The history of the newly established Lieutenancy for Malaysia–Penang

The Governor General, Ambassador Leonardo Visconti di Modrone, is presently travelling to Australia and the Pacific to visit the Lieutenancies in the region. On May 25, he will attend the Investiture of the Lieutenancy for Malaysia–Penang, preceded by the Investiture of Cardinal Sebastian Francis, Bishop of Penang and the new Grand Prior. In the text that follows, the Governor briefly retraces the history of the Order in Malaysia, which is a Muslim-majority country. There are three significant passages in this history that began with the Investiture of Knights and Dames affiliated with the Lieutenancy for Western Australia, which was followed by the creation of a Section under that Lieutenancy, and finally culminating in its elevation to an independent Lieutenancy.  What renders the Malaysia–Penang Lieutenancy distinct is that it has come about without the usual interim phase of a Magistral Delegation, which was due to the large number of Members. 

The history that has brought us to the present day is rooted in a past marked by dedication and vision. It was the late Knight Alan Voisey, who was a member of the Lieutenancy for Western Australia, who introduced the Order to the Diocese of Penang. During his time there, he became an active member of the Immaculate Conception Parish, and forged a valuable friendship with the then parish priest, the Reverend Father Michael Cheah.

In 2013, Knight Voisey, together with the Lieutenant of Honour for Western Australia, Robert Peters, approached the then Bishop, Sebastian Francis, to seek his approval for the introduction of the Order. Although he did not yet feel ready to assume the role of Grand Prior, Bishop Francis very generously gave his consent for the first candidates to be invested as members of the Lieutenancy for Western Australia.

The first Investiture of thirteen members from the Diocese of Penang, including the Reverend Father Michael Cheah, was conducted by the Grand Prior, Bishop Timothy Costelloe, in St Mary’s Cathedral in Perth in 2014.

Five years on, and as a consequence of the growth in membership and the valuable support of Vice Governor General Paul Bartley, Lieutenant Jack Gardner, received approval from the then Grand Master, Cardinal Edwin F. O'Brien, for the creation of the Penang Section. This took place on January 23, 2019. Dame Anna Wong was appointed the first Section President, and the Reverend Father Michael Cheah became Prior. At that point, the idea of establishing an autonomous Magistral Delegation, which would be separate from the Western Australia Lieutenancy, began to take shape.

In May 2019, Kevin Susai, who was the new Lieutenant for Western Australia, gave renewed momentum to the path towards autonomy by encouraging an increasing number of Christian faithful from various parishes across the Diocese of Penang to join those already part of the Order.

Four years later, in March 2023, Knight Dr. Luis Chen succeeded Anna Wong as Section President, and today we celebrate him as the first Lieutenant of the Lieutenancy of Malaysia. A pivotal moment in this journey was a meeting in Rome between His Eminence Cardinal Sebastian Francis and the Grand Master of the Order, Cardinal Fernando Filoni, on May 13, 2024. From that meeting came Cardinal Sebastian Francis’ agreement to assume the high office of Grand Prior.

Ambassador Leonardo Visconti di Modrone
Governor General 

(May 22, 2025)