



The Brotherhood of The Marsh
Urghlings: The Brotherhood of The Marsh
Author | Wu Yonggang |
Publication Date | 2023 |
ISBN | 9780648755227 |
Format |
Hard Cover |
Publisher | Wu YongGang Publication |
INTRODUCTION
Our school, St Xavier's Institution (SXI), started as a Malay school at Church Street in 1787 at the behest of Francis Light to Bishop Arnaud-Antoine Garnault, a French Catholic priest. In all likelihood, it is the oldest state school in Malaysia. In 1852, three De La Salle brothers took over the running of the school and renamed it St. Francis Xavier's Free School. It was moved to the present grounds six years later upon the completion of a school building and has been known as SXI since. Had our school building not been used as a marine barracks by the Japanese occupiers in WW2, the Americans would have no reason to destroy it. SXI would have probably retained the grand baroque-style double-storey building that was built in 1895.
The intention of the Catholic mission schools was to provide education to everyone regardless of race, social status, religion or creed. In that regard, these schools were non-discriminatory. Our education was based on the principles and values of Christianity without imposing the need for conversion to Christianity.
The strict discipline and the school's motto Labor Omnia Vincit moulded us into what we are today. We were taught how to embrace diversity without adversity and unity in diversity as we mingled freely with one another regardless of race, social status, religion and creed.
Once a year, there will be a charity drive to raise cash and food donations that will go towards helping the poor and needy. The teachers also taught with passion and fervour and imparted their knowledge to us without abatement.
The well rounded balanced education, values and discipline has produced many outstanding people and unsung heroes who have contributed immensely to society and their professions. Sons of St Xavier's valiant and true!!
These valiant and true qualities also shine in The Water Margin, and the moral teaching
Confucianism in The Water Margin and Christian values taught in SXI - are brought to life in some of the stories told in this book.
In one of the chapters, Wu Yonggang wrote, "I stand accused of being grossly ridiculous to even try to compare the sharp vicissitudes of fortune many of these heroes of the Song dynasty suffered to the ordinary struggles we experienced in the 20th century, yet I felt sure our forefathers would have had their own heroic stories to tell, uprooting themselves early in their mostly wretched lives to seek greener pastures in faraway lands.
Their quest, although without any of the virtuous deeds of the Liangshan bandits such as rebelling against corrupt officials, or staging civil unrest against the emperor's rule, was still admirable for the sheer bravery and pioneering spirit to seek fortune in unknown lands"
Aloysius Cheang
Alumnus of SXI (77)
About the author(s):
Wu Yonggang was born in Penang, Malaysia, and moved to Australia in 1977. The Brotherhood of The Marsh is his third book, after Urghlings - The Ugliness of Earthlings (2019) and Urghlings 2 - The Ugliness of Earthlings (2021)
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