17 September 2019 is a red-letter day as 25 Mission Authorities who own Government-assisted primary and secondary Mission Schools in Malaysia gathered at the La Salle Hall in Petaling Jaya for the Inaugural Annual General Meeting of the newly-constituted Federation of Christian Mission Schools, Malaysia or FCMSM.

The federation was first established in Kota Kinabalu on 7 April 2010 comprising the following three bodies:
(1) Malayan Christian Schools’ Council or MCSC (207 schools)
(2)  Sabah Christian Schools’ Council (with Labuan 100 schools)
(3)  Sarawak Christian Schools’ Council (129 schools). At that time the Federation was known as the Federation of Councils of Christian Mission Schools Malaysia (FCMSM).

It was at the Conference of Christian Mission Schools held on 26-27 June 2009 when YB Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, the convenor and patron of the conference and Bishop Ng Moon Hing, Chairman of the Christian Federation of Malaysia called for such a body to be formed. With the formation of the FCMSM, for the first time the Mission Schools in the country had a common platform and a common voice in dealing with Mission School matters, especially in matters relating to the Ministry of Education.

Efforts at registering with the Registrar of Societies finally succeeded in July 2019, with a new Name and Constitution. Under the new set-up of FCMSM, membership consists of 25 individual Mission Authorities rather than the three regional councils.

Among the roles of the Federation was the distribution of Government allocations to Mission Schools which began in 2009; and the on-going process of channelling and monitoring of these allocations. These funds which are included in the National Budget are allocated by the Ministry of Education to the Board of Governors for repairs, maintenance and upgrading of Mission School land and buildings.

FCMSM aspires for Mission Schools to become schools of choice by
• raising the Mission School Ethos, Character and Traditions,
• having strong Christian School Leadership, teachers and Board of Governors,
• and teaching and learning of Bible Knowledge

To play our part in educating the young for our nation in challenging and turbulent times, the clarion call is for the churches, the Christian community, alumni and other stakeholders to come alongside FCMSM to make Mission Schools great again for the glory of God.

By Tay Choon Neo and Angeline Lazaroo