Elesh Vengadesan-Lee
A steady crowd of about 150 was present at a public forum on 23 August, marking 30 years since the death of former opposition leader Dr Tan Chee Khoon.
Jointly organised by Aliran and his youngest daughter Tan Poh Lai, the event at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall was one of three subtitled Merdeka, Multiracialism and Dissent, Without Fear or Favour. Subsequent events are to be held on 3 September in Ipoh and 5 September in Penang.
Tan Chee Khoon was the official leader of the opposition in the House of Representatives from 1964 to 1969. He was elected to Parliament in 1964 under the Labour Party, in 1969 under Gerakan and in 1974 under Pekemas.
Poh Lai did a great job of conveying the life story of this exemplary Malaysian who was committed to a multiracial outlook and whose socialism was also tempered by a strong Christian commitment.
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Her reflection on the story behind the man was engrossing and touching in turn.
She recounted how he had been blinded in one eye as a 12-year-old following an accident while tapping rubber. She said that the loss of his eye was due to a lack of funds and access to proper medical care, which made him a compassionate and caring physician.
She recalled too how he was drawn into the left-wing struggle and remained steadfast despite many challenges such as the decimation of the Labour Party and the Socialist Front through the detention without trial of numerous leaders including Ahmad Boestamam, Karam Singh, Tan Kai Hee, MK Rajakumar, Syed Husin Ali and Hasnol Hadi.
“Many times, the other side tried to lure him over but he was steadfast and flatly turned down political positions like deputy chief minister because it did not align with his brand of multiracial politics. Even to this day I will never join a party that is based on race, due to the principles he instilled,” said Poh Lai.
Her father had to rebuild on a number of occasions, leaving the Labour Party to form multiracial Gerakan only to see Dr Lim Chong Eu subvert the party’s original left-leaning ethos by steering it into Barisan Nasional in the early 1970s.
Tan Chee Khoon then formed Pekemas with Gerakan rebels but was the only one elected to Parliament in 1974 and was forced to step back from politics after suffering the first of two strokes in 1977.
He died in 1996, having made his mark as a medical doctor and a prominent columnist with his Without Fear or Favour column in The Star.
His son Dr Tan Kee Kwong was deputy land and cooperative development minister from 1999 to 2004 and served four terms in Parliament, representing first Gerakan, then PKR.
Poh Lai too was active in PKR and has also acted as legal representative for the Orang Asli in land rights dispute cases.
Economist Jomo Kwame Sundaram also spoke at the event and reflected on Tan Chee Khoon’s commitment to principles, saying that he came from an era when political leaders could choose to debate ideology and not focus on identity factors like race and religion.
“It was a different time with politics and the debates about different ideas and views of the world going forward. The debates were about a different conception of the nation, and Tan was very much part of it,” he said.
Jomo lamented the suppression of the left-wing political movement in Malaysia, saying that its role has now been overlooked or omitted. – Malay Mail
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