By Joseph Tek Choon Yee
From a seed to a sanctuary: How the Brothers of St Gabriel landed in Sabah
History often begins not with trumpets, but with small nudges. In 1986, three Gabrielite Brothers, Br Mark Tee, Br Francis Xavier Gasper and Br Francis Chua, flew into Kota Kinabalu at the polite but persistent invitation of the Light of Jesus Covenant Community. Their “mission trip” looked deceptively simple: a few conversations, cultural immersions, language trials, and youth encounters. Yet, like good missionaries, they were really prospectors, not of gold, but of hope. What they found in Sabah was fertile soil for Montfort’s charism, even if it came wrapped in local dialects and the spirited challenges of East Malaysian youth.
They had a powerful ally too: then–State Minister of Finance, Tan Sri Bernard Giluk Dompok, who rendered his support. It was as though Providence had quietly stitched politics and prophecy together, and a Montfortian seed was planted in Borneo.
Fast forward to 1999. Br Dominic Yeo-Koh, then Provincial Superior, sent two pioneers; Br Edward Rayappan and Br Gasper, to actually get things moving. Where did this bold venture begin? Not in a grand campus with manicured lawns, but in a rented house on Jalan Sang Kancil. Yes, the house was literally on “Mouse Deer Road”, proof that God has a sense of humour when setting the stage for history.
With two staff and 15 young men, Montfort Sabah was born on Jun 20, 1999. Br Edward became the first Director, aided by Br Gasper and Br Francis Chua. Their tool of choice was not strategy documents but a carpentry workshop cobbled together to meet urgent needs. In Montfortian fashion, they built with their hands even as they built with their hearts.
Soon, workshops for mechanics and welders joined the carpentry shed. English and computer lessons crept in. Accreditation under Malaysia’s Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM) added legitimacy. And by 2001, even a Girls’ Programme was launched with 12 female trainees housed in Kg Sugud under the watchful care of Sr Mary Agnes and the Infant Jesus Sisters. Though this noble venture was suspended in 2011 due to manpower shortages, its revival remains on the horizon like an unfinished chapter waiting for ink.
Yet, growth had its growing pains. The Donggongon campus soon hit maximum capacity at 65 trainees, proof that the harvest was plentiful but the space was not. So, in 2004, bold steps were taken: to build a bigger sanctuary of hope in Kinarut, Papar.
The leap of faith: Building Kinarut
No bank would grant them a loan (charity is not exactly collateral). But Brothers and board members refused to be daunted. Fundraising dinners were cooked up, benefactors were wooed and even international appeals went out. Datuk Seri Panglima Victor Paul personally financed the chapel, gifting the Diocese with a house of prayer. Against all odds, RM12 million was raised, brick by brick, ringgit by ringgit, proving that faith plus persistence is stronger than any balance sheet.
By 2008, carpentry, welding and auto-mechanics workshops marched out of Donggongon into their new Kinarut home. Later came refrigeration and air-conditioning training, and eventually, an administrative building and hall. From 15 trainees in a rented house, MYTC now trained up to 160 at its peak.
The Brothers knew that education isn’t confined to workshops. Under Bro Francis Chua, rural hostels sprouted: San Damiano Boys’ Hostel in Kiulu (2010) and St Mary’s Youth Hostel in Sandakan (2013). These became lifelines for rural teens whose daily walk to school could rival a marathon. Here, “education” meant not just job skills, but the simple dignity of being able to complete secondary school without dropping out.
But times change. Vocations dwindled; Brothers aged. In 2019, the Montfort Brothers of St Gabriel restructured into the District of South East Asia. MYTC itself made a bold transition: handing the Director’s role to a layperson, Frederick Mah Hon Phing. This was not decline but evolution, a recognition that Montfort’s mission belongs not only to cassocks and collars, but to anyone willing to carry its fire. Under Frederick, the Oil Palm Plantation Conductorship course was born, echoing Sabah’s largest agriculture industry. An alumni association followed in 2021, ensuring that Montfortians never really “graduate”, they simply move from classroom to life.
Then came Covid-19. Fundraising collapsed, enrolments dwindled, and workshops fell silent. For a vocational centre built on hand tools and hands-on training, this was existential. But Montfort has always specialised in turning setbacks into stepping stones. Programmes were streamlined, carpentry and refrigeration merged into Facilities Maintenance, and slowly, life returned.
Today, over a thousand youths have passed through MYTC’s doors, transformed from vulnerable beginnings into confident, employable adults. Employers commend their skills; communities praise their character; and above all, many of these young men carry a renewed sense of dignity and hope.
Let’s set the record straight!
MYTC in Kinarut is not a “naughty corner” for wayward teens. Too often, people mistake it as a place to discipline rebellious youth. In truth, MYTC is a fully fledged Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institution with a much bigger mission.
Here, underprivileged and marginalised young people, many from rural areas, single-parent households, or struggling families, are given something they would otherwise be denied: a real chance. Over a two-year residential programme, trainees don’t just pick up skills in mechanics, welding, facility maintenance or plantation; they gain confidence, character and community.
MYTC isn’t about “fixing” behaviour. It’s about unlocking potential. It invests in the future. It’s about opening doors that poverty or circumstance may have closed, and equipping youth with the tools, both technical and personal, to build a brighter, more dignified future.
Looking ahead
MYTC is not finished yet. Annual fundraising staples like the Open House Bazaar and Montfort Charity Golf Tournament keep the mission alive, proof that even a golf swing can become an act of mercy if the proceeds go to the right place. The revival of the Girls’ Programme is firmly on the agenda, with plans for a dedicated hostel.
From a rented house on Jalan Sang Kancil to a 10-acre campus in Kinarut; from 15 boys to over 1,000 trained youth; from three visiting Brothers in 1986 to lay leaders today, the story of Montfort Sabah is stitched with one golden thread: the spirit of St Louis-Marie de Montfort.
Three centuries ago, Montfort preached that the poor deserved dignity, education and love. In Sabah, that same spirit took flesh through car carburetors, carpentry benches, welding torches and oil palm drones. What began as a scouting trip has become a sanctuary of hope.
And the BSG, together with their lay collaborators, have proven once again that the best missions are not imposed from above, but grown patiently from the ground up.
If St Montfort could glimpse Sabah today, he might chuckle to see how his “seed” has grown into a vibrant TVET campus, welding sparks flying, oil palm modules humming, and even golf tournaments teeing up funds for the mission. With a twinkle in his eye, he’d likely say: “Yes, this is what I dreamed of: education with hands, with heart, and with hope.”
Today, there are two Sabahans who have answered the BSG call: Br Thomas Paul and Br James Anting, living witnesses that Montfort’s spirit continues to take root on local soil.
Perhaps that same spirit is now whispering to you: to walk beside young people, to shape lives through education and to be a companion in their journey toward dignity and hope.
If you sense that stirring, pause and discern. Listen with the ears of the heart. For a vocation is not a career choice but a response to God’s gentle invitation. Take courage: St Montfort is surely interceding for you from heaven, praying that you may have the clarity to see, the freedom to choose, and the faith to embrace the mission with the Brothers of St Gabriel, a mission of education, compassion and hope.
