Pope appoints new bishop in Malaysia

The Holy Father accepted the resignation presented by Bp. Paul Tan Chee Ing, SJ from the pastoral governance of the diocese of Melaka-Johor, Malaysia, in accordance with canon 401 § 1 of the Code of Canon Law, and appointed Rev. Anthony Bernard Paul, presently parish priest of the Cathedral and Vicar for Pastoral Care of the Diocese Penang, as the new bishop of the Diocese of Melaka-Johor.

Fr. Anthony Bernard Paul, was born July 6, 1953 in Alor Star, in the Diocese of Penang. He entered the diocesan minor seminary and then worked briefly as a teacher in a local school. He studied philosophy and theology at the major seminary in Penang. He was ordained a priest July 21, 1989 for the Diocese of Penang.

After ordination, he held the following positions:

1989-1992: assistant priest of St. Francis Xavier in Melaka;

1992-1995: Parish priest of St. Mary in Tapah;

1995-1998: Parish priest of  Nativity of the BVM Parish in Butterworth;

1996-1997: as diocesan director for vocations;

1997-2000: Vicar General of Penang;

1998-1999: Director of the parishes of the Immaculate Conception Parish of the Sacred Heart in Penang and Kulim, Kedah;

1999-2005: Parish priest of Sacred Heart Parish in Kulim;

2005-2010: parish priest of the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, Silibin, Ipoh;

Since 2010: Pastor of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Penang;

and since 2012: Vicar General of the diocese.

The Diocese of Melaka-Johor (1985), is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, has an area of ​​20,364 square kilometers and a population of 3,696,000 inhabitants, of whom 39,537 are Catholics. There are 58 parishes, served by 36 priests (30 diocesan and 6 religious), 5 religious brothers, 9 permanent deacons, 40 nuns and 7 seminarians.