Fr. Ivan Fang Yau Hong MHM was born on the 18th March 1960, in the General Hospital in Brunei Town. He was ordained a Priest at St. Joseph's College, London on 30th November 1985 by Bishop Cornelius De Wit MHM, who was then the Superior General of the Mill Hill Missionaries. After his ordination, Fr. Ivan left for Pakistan in January 1986 and started work as a missionary priest among the Parkari Kohli Christians Hindus of Sindh Province. It was during this time in Kunri Parish that he spoke the Kohli language so fluently that he was given a local name "Alamchand".

After four years with the Kohli tribe, Fr. Ivan was transferred to Lahore where he expanded his expertise in the field of Social Communications. He worked at a Catholic recording studio and helped in the studio's expansion into video production. Fr. Ivan was recalled back to Hyderabad Diocese after six months and became assistant Parish Priest at the Cathedral Parish. It was there that he picked up Urdu and Punjabi. Hyderabad was the place where he began to reorganize the laity and eventually set up the Parish Pastoral Council. He also reorganized the youth, set up a computer school started a village school. Fr. Ivan only spent two years in this parish before he was requested to return to Brunei.

All in all, Fr. Ivan worked seven years in Pakistan. His experiences in Pakistan helped him to reorganize the Bandar Parish where he was appointed after his return. His last years in Bandar Parish were the most challenging so far.