La Sallian Brothers takeover

The La Sallian Brothers initial foothold in the region had been in Singapore and then Penang. Their good work there did not go unnoticed among the education authorities.

As early as 1904, Rev Bro Gabriel, Visitor of the Christian Brothers' Schools, had been asked if the Order would take over St. Paul's Institution. But demand for the Brothers was heavy - 1904 saw the establishment of St. John's Institution, Kuala Lumpur (SJI) - and there was no immediate response.

In Seremban, all was not well. Coelho was an excellent headmaster, but he was encountering great difficulty finding good teachers. Both the Mission and R.J. Wilkinson, the Federal Inspector of schools, saw the Brothers as the solution to St. Paul's Institution's woes.

Still, it was not till 1 April 1909 that urgent requests by the bishop of Malacca and director of education finally bore fruit. Rev Bro Gilbert, director of SJI, arrived in Seremban to take over St. Paul's Institution's on behalf of his order.

The school's rapid growth soon proved that long - distance supervision from Kuala Lumpur was not practical. On-the-spot management would be necessary, so Rev Bro Isidore-Albert was appointed director. His tenure was short, for after about four-and-half months he was called to his reward.

From the First World War to the outbreak of the Second

In the years following 1914, when Rev. Bro. Adrian Edmund replaced Rev. Bro. Basilian, St. Paul's grew under a succession of directors. The acquisition of neighbouring buildings relieved the congestion in the original blocks, which were now reserved for residential purposes, offices and a library.

Rev. Bro. Lewis Edward raised a temporary hall, made of wood, for concerts, assemblies and badminton. Bro Edward was a great sportsman - the St. Paul's Athletic Association (SPAA) won the premier state football trophy, the Hose Cup, for three straight years. A permanent school hall was built during the Directorship of Bro. Joseph Brophy. He also purchased a large bungalow from Towkay Siow Kon Chia and a large shophouse in Jalan Tuan Sheikh for conversion into additional classrooms.

Bro. Joseph's improvements, coming on earlier architectural initiatives by Rev. Bro. Barnitus Kennedy (1930–31) and Rev. Bro. John Lynam (1931–33), shaped the school quadrangle into a fine set of modern buildings as the 1930s wore on. A small playing field was devised by removing some old buildings, although the need for a proper-sized field was still felt.

The improving facilities were matched by a rising enrolment, which reached 550 in the 1920s. Many pupils were boarders-boys from outside Seremban who stayed in the school itself. To cater for the waxing student population, the number of teaching staff - especially Lay Masters - rose proportionally. By 1933 there were more than 550 students - at which plateau student numbers stabilised till after the War.

The Japanese Occupation

By 1941, war was raging in Europe and drawing closer to Malaya by the day. St. Paul's was under military occupation, and Rev. Bro. Henry (1941–46) had to improvise classrooms in borrowed buildings. Rev. Mother St. Pauline also placed the I J Convent Hall and some classrooms at his disposal.

Then came the invasion. On 13 January 1942, Japanese troops took Seremban - but the Brothers did not flee. Some endured the ignominy of detention; young Bro. Christian Lane died of Cerebral Malaria at the Bahau jungle community. Others were pillars of strength for their fellow inmates - Changi Prison internees so valued Bro. Sylvester's selflessness they presented him with a signed testimonial.

For a brief spell (May - September 1942), St. Paul's reopened as a private school with 165 students. It served out the rest of the War as a Japanese Technical School, with a staff drawn from several schools in the area. Bro. Henry remained as Headmaster until January 1944, when a Japanese national relieved him of the post.

Post-war expansion and the splitting of St. Paul's

St. Paul's rehabilitation was rapid and enrolment began to skyrocket, straining resources. Rev. Bro. Lawrence Henry (1947–53) did what he could to stem the tide, but by 1950 St. Paul's had 1,000 students and was bursting at the seams. A separate secondary school was urgently needed and the Brothers began to plan for one.

It was Rev. Bro. Casimir L'Angellier (1954–59) who was in charge during these years. A site in the Lobak area, renamed Mont La Salle, was gifted by the Government and plans were drawn up for a secondary school that would accommodate 700 students.

With the third school term of 1958, the old buildings beside the N.S. Padang were those of the primary school, with Walter de Silva as Headmaster of St. Paul's Institution Primary (SPI Primary).

The new secondary school, St. Paul's Institution Secondary (SPI Secondary) were opened by Almarhum DYMM Tuanku Munawir ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman on 27 June 1959.

A combined Board of Governors (BoG) was set up on 3 October 1958 under Dato' T. Mahima Singh (but was split again in 1962). In 2011, SPI Primary BoG is chaired by Old Paulian and former Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Dato' Chan Choong Tak and SPI Secondary BoG is chaired by Old Paulian Dr. Bob Devadass Samuel.

Events through the 1960s and 1970s, and further expansion

The schools sporting prowess was demonstrated when the hockey squad bred the country's first four national goalkeepers, namely Benny Manuel, Peter Van Huizen, Ho Koh Chye, Tan Foong Luen and Michael Yan Wai Ping.

In the time of Rev. Bro. J. Felix Donahue (1970–75), two major developments took place and the seeds of a third were sown. First came the establishment of CoEd Sixth Form Science Classes in 1970; together with arrival of the first female Paulians. The Old Boys Association had to change its name, as the long tradition of an exclusively-male student body ended.

The school's 1973 High School Certificate results placed it first in the state and in 1975 SPI Secondary's HSC high-flyers outscored every other school in Malaysia.

By 1975 the secondary school's enrolment 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 $400,000.

The Ministry of Education got the ball rolling with a $50,000 grant - with the rest to come from St. Paul's own efforts. Fundraising began in earnest under Rev. Bro. James Macken (1975–91), and the run of Walkathons, Public Shows and even a SPILAB Lottery brought in the required $350,000.

On 23 September 1977, the Yang di-Pertuan Besar DYMM Tuanku Jaafar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman declared open the new extension. By this time, the increasing student numbers were coinciding with another more worrying trend - decline in the ranks of the Brothers. Only Rev. Bro. James and Rev. Bro. Augustine Arokiasamy remained on the secondary school teaching staff. (Rev. Bro. Michael Kum also served at SPI Secondary, from 1986 to 1989.)

There were no Brothers left at all in the primary school, which in October 1979 moved house to a new site in the Labu area. This had been developed by a private company (Foo Kam Swee Construction), then signed over to the Brothers in exchange for the original Paul Street premises. The old brood of buildings, lovingly added to and improved by so many Brother Directors and their lay successors, were bulldozed down to make way for a shopping complex to be known as Wisma Punca Emas which still stands until today.

The Jamesian Decade and the end of an era

No La Salle Brother served longer as director of SPI Secondary's than Rev. Bro. James, and few emphasised tradition more than him. Nor did the Paulians of the 1980s let him or their predecessors down. In 1986, SPI Secondary's STPM results again put it in the national Top Three. Under the tutelage of Lawrence van Huizen, William Fidelis & Ashwin Patel, the hockey players harvested yet more State titles and contributed additional players to the National team.

In 1991 Rev. Bro. James Macken, for 16 years director of St. Paul's, retired, passing the baton to the first non-Brother Director; Kenneth Kulasingam. With the transfer of Rev. Bro. Michael Kum to St. Francis' Institution in Malacca, no Christian Brother now taught in St. Paul's.

A line stretching back 82 years to Rev. Bro. Isidore had now come to an end.

Into the Present

SPI Secondary celebrated its 100th year in 1999. To mark the occasion, a time capsule was planted in the assembly ground by DYYM Tunku Putra Nadzaruddin Tunku Jaafar.

In 2006, SPI Secondary welcomed the first lady principal with the appointment of Mdm. Yap See Moi.

In 2007, a double-storey school hall, providing students with better facilities for both studying and co-curricular activities was built. Consisting of four new classrooms, four badminton courts and a gymnasium, the hall was opened by YB Dato’ Hon Choon Kim, Deputy Minister of Education, Malaysia. A few months later, the school created a multi-purpose court specified for games like hockey, futsal, tennis etc. The students have the opportunity to use the court as training ground for future competitions.

Starting in 2008, the school has begun a project to raise funds to refurnish the computer lab.

In 2009, a new computer lab and renovations to the school toilets were completed. SPI Secondary celebrated 100 years as a La Sallian school and organised a variety of activities which was well covered by the local media like The Star. The historic occasion was also celebrated by its former students and alumni, Old Paulians' Association (OPA) at OPA 83rd Annual Reunion Dinner 2009, held in Hotel Royale Bintang Resort and Spa Seremban. The event was attended by approximately 1,200 Paulians, well wishers and guests including SPI Primary headmaster Chen Ah Keng.