Simon Michael Fung Kui Heong


Simon Michael Fung Kui Heong was a former Malaysian prelate of the Catholic Church. He was named as the third Vicar Apostolic of the Vicariate of Kota Kinabalu and Titular Bishop of Catabum Castra in 1975, and then was elevated as the first Bishop of the Diocese of Kota Kinabalu in 1977, with both positions given by Saint Paul VI. He was the first Sabahan to ever become a Bishop in Malaysia. He died on 16 November 1985, two days after his 10th episcopal ordination anniversary.

Priestly ministry

The Rt. Rev. Datuk Simon Fung was born on 6 June 1968 in Sandakan. He decided to enter the priesthood by entering the College General Major Seminary Penang in 1955 and was ordained a priest in 1963. Some of the posts that he served are Keningau, Tambunan and Kudat. The prelate then continued his studies to gain his Doctorate in Divinity. He then came back and served at Tenom.

Episcopal ministry

Appointments

On 14 Nov 1975, he was chosen to become a bishop by Pope Paul VI and consecrated by Rt. Rev. Anthony Denis Galvin from the Diocese of Miri, Sarawak, at the Sacred Heart Cathedral as the new vicar apostolic of Kota Kinabalu, with the added post of Titular Bishop of Cantabum Castra.
With the elevation of the Vicariate to Diocese on 31 May 1976 by Saint Paul VI, the prelate was officially installed as the first Bishop of Kota Kinabalu on 19 May 1977 under the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kuching.

Actions

Under the prelate, additional mission stations were opened. He was instrumental in propelling the physical development of the diocese and the church in Sabah. He also initiated as well as supported the construction of churches and outstation chapels throughout the diocese, including the current Sacred Heart Cathedral.

State Award

By the time, the relationship between the church and the new state government was improving. For the first time on 16 September 1982, the prelate was awarded a Datukship with the Commander of the Order of Kinabalu Award by then Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah, Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Mohamad Adnan Robert for the recognition of the contributions made by the prelate and the church to the development of the state as a whole.

Honours of Sabah

Just two days after his 10th Episcopal Ordination Anniversary in November 1985, the prelate died while receiving treatment for stomach cancer in Melbourne, Australia to the grief and shock of the many faithful the whole Sabah over.
He was flown back to Kota Kinabalu for the funeral mass attended by thousands, and his burial at the Mial 4.5 Catholic Cemetery in Penampang on 22 November 1985. Due to the overall history and legacy of the prelate, it was decided that the tomb was relocated at the memorial plot in front of the Sacred Heart Cathedral Blessed Sacrament Chapel in 1987.
After his death, two schools have also been named in his honour, namely the SRS Datuk Simon Fung and the Taska/Tadika Datuk Simon Fung which are located in the St Simon Educational Complex at Kingfisher, Likas, Kota Kinabalu.