Cardinal Sebastian Francis, Bishop of Penang (Malaysia), was born on 11 November 1951 in Johor Bahru, and was ordained a priest in Melaka-Johor on 28 July 1977.

He completed his studies in philosophy and theology at the Major Seminary of Penang.

On 28 July 1977 he was ordained a priest for the diocese of Melaka-Johor. Immediately afterwards he was parish vicar of the parish of Saint Francis Xavier in Melaka from 1977 to 1980, and parish vicar of the parish of the Immaculate Conception in Johor Bahru in 1981.

In 1983 he was awarded a licentiate in dogmatic theology from the Pontifical “Saint Thomas Aquinas” University. He returned to his home country, where he was parish vicar of the parish of the Immaculate Conception in Johor Bahru in 1984; professor of dogmatic theology; spiritual director of the Major Seminary of Penang; chaplain of university students in Penang; parish ministr of the parish of the Immaculate Conception in Paulau Ticus and pastoral coordinator from 1985 to 1988; vicar general from 1988 to 2001; parish priest of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Johor Bahru from 1988 to 2004; diocesan minister from 2002 to 2003 and of the new vicar general from 2003; parish priest of the parish of Saint Louis in Kluang from 2004 to 2007; parish priest of the parish of the Immaculate Conception in Paulau Ticus from 2007 to 2011 and parish priest of the parish of Christ the King in Kulai since 2011. In 1991 he graduated in law and transferred to the Maryknoll School of Theology in New York.

On 7 July 2012, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him bishop of Penang. Episcopal ordination was conferred on 20 August in the parish church of Saint Anne in Bukit Mertajam by the metropolitan archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Murphy Nicholas Xavier Pakiam; consecrated by the bishop of Melaka, Johor Paul Tan Chee Ing, and the bishop emeritus of Penang, Antony Selvanayagam.

Since 1 January 2017 he has served as president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by Pope Francis in the consistory of 30 September 2023, of the Title of Santa Maria Causa Nostræ Lætitiæ.