Victoria Institution

Victoria Institution (VI)
Jalan Hang Tuah, 55200 , Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Information
Type	All-boys secondary school
Motto	Be Yet Wiser - To be a scholar, sportsman and a gentleman
Established	14 August 1893;132 years ago (1893-08-14)
Principal	En Abd Samad bin Othman
Grades	Forms 1 – 6
Gender	Male Co-educational (Form 6)
Colours	Oxford Blue   Cambridge Blue
Accreditation	Cluster School of Excellence
Newspaper	The Seladang
Yearbook	The Victorian
Alumni	Victoria Institution Old Boys Association (VIOBA)
Website	sites.google.com/moe-dl.edu.my/victoria-institution/

Victoria Institution in 2025

The Victoria Institution (commonly known as VI) is an all-boys secondary school located 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]}

This building was then used for the premises of the Technical College up until the 1950s when the new Technical College building at Jalan Gurney (now Jalan Semarak) was completed and officially opened on the 1 March 1955 by Sir Donald MacGillivray, the British High Commissioner to Malaya. ^[3]

It then housed High Street School before becoming Setapak High School.

From the 1980s, the former 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 VI

The main building with the two pavillions facing the field

Sports

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. ^{[10] [11]}

Cricket

The school cricket ground hosted eight matches during the 1997 ICC Trophy. ^[12] It also hosted List A cricket matches during the 1998 Commonwealth Games, including fixtures involving Pakistan, Scotland, Malaysia, and Jamaica. ^{[13] [14]}

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. ^[15]

Notable alumni

Royalty

• Hassanal Bolkiah – Sultan of Brunei; attended Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur. ^[16]

Politician

• Prabowo Subianto – President of Indonesia; attended Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur during his high school years. ^[17]
• S. Rajaratnam – Singaporean politician and journalist. ^[18]
• Rafidah Aziz – Malaysian politician and former Minister of International Trade and Industry. ^[19]

Business

• Ananda Krishnan – Malaysian entrepreneur and business magnate; educated at Victoria Institution, Kuala Lumpur. ^[20]
• Francis Yeoh – Malaysian businessman (YTL Corporation). ^[19]

Sports

• Mani Jegathesan – Malaysian athlete, sports administrator, and medical doctor; completed his secondary education at Victoria Institution. ^[21]
• Mokhtar Dahari – Malaysian footballer. ^[19]
• Mani Jegathesan – Malaysian athlete and sports administrator. ^[19]
• Misbun Sidek – Malaysian badminton coach and former player. ^[19]
• Razif Sidek – Malaysian badminton player. ^[19]
• Jalani Sidek – Malaysian badminton player. ^[19]
• Rashid Sidek – Malaysian badminton player. ^[19]
• Amir Muhammad (director) – Malaysian filmmaker and writer. ^[19]

References

1. Gullick, John M. (2000). A history of Kuala Lumpur 1857 - 1939. MBRAS monograph. Singapore: MBRAS. ISBN   978-967-9948-15-8.
2. Victoria Institution: The First Hundred Years, 1893–1993. Victoria Institution Old Boys’ Association. 1993.
3. Majlis Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur: The First 100 Years. Kuala Lumpur City Hall. 1990.
4. "British Reoccupation of Malaya (SE6801)". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
5. Allen, Louis (1976). The end of the war in Asia. London: Hart-Davis MacGibbon. ISBN   978-0-246-64063-5.
6. "Kompleks Budaya Negara (Taman Budaya)". Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
7. "Victoria Institution, Kuala Lumpur". Jabatan Warisan Negara. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
8. "116-year-old school gets heritage status today". The Star. 14 February 2009. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
9. Chen, Voon Fee (1998). The Encyclopedia of Malaysia: Architecture. Archipelago Press. ISBN   9789813018309.{{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
10. "VI wins the right to represent Malaysia at MUFC regional finals". The Star. 4 June 2009. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
11. "Victoria Institution wakili Malaysia ke final serantau MUPC". mStar. 15 May 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
12. "Carlsberg ICC Trophy 1997 – Schedule". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
13. "Pakistan vs Scotland, Commonwealth Games 1998". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
14. "Malaysia vs Jamaica, Commonwealth Games 1998". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
15. "Victoria Institution Old Boys' Association". VIOBA. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
16. "Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Muʿizzaddin Waddaulah". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
17. "Prabowo recalls childhood days in KL". New Straits Times. 22 November 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
18. "S. Rajaratnam". National Library Board Singapore. National Library Board. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
19. "Victorious Victorians". The Edge Malaysia. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
20. "Ananda Krishnan". Wikipedia. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
21. "Dato' Dr. M. Jegathesan". Pustaka Ilmu. Arkib Negara Malaysia. Retrieved 14 January 2026.