Tan Chee Khoon
| Tan Chee Khoon | |
|---|---|
Although Tan Chee Khoon was active in politics, he spent a significant amount of his time – especially after retirement – on philanthropy.
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| Born | 4 March 1919 |
| Died | 14 October 1996 (aged 77) |
| Nationality | Malaysian |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Chinese name | |
| Traditional Chinese | 陳志勤 |
| Simplified Chinese | 陈志勤 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Chén Zhìqín |
| Jyutping | Chan3 Chee1 Kun2 |
Tan Sri Dr Tan Chee Khoon (陈志勤; 4 March 1919 – 14 October 1996) was a major figure in Malaysian politics from 1959 to 1978, at one point being nicknamed "Mr. Opposition" for the outspoken views he presented in Parliament. He was the official Leader of the Opposition in Parliament from 1964 to 1978, when he retired. Although he was originally a leader of the Labour Party of Malaya and the Socialist Front coalition which Labour had joined, Tan later co-founded Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan), and also Parti Keadilan Masyarakat Malaysia (Pekemas) after he became disillusioned with Gerakan.
Tan was born into a Chinese immigrant family in 1919 in Cheras, Selangor. His parents were Tan Chin Ghee and Tay Kim Siew. On weekends, Tan rose at 5.30 a.m. to feed livestock, and then cycled five miles to tap rubber. When he returned at 4 in the afternoon, he would tend the vegetable patch and fruit trees in his garden. The Tans were devout Methodist Christians, and attended Cantonese-language services regularly. At the age of 13, Tan lost his left eye in an accident when he tried to carve his name into a rubber tree with a knife.
Tan's first formal education was at the Pudu English Girls' School (despite him being a boy), but he later attended the Victoria Institution (VI). From VI, Tan transferred to Kajang High School, where he was an active Boy Scout. In 1938, Tan competed for the Queen's Scholarship to study medicine in England. However, he had to settle for a scholarship to the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore instead. Even this initially appeared impossible, as he was rejected due to the loss of his eye; however a personal appeal from his headmaster gained him admission to the college. However, soon after Tan entered the College in 1939, Tan had his education interrupted by the outbreak of World War II and the occupation of Malaya and Singapore by the Japanese; Tan spent this period at his home in Kuala Lumpur. When the British returned at the end of the war in 1945, Tan resumed his studies. Tan held several posts in the Medical College's Students' Union, and also helped draw up the constitution for the students' union of the University of Malaya Singapore campus (which would later become the National University of Singapore).
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