DPM Fadillah shares touching reunion with his former SK St Mary headmistress at Kuching convent

KUCHING (Aug 5): Deputy Prime Minister Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof had a touching reunion with his former SK St Mary, Sibu headmistress Sister Ignatia Soon here yesterday.

The Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation and Petra Jaya MP said he finally met up with Soon at the Convent of Mary Immaculate, near St Peter’s Catholic Church in Padungan yesterday.

Fadillah, who completed his primary education at the school, described the meeting as “very meaningful”.

“Happy and moved when after a long time, I finally had the chance to meet again with my former primary school headmistress. The meeting for about 30 minutes with Sister Ignatia Soon, my former head teacher at SK St Mary, Sibu, from 1969 to 1974 (Primary 1 to Primary 6), was very meaningful to me after several times trying to arrange the meeting,” he said in a Facebook post yesterday.

“The meeting with Sister Ignatia Soon, who is already 84 years old, was held at the Convent of Mary Immaculate Padungan, after I managed to contact her.”

He said Soon served as SK St Mary, Sibu headmistress between 1968 and 1995.

After her retirement, he said Soon now works with the church here.

“I really appreciate the service of my former headmistress and all former teachers.

“Thank you for all the guidance and knowledge you have imparted to me,” said Fadillah.

During a visit to SK St Mary, Sibu in January last year, Fadillah recalled the high level of discipline at the mission school under Soon’s leadership.

“But with that strong enough discipline, I ended up becoming a good human being. Otherwise, I was one of the naughty students and always had to be beaten with a cane at that time.

“But thanks to the education of the teachers at this school, I became a person who can contribute to our country and state. That’s why students need to respect the services of teachers if they want to succeed in life,” he said during the visit.