Tan Cheng Lock
KBE JP () (5 April 1883 – 13 December 1960) was a
Malaysian
Malaysian may refer to:
* Something from or related to Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia
* Malaysian Malay, a dialect of Malay language spoken mainly in Malaysia
* Malaysian people, people who are identified with the country of Malaysia regard ...
Peranakan
The Peranakans () are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang (), namely the British Colonial ruled ports in the Malay Peninsula, ...
businessman and a key public figure who devoted his life to fighting for the rights and the social welfare of the Chinese community in Malaya. Tan was also the founder and the first president of the
Malayan Chinese Association
The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA; zh, 马来西亚华人公会; ; ta, மலேசிய சீனர் சங்கம், initially known as the Malayan Chinese Association) is a uni-racial political party in Malaysia that seeks to ...
(MCA), which advocated his cause for the Malayan Chinese population.
Background
Born on 5 April 1883, Tan was the third son of Tan Keong Ann (), who had seven sons and daughters, and a
fifth generation Peranakan
The Peranakans () are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang (), namely the British Colonial ruled ports in the Malay Peninsula, ...
-
Hokkien
The Hokkien () variety of Chinese is a Southern Min language native to and originating from the Minnan region, where it is widely spoken in the south-eastern part of Fujian in southeastern mainland China. It is one of the national languages in ...
Chinese Malaysian
Malaysian Chinese (; Malay: ''Orang Cina Malaysia''), alternatively Chinese Malaysians, are Malaysian citizens of Han Chinese descent. They form the second largest ethnic group after the Malay majority constituting 22.4% of the Malaysian p ...
living at 111, Heeren Street ( ms, Jalan Heeren) in
Malacca
Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...
. His ancestor, Tan Hay Kwan (), a junk owner and trader, had migrated to Malacca from
Zhangzhou
Zhangzhou (), alternately romanized as Changchow, is a prefecture-level city in Fujian Province, China. The prefecture around the city proper comprises the southeast corner of the province, facing the Taiwan Strait and surrounding the prefec ...
prefecture in Fujian Province, China in 1771. His grandfather, Tan Choon Bok (), was very wealthy but he felt his four sons were unworthy to inherit his business empire and wealth and he locked up all his assets in a family trust which ended 84 years after he died, in 1964. By then even Tan Cheng Lock had already been dead for four years. Tan Cheng Lock's father, Tan Keong Ann, was so devastated by his 'disinheritance' that he railed at his father's portrait daily and took to drink. He did not try to earn a living to support his family and instead lived off his annual allowance of $130 (Straits dollars) from the family trust in genteel poverty. Tan Cheng Lock refused to emulate his father.
The young Tan attended
Malacca High School
, motto_translation = Here we strive for better things
, medium_of_language = English, Malay
, established =
, address = 61, Jalan Chan Koon Cheng
, city = Malacca City
, st ...
and won the
Tan Teck Guan Scholarship
Tan or TAN may refer to:
Businesses and organisations
* Black and Tans, a nickname for British special constables during the Irish War of Independence. By extension "Tans" can now also colloquially refer to English or British people in general, es ...
awarded to top performers in the school. He later continued his education at
Raffles Institution
Raffles Institution (RI) is an independent educational institution in Singapore. Founded in 1823, it is the oldest school in the country. It provides secondary education for boys only from Year 1 to Year 4, and pre-university education for both ...
in Singapore. He was unable to proceed to England to study law due to his financial situation so he decided to teach instead, and taught at Raffles Institution from 1902 to 1908. He was unhappy with his lot and was too impatient to be a teacher, so his mother, Lee Seck Bin, insisted he return to Malacca to work as an assistant manager of the Bukit Kajang Rubber Estates Ltd., a company which belonged to his maternal cousin, Lee Chim Tuan. Being a rubber planter suited him and he was a quick learner. Soon he was appointed visiting agent to Nyalas Rubber Estates in Malacca in 1909. In 1910, Tan was involved in the founding of three rubber companies. He started United Malacca Rubber Estate Ltd. himself, and he obtained the assistance of other businessmen to jointly set up Malacca Pinda Rubber Estates Ltd. and Ayer Molek Rubber Company, Ltd.
Three years later in 1912, he was nominated as Malacca Council Commissioner and a Justice of the Peace for Malacca by the
British government
ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd
, image = HM Government logo.svg
, image_size = 220px
, image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
, image_size2 = 180px
, caption = Royal Arms
, date_es ...
. Months later, he was also nominated as the Commissioner of the Town Council for the towns and Malacca port as well. In 1914, he resuscitated the Chinese Company of the Malacca Volunteer Corps (later also known as B Company, 4th Battalion, Straits Settlement Volunteer Force) and served as a private for five years until 1919. In 1915, the Straits Chinese British Association (SCBA) was revived by him, electing him as the President of SCBA soon after. In 1923, at the age of 40, he was appointed as a nominated member of the
Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements
The Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements was a legislature formed on 1 April 1867, when the Straits Settlements was made a Crown colony. This allowed laws to be made swiftly and efficiently, as it was directly responsible to the Secret ...
.
In 1926, Tan made history with his monumental speech of ideals of a territorially and politically united Malaya in a speech to the council. Like many Straits-born Chinese of his time, Tan was partial towards Britain but was deeply influenced by ideas of independence which were sweeping across many British colonies. He advocated the concept of a "united self-governing British Malaya". From 1933 to 1935, he was an
unofficial member of the Straits Settlements Executive Council. He championed social causes like opposing opium smoking, promoting Chinese vernacular education, legislating against polygamy and pressing for immigration policy reform. During the
Japanese occupation of Malaya
The then British colony of Malaya was gradually occupied by the Japanese between 8 December 1941 and the Allied surrender at Singapore on 16 February 1942. The Japanese remained in occupation until their surrender to the Allies in 1945. The ...
, Tan and his family lived in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
in exile. They witnessed the struggles of
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
and
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru for independence during their stay in India, and inspired them to do the same for their motherland
Malaya when they returned.
The birth of Malayan Chinese Association
Tan returned to Malacca after the Japanese surrendered. On 27 February 1949, Tan founded the
Malayan Chinese Association
The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA; zh, 马来西亚华人公会; ; ta, மலேசிய சீனர் சங்கம், initially known as the Malayan Chinese Association) is a uni-racial political party in Malaysia that seeks to ...
(MCA) alongside
Tun Leong Yew Koh () and
Colonel Lee Hau Shik. Although he was 66 when elected to the position, Tan was regarded as the only man able to bring the Malayan Chinese together in perhaps their most trying time.
The post-war years and the Emergency was a difficult and dangerous juncture for the community. The Chinese were deeply divided and their loyalty was under scrutiny. Among the Chinese, only Tan had the stature to engage with senior Malays such as Datuk
Onn Jaafar
{{Table Oghamletters
Onn is the Irish name of the seventeenth letter of the Ogham alphabet, ᚑ, meaning "ash-tree", which is related to Welsh ''onn(en)'', from the root was *''ōs-, *osen'' 'ash'. Its phonetic value is
The letter's Bríatharog ...
and
Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah ( ms, تونكو عبد الرحمن ڤوترا الحاج ابن سلطان عبد الحميد حليم شاه, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; 8 Febru ...
at a time of imminent constitutional changes in the country. Strongly anti-communist, he was also trusted by the British colonial officials. He joined the Malay leaders – first through the
All-Malaya Council of Joint Action, which he chaired, and then the
Communities Liaison Committee headed by Dato' Sir
E. E. C. Thuraisingham – to fight for constitutional change and work towards inter-ethnic co-operation. Tan organized a hartal (general strike) in Malacca to protest against the British colonial government.
The establishment of the
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya ( ms, Persekutuan Tanah Melayu; Jawi script, Jawi: ) was a federation of what previously had been British Malaya comprising eleven states (nine Malay states and two of the British Empire, British Straits Settlements, P ...
did not go down well with the ethnic Chinese, whereby favourable conditions for obtaining citizenship for the Chinese and other non-Malays were withdrawn. The
Malaysian Chinese Association
The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA; zh, 马来西亚华人公会; ; ta, மலேசிய சீனர் சங்கம், initially known as the Malayan Chinese Association) is a uni-racial political party in Malaysia that seeks to ...
(MCA) was formed in 1949 under the leadership of Tan Cheng Lock who frequently raised grievances over the citizenship terms that were set when the Federation was established. As a result, communal tensions between the Malays and Chinese surfaced, and
Onn Jaafar
{{Table Oghamletters
Onn is the Irish name of the seventeenth letter of the Ogham alphabet, ᚑ, meaning "ash-tree", which is related to Welsh ''onn(en)'', from the root was *''ōs-, *osen'' 'ash'. Its phonetic value is
The letter's Bríatharog ...
, who was then heading
UMNO
The United Malays National Organisation ( Malay: ; Jawi: ; abbreviated UMNO () or less commonly PEKEMBAR), is a nationalist right-wing political party in Malaysia. As the oldest continuous national political party within Malaysia (since its ...
kept his distance from Tan. Tan encountered initial difficulties with meeting
Sultan Ibrahim of Johor
Sultan Sir Ibrahim Al-Masyhur Ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar Al-Khalil Ibrahim Shah (17 September 1873 – 8 May 1959) was a Malaysian sultan and the 22nd Sultan of Johor and the 2nd Sultan of modern Johor. He was considered to be "fabulously ...
, who was not accustomed to working with Chinese businessmen.
The goal for the foundation of the
Malayan Chinese Association
The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA; zh, 马来西亚华人公会; ; ta, மலேசிய சீனர் சங்கம், initially known as the Malayan Chinese Association) is a uni-racial political party in Malaysia that seeks to ...
was to unite the Chinese population in
Malaya, including the protection of the rights and interests of the Chinese, also to work with the colonial government to stop the spread of communism and to work with other races to achieve the independence of Malaya. The MCA branches had been set up after their campaigns had attracted more than 200,000 members.
Soon later, on 26 September 1951, he had supported the idea of
Onn Jaafar
{{Table Oghamletters
Onn is the Irish name of the seventeenth letter of the Ogham alphabet, ᚑ, meaning "ash-tree", which is related to Welsh ''onn(en)'', from the root was *''ōs-, *osen'' 'ash'. Its phonetic value is
The letter's Bríatharog ...
to form the
Independence of Malaya Party
The Independence of Malaya Party ( ms, Parti Kemerdekaan Malaya) was a political party in British-ruled Malaya that stood for political independence. Founded by Onn Ja'afar after he left UMNO in 1951, it opposed the UMNO policy of Malay supr ...
(IMP) in
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
with co-operation of various races as her theme of struggle. However, the formation was choppy, which due to the fact that
Dato' Onn Jaafar was not co-operative on the issue of
citizenship
Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection".
Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
.
In the end, Tan decided that only a Chinese party could safeguard the interests of his community and that multi-ethnic co-operation was more likely to be achieved through partnership with
UMNO
The United Malays National Organisation ( Malay: ; Jawi: ; abbreviated UMNO () or less commonly PEKEMBAR), is a nationalist right-wing political party in Malaysia. As the oldest continuous national political party within Malaysia (since its ...
. With that, the MCA joined with UMNO to form the Alliance, the precursor to the
Barisan Nasional
The National Front ( ms, Barisan Nasional; abbrev: BN) is a political coalition of Malaysia that was founded in 1973 as a coalition of centre-right and right-wing political parties. It is also the third largest political coalition with 30 se ...
. However some people do not agree that he acted in best interest of Malaysian Chinese as some felt that the marginalization of Malaysian Chinese would not be so severe had the British ruled until now citing Hong Kong as an example.
In 1952, Tan Cheng Lock and the
United Malays National Organisation
The United Malays National Organisation (Malay: ; Jawi: ; abbreviated UMNO () or less commonly PEKEMBAR), is a nationalist right-wing political party in Malaysia. As the oldest continuous national political party within Malaysia (since its in ...
(UMNO) under Tunku Abdul Rahman's leadership contested the election as partners. He was best remembered for his contributions in the business and political arenas and his work for integrating between the
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
and the
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
communities to the nascent Malayan society.
Under Tan Cheng Lock, the MCA played a vital role in negotiating independence from the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
; he was also in charge as the MCA formed the Alliance in 1954 in coalition with the
United Malays National Organisation
The United Malays National Organisation (Malay: ; Jawi: ; abbreviated UMNO () or less commonly PEKEMBAR), is a nationalist right-wing political party in Malaysia. As the oldest continuous national political party within Malaysia (since its in ...
and the
Malaysian Indian Congress
The Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC; ta, மலேசிய இந்திய காங்கிரஸ், Malēciya Intiya Kāṅkiras; formerly known as Malayan Indian Congress) is a Malaysian political party. It is one of the founding membe ...
. Tan, who was a member of the
Malayan Anti-Japanese League, was MCA's first president, but did not enter the cabinet on independence because his rival, Tun H.S. Lee, from
Selangor
Selangor (; ), also known by its Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 Malaysian states. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east ...
, was part of the cabinet.
Prior to the independence of
Malaya, he was also a member of the
Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements
The Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements was a legislature formed on 1 April 1867, when the Straits Settlements was made a Crown colony. This allowed laws to be made swiftly and efficiently, as it was directly responsible to the Secret ...
. In 1952, Tan Cheng Lock and the
United Malays National Organisation
The United Malays National Organisation (Malay: ; Jawi: ; abbreviated UMNO () or less commonly PEKEMBAR), is a nationalist right-wing political party in Malaysia. As the oldest continuous national political party within Malaysia (since its in ...
(UMNO) under Tunku Abdul Rahman's leadership contested the election as partners. He was best remembered for his contributions in the business and political arenas and his work for integrating between the
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
and the
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
communities to the nascent Malayan society.
Tan died of a heart attack on 16 December 1960 at the age of 77, leaving behind a great legacy and a strong family. His son,
Tan Siew Sin
Tun Tan Siew Sin (; 21 May 1916 – 17 March 1988) was a Malaysian politician who served as the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Minister of Finance, and 3rd President of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA, formerly Malayan Chinese Assoc ...
became the 3rd President of MCA after his death.
Legacy
Many tributes were made to Tan, for his immense contribution to Malaysia. Besides being recognised as one of the founding fathers of modern-day
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, along with Tunku Abdul Rahman,
Tun Abdul Razak
Tun Haji Abdul Razak bin Dato' Hussein ( ms, عبد الرزاق بن حسين, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; 11 March 1922 – 14 January 1976) was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as the 2nd Prime Minister of Malaysia f ...
and
Tun V.T. Sambanthan, the street named ''Foch Avenue'', adjacent to the
Petaling Street
Petaling Street ( Malay: ''Jalan Petaling'', Simplified Chinese: 茨厂街, Traditional Chinese: 茨廠街, pinyin: Cíchǎng Jiē, Cantonese jyutping: ci4 cong2 gaai1) is a Chinatown located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The whole vicinity is als ...
was renamed ''Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock'' in
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
after 1957. The former Cross Street was renamed
Tan Siew Sin
Tun Tan Siew Sin (; 21 May 1916 – 17 March 1988) was a Malaysian politician who served as the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Minister of Finance, and 3rd President of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA, formerly Malayan Chinese Assoc ...
Street in honour of Tan's son, a former Finance Minister of Malaysia.
In
Malacca
Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...
, Heeren Street where Tan's family home and the place of his birth was situated was also renamed ''Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock'' in his honour. In 2002, a school was built at Subang Jaya in the state of Selangor and was named SJKC Tun Tan Cheng Lock.
In April 2005, the
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national public research university in Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, NUS is the oldest autonomous university in the c ...
(NUS) received a private donation of S$4 million from Ms Agnes Tan, the last surviving daughter of Tan Cheng Lock, to acquire a
Peranakan
The Peranakans () are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang (), namely the British Colonial ruled ports in the Malay Peninsula, ...
house on Neil Road in Singapore. Another donation of S$1.5 million was made for the purpose of acquiring two other houses on Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock in Malacca for the conservation and promotion of
Peranakan
The Peranakans () are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang (), namely the British Colonial ruled ports in the Malay Peninsula, ...
architecture and culture in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. The house in Singapore was named the ''Tan Cheng Lock
Baba House
Baba House (also referred to as NUS Baba House) is a museum in Singapore, showcasing Peranakan history, architecture and heritage. It is a traditional Peranakan pre-war terrace-house which was formerly owned by the family of a 19th-century shippin ...
'', in honour of Tan's strong belief in education.
Honours
Honours of Malaya
* :
** Grand Commander of the
Order of the Defender of the Realm
The Most Esteemed Order of the Defender of the Realm ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negara) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country. The Order Motto are 'Dipeliharakan Allah-Pangkuan Negara' (By the Grace ...
(SMN) – Tun (1958)
* :
**
![Most Honourable Order of the Crown of Johor - ribbon bar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Most_Honourable_Order_of_the_Crown_of_Johor_-_ribbon_bar.png)
Knight Commander of the
Order of the Crown of Johor
The Most Honourable Order of the Crown of Johor ( Malay: ''Darjah Mahkota Johor Yang Amat Mulia'') is an Order of chivalry awarded by the Sultan of Johor. It was first instituted on July 31, 1886.
It is awarded in three classes:
*Knight Grand Co ...
(DPMJ) – Dato' (1949)
British Commonwealth Honours
*
**
![Order of the British Empire (Civil) Ribbon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Order_of_the_British_Empire_%28Civil%29_Ribbon.png)
Commander of the
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
(CBE) (1933)
**
King George V Silver Jubilee Medal (1935)
**
![Order of the British Empire (Civil) Ribbon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Order_of_the_British_Empire_%28Civil%29_Ribbon.png)
Knight Commander of the
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
(KBE) – Sir (1952)
References
{{Authority control
1883 births
1960 deaths
People from Malacca
Malaysian anti-communists
Malaysian Buddhists
Peranakan people in Malaysia
Presidents of Malaysian Chinese Association
Malaysian people of Hokkien descent
Malaysian people of Chinese descent
Raffles Institution alumni
Malaysian political party founders
Grand Commanders of the Order of the Defender of the Realm
Knights Commander of the Order of the Crown of Johor
Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Malaysian independence activists
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire