Victoria Institution

The post-war period

On 13 September 1945 the school was the site of the formal surrender of the 29th Imperial Japanese Army to Lieutenant-General Ouvry Roberts of the 34th Indian Corps.

School buildings

Victoria Institution has a clock tower overlooking two sports pavilions and a large field, surrounded by colonial-era trees (yellow flame trees and palms).

However, the present day location of Victoria Institution on Petaling Hill (previously a Chinese cemetery area), is not the original site for VI. The original school building was located at Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, right next to the site of present-day  KJ14  Pasar Seni LRT station, and was officially opened on 30 July 1894. In March 1929 the school shifted its location to Jalan Hang Tuah (formerly known as Shaw Road), as the old location was frequently flooded by the nearby Klang River during heavy downpours. The old VI building was used as police station, art gallery, office block, theatre, until a fire in 1999 burnt down the historical building; it was restored later. Reference.

VI also has its own 25m swimming pool and synthetic track for 100 metres sprint events, making it the only school in the region with these facilities at that time.

Student life

It is a rule that all freshman students are required to join at least one uniform body, take on an active role in one of the school's 50 clubs and to participate in a least one sport.

Rivalry

VI has its rivals, both in Kuala Lumpur and nationally. St. John's Institution and MBSSKL are VI's traditional regional archrivals for the past 101 years. This rivalry can be observed during sports tournaments between these three schools. Nationally, VI also has a rivalry with two elite institutions - the Royal Military College, Kuala Lumpur and the Malay College Kuala Kangsar. The rivalry with the former is apparent in football and rugby MSSKL state level tournaments and the rivalry with the latter is evident in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, a football playoff between the premier schools of Kuala Lumpur and Kuala Kangsar, Perak.

Traditions and heritage

The prefect disciplinary system is very much similar to the traditions first laid out by the school's second headmaster, Major Richard Sidney (VI First Prefects).

Detention classes and community service are still the common penalties for misdemeanours in VI, while such traditions are no longer in practice in many Malaysian schools.

VI is also home to the oldest cadet corps in the country, the Victoria Institution Cadet Corps, the oldest cadet corps band in the country, the Victoria Institution Cadet Corps Band, and the oldest scout group in the country, the First Kuala Lumpur Scout Troop. It should be noted that the First Kuala Lumpur Scout Troop. split into two troops in 1933 thus establishing the First Kuala Lumpur Scout Troop and The Second Kuala Lumpur Scout Troop. The official name of the Second Kuala Lumpur Scout Troop is the Victoria Scout Group.

VI has annual events such as the Military Tattoo (performance by marching bands and cadets), Scouts' Campfire (rescue act by senior scouts), Annual Sports Carnival, Speech Days, and Science Fairs. Victoria Institution is the only school in Malaysia that has its own Edinburgh-styled Military Tattoo.

The school also has its own school magazine and school newspaper. The magazine is known as The Victorian and is published annually for the benefit of the students. The school newspaper is a periodical release known as The Seladang (derived from the seladang head in the school crest).

Sports

VI participates in the Bangsar zone at district level and in the MSSKL (Kuala Lumpur School Sports Council) tournament at the state level. Among the sports that VI participates in are football, rugby union, cricket, basketball, waterpolo, badminton, archery, Hockey, handball, volleyball, athletics, tennis, table-tennis. VI is the defending champion in football and waterpolo at the state level.

VI plays MCKK in football for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup every year with the venue alternating each year between the two schools. Because of its strong tradition in sports, VI has produced many Malaysian sportsmen including Mokhtar Dahari, Misbun Sidek, Rashid Sidek, Shahrin Majid, Razif Sidek, Jalani Sidek, Rahman Sidek, Foo Kok Keong, Dr Samani Abdul Ghani and Tan Sri Dr Mani Jegathesan.

The schools cricket ground first held international an international match when Ireland played Gibraltar in the 1997 ICC Trophy, which was hosted by Malaysia. Eight matches in that competition were played at the school. The ground also played host to three List A fixtures played in the cricket competition at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. These fixtures saw Pakistan play Scotland, Canada played India, and Malaysia play Jamaica.

Motto

" Be Yet Wiser " " To be a Scholar , Sportsman and a Gentleman "

These two motto had always represented the students in Victoria Institution's prestigious school since the day it had been established in 1893. The motto is derived from the proverb 'give instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser'.

Houses

There are eight sport houses in VI. The sports houses compete against each other on sports day. The Victoria Institution Sports Day has been held since 1897, and is widely regarded as a citywide event, with huge crowds converging on the Victoria Institution campus. The houses were named after the founders and forefathers of the school. The houses are:

Alumni Association

The alumni association of VI is known as the VIOBA (Victoria Institution Old Boys' Association) and was founded in 1922. The games competition between the Current Victorians and the Old Boys is known as 'Daniel Shield' and this tournament is held every year.

Notable alumni