciplined.
When Brother Albinus passed away on 4 Aug 2013, in just an hour after his death, the news of grief went viral in Facebook with former students in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, US, Britain, Singapore, Malaysia and other countries offering prayers for his soul.
The wake from 5 – 7 Aug and his funeral on 8 Aug 2013 were attended by thousands, including the Who’s who from the government, civil service and corporate world. Amongst those who attended the wake and commented on his life were:
Minister for Local Government and Housing YB Dato Sri Professor Dr Sim Kui Hian, who is also the President of Old Josephian Association Kuching described the passing of Brother Albinus as a significant loss to Sarawak and the nation as a whole.
“He had devoted over 50 years of his life to education and his contribution to education and the community was significant. He had gained enormous respect from all.” Prof Dr Sim further said Brother Albinus was so enthusiastic about his role and mission, that even at 83 years of age. “His faithfulness to his mission, which was to educate the poor, was evident as he continued to teach and give tuition even during his retirement.”
YB Senator Tuan Robert Lau Hui Yew, a former president of SHOSA and student of Brother Albinus, his eulogy, called on the people to celebrate Brother Albinu’s life and his spirit of love and service. He said O’Flaherty changed the lives and destinies of so many young boys here, especially Sacred Heart students. “The last time a foreigner who came and settled with us and managed to change so many lives was an American Methodist missionary, Reverend James Hoover who died in 1935. Like Hoover, Brother Albinus has become a legend,” Lau said
Former State secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani. He said the state lost a dedicated man who was more than just a teacher but also a father and a friend. “I have fond memories of him, especially of him making his round to our classroom,” he said
Amongst the thousands that attended the wake or the funeral service, were former Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan, former Deputy Chief Minister – Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, Tan Sri Peter Chin Fah Kui, State Legal Counsel – Dato Sri JC Fong, Assistant Minister for Tourism – Datuk Sebastian Ting and an endless list of officials from the civil service, apart from the corporate sectors, who were once students of Brother Albinus.
https://www.thestar.com.my/News/Community/2013/08/21/Memory-of-Brother-Albinus-lives-on/