The Victoria Institution (commonly known as VI) is an all-boys secondary school in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[1] It is one of the earliest and most prominent secondary schools in the city and was established as a memorial school commemorating the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887.[2]
VI is a secondary school for male students only from Form 1 to 5. Female students are accepted for Form 6 (Lower and Upper) and the students are known as Victorians.
History
Victoria Institution in 1905
VI was founded following a public subscription initiative to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887.[1] The school was further supported by financial contributions from the Sultan and government of Selangor, as well as prominent residents of Kuala Lumpur.[2]
The foundation stone was laid on 14 August 1893 by Lady Treacher, wife of the then Resident of Selangor, Sir William Hood Treacher.[2] The school officially opened on 28 July 1894 at its original site along what is now Jalan Tun H.S. Lee.[1]
Due to frequent flooding from the Klang River, the school relocated to Shaw Road (now Jalan Hang Tuah) on 26 March 1929.[3]
General Officer Commanding Malaya Command, Lieutenant General F W Messervy KBE, CB, DSO, receives the sword of General Itagaki, Commander of the Japanese 7 Area Army, which controlled Malaya, Java, Sumatra, Nicobar and Andaman Islands, parts of Borneo and Siam, at a formal ceremony of surrender held in the grounds of VI
On 13 September 1945, the Victoria Institution was the site of the formal surrender of the 29th Imperial Japanese Army to Lieutenant-General Ouvry Roberts of the British 34th Indian Corps.[4][5]
It then housed High Street School before relocated to Setapak High School.
From the 1980s, the old premises were managed as a cultural centre known as Taman Budaya and later came under the administration of the National Department for Culture and Arts.[6]
In 2009, the school reverted from the name SMK Victoria to Victoria Institution following approval in recognition of its historical significance and heritage status.[7][8]
Campus
The Main Hall at E Block.
The school campus features a clock tower flanked by two sports pavilions overlooking a large central field. It also includes a 25-metre swimming pool and athletics facilities, making it among the earliest schools in the region to have such infrastructure.[9]
Aerial view of VIThe main building with the two pavillions facing the fieldView from Jalan Hang Jebat
Student leadership and traditions
Prefect system
Student leadership at Victoria Institution includes a prefect system that has historically played a role in school discipline and governance. An opinion column in Malay Mail described the school’s prefects’ board as among the earliest established in the region, highlighting its longstanding influence within the school community.[10]
Co-curricular activities
Victoria Institution maintains a cadet corps as part of its co-curricular activities, and according to the school’s official background information, the unit was established in 1901 by the school’s first headmaster, En. Bennet Eyre Shaw[11]
The Pasukan Kadet Bersatu Malaysia (PKBM), with which school cadet units are aligned nationally, was formally established under the Pasukan Kadet Bersatu Malaysia Act 1967 (Act 68).[11]
Victoria Institution Cadet Corps Infantry (V.I.C.C.I)
Sports
Rugby
Victoria Institution has a long-established rugby program and regularly competes in the Super Schools Rugby (SSR) championship, Malaysia’s premier inter-school rugby competition.
In 2025, Victoria Institution reached the final of the SSR competition but finished as runners-up after a closely contested match against MRSM Balik Pulau.[12]
The school also organises the annual Victoria Institution Premier 10s Rugby Tournament, which has been reported as a significant event in the Malaysian schools rugby calendar.[13]
Football
The Victoria Institution football team has achieved success at state and national levels, winning the Manchester United Premier Cup Malaysia in 2009 and 2013 and representing Malaysia at regional competitions.[14][15]
Cricket
The school cricket ground hosted eight matches during the 1997 ICC Trophy.[16] It also hosted List A cricket matches during the 1998 Commonwealth Games, including fixtures involving Pakistan, Scotland, Malaysia, and Jamaica.[17][18]
Headmasters and Headmistresses
The following is a chronological list of headmasters and headmistresses of Victoria Institution.[19]
No.
Name
Tenure
Notes
1
G. W. Hepponstall
1893
Acting
2
Bennett Eyre Shaw
1894–1922
3
R. F. Stainer
1897
Acting
4
Rev. Knight-Clark
1900
Acting
5
J. H. Tyte
1905
Acting
6
William J. Proudlock
1910
Acting
7
C. G. Coleman
1914
Acting
8
M. Wheatley
Apr 1922–Feb 1923
Acting
9
Richard J. H. Sidney
Feb 1923–Feb 1926
10
G. C. Davies
Feb 1926–Jun 1930
11
R. F. Gunn
Jun 1929–Aug 1929
Acting
12
Frederick L. Shaw
Aug 1929–Mar 1930
Acting
13
Edgar de la Mothe Stowell
Jun 1930–Dec 1930
Acting
14
Frederick L. Shaw
Jan 1931–Jul 1936
15
H. R. Carey
Feb 1934–Nov 1934
Acting
16
J. B. Neilson
Jul 1936–Jun 1937
17
C. E. Gates
Jun 1937–Jan 1942
18
E. H. Wilson
Nov 1939–Aug 1940
Acting
19
M. Vallipuram
Feb 1946–Sep 1946
Acting
20
Ng Seo Buck
Oct 1946
Acting
21
Frederick Daniel
Oct 1946–May 1949
22
E. M. F. Payne
May 1949–May 1952
23
A. H. Hill
Jul 1951–Dec 1951
Acting
24
A. Godman
May 1952–Jul 1952
Acting
25
J. N. Davis
Jul 1952–Apr 1953
26
G. P. Dartford
1953–1955
27
A. Atkinson
May 1954–Dec 1954
Acting
28
Peter Roberts
May 1955–Dec 1955
29
Gerwyn E. D. Lewis
1956–1962
30
A. G. Young
Apr 1958–Aug 1958
Acting
31
Lim Eng Thye
Feb 1961–Aug 1961
Acting
32
Alan D. Baker
1962–1964
33
V. Murugasu
1964–1969
34
Tan Cheng Or
1970–1971
35
V. Somasundram
1971–1973
36
Victor Gopal
1973–1976
37
Abdul Rahim bin Che Teh
1976–1978
38
Baharum bin Othman
1978–1979
39
Abdul Shukor bin Haji Abdullah
1979–1982
40
Abdul Rahim bin Abdul Majid
1982–1988
41
Shuib bin Dahaban
1988–1992
42
Robeahtun Haji Ahmad Damanhuri
1992–1995
43
Othman bin Husin
1996
44
Salha Othman
1996–1998
45
Baharom Kamari
1999–2001
46
Taslim Sarbini
2002–2003
47
Muhamad Khailani Abdul Jalil
2004–2007
48
Azizah binti Othman
2008–2009
49
Maslan bin Buniran
2010–2016
50
Kamarul Azman bin Md Arif
2016–2020
51
Nur Elisa Tee Lee Hwa
2021–2023
52
Abdul Samad bin Othman
2023–
Incumbent
Alumni
Victoria Institution Old Boys' Association, the school's alumni
The school's alumni organisation, the Victoria Institution Old Boys' Association (VIOBA), was founded in 1922 and remains active in Malaysia and abroad.[20]
Notable alumni
Royalty
Hassanal Bolkiah – Sultan of Brunei; attended Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur from 1961 to 1963.[21]
Politician
Prabowo Subianto – 8th President of Indonesia; attended Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur from 1962 to 1964.[22]
Abdul Latif Ahmad – Malaysian military officer, retired brigadier general who served during Confrontation, Communist insurgency and led special forces in Somalia.[30]
Anuar Zainal Abidin – Malaysian jurist and former Chief Judge of Malaya; served in the Malaysian judiciary for over 30 years before retiring as Chief Judge in 1997.[37][38]
Gunn Chit Tuan – Malaysian jurist and former Chief Judge of the High Court of Malaya [39]
Gopal Sri Ram – Malaysian lawyer and former Federal Court judge [40]
Yong Pung How – Singaporean jurist and former Chief Justice of Singapore [41]
Tommy Thomas – Malaysian lawyer and former Attorney General of Malaysia (2018–2020) [42]
Mohd Zaman Khan – Malaysian police officer and former Commissioner General of the Malaysian Prisons Department [43][44]
Sports
Mani Jegathesan – Malaysian athlete, sports administrator, and medical doctor [45]
↑Raja Ahmad, Raja Zainal Abidin (2011). The Early Malay Doctors 1905–1957. Malaysian Medical Association.
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