Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School

Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School (Sekolah Menengah Tshung Tsin Sabah in Malay, 沙巴崇正中学 in Chinese) is a Chinese independent high school located in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Established in 1965 by the Api-Api Hakka Association to address the educational needs of Chinese students in the region, the school has since become one of the sixty-three Chinese Independent High Schools in Malaysia. In 2007, the school was chosen as one of the ten Chinese Independent High Schools in Malaysia to be included as a Cluster School under the Education Blueprint of the Malaysian Government's Ninth Malaysia Plan.

Founded amidst educational reforms in 1962 that limited secondary school access, Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School aimed to provide opportunities for students unable to continue their studies. The school officially opened its doors on January 25, 1965, with an initial enrolment of 78 students, utilizing classrooms borrowed from Chung Hwa Chinese Primary School Karamunsing. Overcoming early challenges, including low enrolment, the school saw significant growth under new management, achieving a student body of over 670 by 1967. Despite governmental changes affecting enrolment policies, the school adapted and expanded its offerings, including classes for the Malaysian Education Certificate and Pre-university studies. Over the years, it has undergone numerous developments, including the construction of new buildings and facilities to enhance the educational experience. Until now, it is the school with the most students in Sabah, having an enrolment of 2500 pupils.

1962–1974: Early history
In 1962, the Malaysian government brought in legislation that only students who excelled in their Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (Primary School Leaving Examination) and were under the age of thirteen were eligible for education in secondary school. As a result, at least 40-50% of students in the city were unable to further their studies, the majority of whom were Chinese. The Chinese community consequently opened Tshung Tsin school to solve this problem. It was founded by the Api-Api Hakka Association in 1965. Chong Fook Thien, then-President of the Hakka Association and one of the school's founders, proposed the construction of its building.

A committee was started with Pang Tet Chung as its chairperson. At the first meeting on 6 January 1965, the name "Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School" was decided. Soon afterward, the school was approved by the state's Education Department and 9.26 acre of land was granted for its construction. The federal Financial Department approved the exemption of income tax to those who funded the school. On 12 October 1965, the school obtained the title deed for the land and the construction of the school commenced.

Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School opened on 25 January 1965, borrowing classrooms of the Chung Hwa Chinese Primary School Karamunsing, Kota Kinabalu. 78 students were enrolled as the school's first students. The school was consequently accepted as a member of the Chinese Independent High School in Malaysia. In 1967, the first permanent school building was opened by the then Chief Minister of Sabah, Tun Datu Mustapha. Around 670 students enrolled in the school. In 1968, the government implemented a higher graduation rate for primary school students whereby students can then easily enrol into public secondary schools. This significantly reduced the enrolment rate for independent schools throughout Malaysia. By 1974 there were only 24 students left in the school, and the school was at risk of being closed.

1974–1989: Restructuring and Growth
The Api-Api Hakka Association decided to take action and had appointed a new management for the school. A new principal, Chang Yu On, was appointed in November 1974. Some professional Chinese teachers were also invited to teach in the school. The Hakka Association's efforts bore fruit in 1975 as the enrolment rate went up to 250 students for Junior One (初中一), with 60 students for Senior Four(高中一). Moreover, a two-storey hostel dedicated to the principal is launched in 1974.

In 1975, the school started classes for Senior 3 students, and for the first time participated in the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) and government's Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM, Malaysian Education Certificate). Another 600 students were enrolled in the Junior section in 1976. Subsequently, the administrators decided to conduct an entrance examination to accept only the best students.

The Hakka Association tried to implement improvements for the school, independent of the Government because of the discrimination against Chinese High Schools due to the New Economic Policy, an affirmative policy which was introduced by the Malaysian Federal Government in 1971 favouring the bumiputras. By the 1980s improvements had been made, and this included the construction of more school buildings. The new buildings included two permanent classroom buildings, a building for the school administrators, a garden inside the two new classroom buildings and the new school administrators building, a hall with a capacity of around 1000 students, a multi-purpose field, two basketball courts and a volleyball court.

On 19 August 1984, a new five-storey Multipurpose Building was opened, which once housed the school canteen and a computer lab on the first floor. The library is also located in this building from the second floor to the fourth floor. The fourth floor was used to provide accommodation for teachers for two years until a new teachers' hostel was opened in 1986, hence becoming the pre-university centre until 1989.

In 1984, as results for the students taking the Unified Examinations Certificate (UEC) were encouraging, the school decided to have classes for qualified students who were planning to further their studies in universities. A building was planned to be built in Menggatal, Sabah, but the school lost the land the new building was to be built on due to the defeat of the ruling party Barisan Nasional by the Parti Bersatu Sabah in the 1985 Sabah state election. In the end, the empty fifth floor of the five-story building was used for classes instead. Classes started in January 1987 with 152 students. The Pre-university class concept was well received and method of teaching was also lauded. In the same year, students who went for the A-Level and LCCI examinations organised by the University of Cambridge achieved good results, and this prompted the Hakka Association to raise funds to construct a building exclusively for the Pre-university students. In 1989, the building was opened by the then Chief Minister of Sabah, Pairin Kitingan. The Pre-university centre was known then as "Sabah Tshung Tsin Pre-University Centre" and today it is known as Institut Sinaran.

1989–2015: Development
The school's principal Chang Yu On died on 4 November 1989 of a heart attack at age 48. In 1991, the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah, Mohammad Said Keruak bestowed the honorary title "Datuk" to Chang Yu On posthumously to honour his contributions to Chinese education in conjunction with his 66th birthday celebrations. The new principal was the then vice-principal, Lau Suan Hok. In March 1990, Tsen Kui On and Hiew Hoh Shin were chosen as vice-principals of the school.

During the tenure of Lau Suan Hok, air-conditioning was installed in classrooms and the library was expanded. Lau retired in 1996 and Tsen Kui On became principal.

A seven-storey Co-curricular Activity Building was opened in December 1994 and is the first Co-curricular Activity Building that is built in Malaysia. The canteen was moved to this building from the original five-storey building, and two computer labs were added. The co-curricular activity offices were situated on the third floor. Music rooms, orchestral rehearsal facilities and photography studios were also placed in this building.

Due to the increase in enrolments, the Hakka Association proposed to build a new school campus in Menggatal. In 1997, the then Chief Minister of Sabah, Yong Teck Lee, approved a permit and a land title was received. Approximately 40 acre of land was granted to the Hakka Association. The building planned is costly, and fund-raising is continuing. Phase 1 of the school's new campus is then completed in 2009.

The new area was originally set to be served as the school's new campus of STTSS starting from 2002, but was not approved and the plan was proved as a failure. Soon, the school changed its plans and decided to use the new area as the new school campus for Sabah Tshung Tsin Pre-University Centre, which its name was soon changed as Institut Sinaran. Institut Sinaran was then successfully moved to the new school campus in 2010.

In 2005, the school forged sister school relationships with Lee Kau Yan Memorial School, Hong Kong and Donghwa High School, South Korea. The school also has forged relationships with secondary schools from foreign countries, such as Lee Kau Yan Memorial School & Yan Chai Hospital Wong Wah San Secondary School in Hong Kong. In 2008, Tsen Kui On retired as the principal of the school. As a result, Hiew Hoh Shin was appointed as Acting Principal, and in 2009, Principal.

In 2011, a sports court is built. The shade structure was added to provide protection from rain and harsh sunlight. The court is usually used as a venue for numerous basketball competitions. Moreover, basketball and volleyball training are usually done here.

In December 2013, the principal's hostel was removed in order to make way for a new five-storey student's hostel, which started its construction in January 2014.

2015–present: Modernization
In 2015, the School Heritage Centre(校史馆) was officially launched on 1st August 2015, and is located in the fourth floor of the Multipurpose Building. In April 2017, a Rubber Running Track around the school football field was completed, making future Sports Days' Running events better by providing extra traction. In the same year, the school announced its plan to build a new 3-storey building in the middle of the garden in between the two classroom buildings and the school administrators' building. The new building, named TreeCube, has a recreational area on the ground floor and individual lockers for students. The second, third and fourth floors are offices for teachers and the academic department, with the old staffrooms in the classrooms building becoming future classrooms for students. The building was completed by the end of 2017, just in time for the 2018 school year.

A plea to the government was also applied for the Junior 3 students to be able to take Mathematics and Science in English for the compulsory public PT3 examination, as Mathematics and Science are usually taken with Malay Language as the official language. In July 2017, the plea was approved, with Junior 3 students able to take Mathematics and Science in English for PT3 starting from 2019.

In 2022, a five-storey Technology Building was opened on 3 March 2022. This building includes five Science laboratories which is located at the right side of the building. In the left side of the building, special rooms such as the English Speaking Room, English Listening Room, Computer Labs, an office and more are located here. A year later, a mini theatre, which is located at the fourth floor of the building and is able to accommodate about 180 people, was completed on 6 January 2023. A new gym room for teachers and students are also opened on 11 November 2022.

In 2023, four types of faculties are introduced to the Junior Three students and will take effect next year for all Senior One student. The following faculties are: Pure Science Art, Mixed-Science, Mixed-Commerce and Pure Commerce.

In the same year, the main toilet serving the school was upgraded and completed in October 2023. The plan to build a new teachers' quarters is also announced in November 2023. The new 4-story building comprises 21 individual units. Each unit features a private bathroom, equipped with amenities such as a water heater, air conditioning, a desk, and a wardrobe. These facilities provide a comfortable living space for teachers while ensuring their privacy. Once completed, it will replace the existing teachers' hostel starting from October 2024.

Fees
The school fees range from RM4,926 to RM5,574 per annum depending on which year the students are in. It does not include insurance, sports fees and the cost-of-living skills classes. Students who cannot afford the school fees can apply for financial assistance.

Scholarships are available for pupils who score an overall A1 in the entrance examination, or those who achieve 7As in Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah examination with an A2 in the entrance examination. Staff's children also benefit from reduced fees. The scholarship covers the fees for three years in the Junior section. Students that qualify for the financial help only pay between RM1,866 to RM2,054 annually. Scholarships are also available for students in the Senior section who achieve 7As in Unified Examination Certificate examination.

School fees in secondary schools run by the government in Malaysia are either free or the students are only charged a minimal amount. Due to the vast difference in fees between private and government-run schools (e.g. students attending Tshung Tsin pays approximately RM2000 a year in fees while students in government schools only around RM20 a year).

Administration

 * Chairman: Jimmy Yong Kyok Ming (Since January 2001)
 * Principal: Chung Chin Hing (Since October 2019)


 * Vice Principal: Wong Jia Lih

List of former chairmen

 * 1) Yap Ye Siu (1965-1974)
 * 2) Pang Tet Chung (1975-1976)
 * 3) Yong Zhi Feng (1977-1982)
 * 4) Yong Jian Chong (1983-1986)
 * 5) Fong Zhen Wei (1987-1996)
 * 6) Chao De An (1997-2000)

List of former principals

 * 1) Yap Ye Siu (1965-1967)
 * 2) Chong Zhi Peng (1968-1969)
 * 3) Tsen Fu Quan (1970-1971)
 * 4) Chin Guan Shen (1972-1974)
 * 5) Chang Yu On (1975-1989)
 * 6) Lau Suan Hok (1990-1997)
 * 7) Tsen Kui On (1997-2008)
 * 8) Hiew Hoh Shin (2009-2019)
 * 9) Chung Bao Wei (2019)

Tshung Tsin Night
Tshung Tsin Night (崇正之夜 in Chinese) is an annual public concert that is solely organized by the Co-Curriculum Activities Department of the school. It is performed by multiple musical ensembles and dance troupes, such as STTSS String Ensemble, STTSS Sunflower Choir, STTSS Dance Troupe and more for two consecutive nights. In each concert, with an impressive turnout of at least 3000 attendees over the two performance days, Tshung Tsin Night creates a lively atmosphere.

Each concert revolves around a theme. The theme for the latest Tshung Tsin Night concert is "WANDERLUST", which is originated from German and can be defined as "the desire to explore unknown worlds".

Folk & Art Song Singing Competition
Folk & Art Song Singing Competition is a annual school competition that has been a tradition of Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School since 1983. It is organised by the school's Sunflower Choir. It mainly focuses on the skill and immersion of singers who participated in the competition in order to decide the winner. Professional musicians around the nation would be invited to be the judges of the competition.

There are three main categories (exclude the separation of Junior section and senior section in each category): Male Solo Singing, Female Solo Singing and Choir. The categories are the junior and senior section of male solo, female solo and choir. It involves the force participation of each class in the choir category and optional participation of male and female representatives in the solo categories.

The first round of the competition is the two-day preliminary round. Five finalists from each solo category group and four classes from each choir category group are eligible to the next round, which is the final. Prior to the final, tickets will be sold to the public to be the spectator of the competition. The prize will then not only be given to each class and each solo singing representative in each group that advanced to the finals, which ranges from 4th Runner Up to the Champion, special prizes are also given such as Overall Best Solo, Best Accompanist and Best Choir Conductor.

Monitor Board Gratitude Lunch
Monitor Board Gratitude Lunch is an event organized by Monitor Board each year which is participated by committee members of academic department, each form teacher, monitor and assistant monitor. In addition to monitors having lunch with the form teachers, they will also exchange commemorative gifts and express their gratitude to each other on this event. Besides, Performances will also be held during the event which are all performed by monitors.

Achievements
The school has achieved a pass rate of 97.6% for SPM public examination according to the 2023 result, with 126 students achieving at least 5A's.

Beside SPM and PMR, students at Tshung Tsin have to sit for the Chinese Independent Schools' Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) examination. In the 2023 result, Tshung Tsin had an overall pass rate of 92.9% in the junior section and 91.3% in the senior section.

Over the years, there are at least two students from the school who have won the Sabah State Excellent Scholarship Award in open category each year. Moreover, numerous students have also won scholarships given from different schools and companies such as the Shell Scholarship and the Petronas Scholarship.

A student of the school also won the Grand Prize of the 4th Japanese Speech Contest for Secondary School organised by The Japan Club of Kuala Lumpur, the Japanese Chamber of Trade & Industry Malaysia (JACTIM), the Embassy of Japan in Malaysia and the Japan Foundation Kuala Lumpur (JFKL).

Facilities
The school consists of three buildings for classrooms, two buildings as teachers' hostel, a fully air-conditioned hall (兆龙堂), a seven floor multi-purpose co-curriculum building, a 3-storey office building (TreeCube), four workshops for Living Skills, parking lots, a football field, two basketball courts and a volleyball court.

Co-curriculum Activity Building


When opened in December 1994, the building has seven levels and is the tallest of all the school buildings. The ground floor and second floor are both parts of the school canteen. There is a stationery shop on the second floor. Computer Lab B and the Multimedia Room are both located on the second floor as well. The co-curriculum department office is located on the third floor of the building. From the third floor onwards, there are over 25 co-curricular activity rooms such as the Cultural Orchestra practice room, the Dance Club Room, the Knitting Club Room, a Music Room (equipped with a standing piano, a few guitars, a television, a mini PA system and a radio set), and several other special classrooms etc. The 7th floor is an open space and is multi-purpose, usually used for Physical Education classes and by the Fencing Club. A surau for Muslim students is also located in this building.

Multipurpose Building
This five-story building was opened on 19 August 1984. Originally, it provided a canteen on the ground floor, a lecture hall and a computer lab on the second floor, but both of the facilities were soon moved to the Co-curriculum Activity Building and the Technology Building. It also provided a library but only on the second and third floor. The fifth floor was used to provide accommodation for teachers for two years until a new teachers' hostel was opened in 1986.

In the 21st century, the building saw major reforms such as the conversion from the canteen, the lecture and the computer lab to numerous extra classrooms and a locker room in order to cope with the increasing number of students in the school. Currently, the ground floor houses five extra classrooms, a photocopy shop, a resting room for teachers and several individual lockers, thus connecting with TreeCube, classroom buildings, the main school toilets and the newly constructed Locker Hub. On the first floor, there are two extra classrooms and serves as a connection with the offices for teachers. The rest of the floor (second, third and fourth floor) houses a triple-storey air-conditioned library.

Library
Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School Library is a triple-storey air-conditioned library that occupies the second, third and fourth floor of the Multipurpose Building with a total floor area of 11,340 square feet, thus can accommodate 274 users at a time. The library is open to all members of Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School. There are about 40 thousand collections of Malay, English and Chinese books in the library.

There are three sections of the library:


 * Lending and Periodicals Section
 * Located at the 2nd floor, there are about 98 bays of doubled-faced bookshelves, 20 chairs, 6 reading tables and 10 couches. The Lending Section was partially computerized on 17th January 2000. The Lending Section is also linked to the Academic Department office.
 * The books are divided into three main categories: reference, fiction and non-fiction. The library subscribes about 73 periodicals.
 * Reference Section
 * Located at the 3rd floor, there are 38 bays of doubled-faced bookshelves, 160 chairs and 16 study tables. There are also 16 study carrels for students who study individually and a printing machine for the convenience of students who need to photocopy certain materials.
 * Internet Resources Section and School Heritage Centre
 * Located at the 4th floor, the School Heritage Centre was officially launched on 1 August 2015. This centre is the place where multiple historical items of the school and information about the history of the school is stored here. Moreover, two extra classrooms and the Internet Resources Section are also located beside the School Heritage Centre.

Technology Building
Opened in 30 March 2022, this building replaced the previous labs in the classroom buildings which is Junior Science Lab A & B, Physics Lab, Biology Lab and Chemistry Lab which are located at the right side of the building. In the left side of the building, the English Speaking Room and Listening Room are both located on the ground floor while the first floor houses special rooms such as the meeting place of CEP (Creativity, Efficiency, Potential) Team. On the second floor, an office for ICT teachers is placed here. The rest of the building houses two Computer Labs. There are also four workshops for Living Skills and a housekeeping room located outside of the main building. Moreover, a mini theatre, which is located at the fourth floor, was opened on 6 January 2022. This mini theatre is able to accommodate more than 180 people and is used for lectures purposes.

Classroom buildings
The building has over 51 classrooms (50 main classrooms and an extra classroom) which are all air-conditioned. There were also five science laboratories (Junior Science Lab A & B, Physics Lab, Biology Lab and Chemistry Lab) and a computer laboratory but were recently replaced as extra classrooms. The building also houses an Education Department Office, the General Affairs Department, a Meeting Room, the Financial Department, the Health Office, the Teachers' and Students' Welfare Department, the Counselling Department, the Disciplinary Department, the Prefect Board and the Computer Lab.

Gardens and kiosks
The Yu On Court (佑安苑) is located next to the broadcasting room. The garden is named after one of the school's principal, the late Chang Yu On. The westernmost part of the school compound is the herb garden. Inside the garden there are benches and tables for relaxation or a game of Chinese chess. There are three pavilions located in different parts of the school. These pavilions are named Jing Si Ting (静思亭), Si Yuan Ting (思源亭) and Tshung Tsin Pavilion (崇正亭).

Sabah Tshung Tsin Education Fair
Sabah Tshung Tsin Education Fair is an education fair that is organized by Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School and open to the public. It is participated by over 50 local and international universities from countries such as China, Australia, United Kingdom, United States and more. The purpose of this fair is to let students find a suitable department or university for their further studies. Students would visit the exhibition in an orderly manner, asking the university representatives about the admission needs and prerequisites of different departments.

Mainland China
Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School has co-organized 2024 China Higher Education Fair, which is participated by 16 Chinese colleges. Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School has international links with Beijing Institute of Technology and has signed a cooperation agreement to become the base high school for overseas students of the university.

Taiwan
Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School has signed a cooperation agreement National University of Kaohsiung about the university giving scholarships to eligible graduates that are interested in studying at the university. Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School also has international links with Taiwanese universities such as University of Taipei, National Taiwan University, National Dong Hwa University and more. Besides that, Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School has organized 2024 Taiwan Education Tour in order for numerous Senior 3 students to visit the characteristic departments of universities, auditing university courses and interact with local secondary schools or sister schools.

Political and business figures

 * Phoong Jin Zhe: Sabah's current Minister of Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship, chief of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) Socialist Youth and member of Sabah State Legislative Assembly of Luyang.
 * Teo Chee Kang: Former president of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Malaysia and member of Sabah State Legislative Assembly of Tanjong Kapor.