St.Paul's Schools Alumni Association, Beaufort, Sabah. (SPSAA): TRIBUTE TO OUR LEGAL ADVISOR, THE LATE DATUK STEPHEN FOO

On the 3^rd of June 2021 at 1.48 PM, I received a text message from a fellow St Paulian, informing me that Datuk Stephen Foo has passed on at the Gleneagles Hospital in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. It was a sure reluctance to believe initially until the announcement came in from the family, several hours later confirming so. It was indeed a depressing mood to acknowledge that sad news. He demised at the age of 78 years old.

Datuk Foo who was one of the senior St Paulians especially with the Protem Chairman, Datuk Allan Mathews ( and together with few other seniors) was instrumental in setting up the St Paul’s Schools Alumni Association back in 2008. As a legal practitioner, he was the person who spent most time in scrutinizing the Association’s Constitution during the protem stage to ensure it was of best befitting the new association.

I began to get closer to Datuk Foo in 2012 as I was then elected as Asst Secretary. Together with the then secretary, the late Mr. Chan Kok Hwa, we used to consult Datuk Foo on various legal matters in regards to the association. When I took over the secretary post in 2016, the friendship became even closer. I have several opportunities meeting him at his office in Wisma Merdeka. Apart from the Association’s matters we would spent time chatting about the school, it’s history and also our hometown, Beaufort back from the olden days. I always enjoyed the kind of untold stories he shared during his youth days in Beaufort.

I am very thankful to Datuk for his all-time passion on the Association’s well being. As an enthusiastic St Paulian and a responsible legal advisor, Datuk has never miss any of our AGMs except for the year 2020 (11^th AGM) owing to the severe pandemic affecting the State. He was always nominated as our Election Chairman during any election year to elect a new board.

We shall dearly miss his absence and of course his 13 years of contribution to the St Paul’s Schools Alumni Association, Beaufort, Sabah will always be remembered by the former and present Executive Committee Members.

Tony Lim - Chairman (2020/2022)