LONG before Malaya achieved independence, Tun Tan Cheng Lock envisioned a united nation where people of different races could share a common identity and political future.
His ability to bridge political and racial divides was highlighted during the launch of a new biography, One Country, One People: The Life and Legacy of Tun Tan Cheng Lock, at Wawasan Open University (WOU) in George Town, Penang.
His granddaughter Datin Paduka Tan Siok Choo, 74, shared photographs of his early life and family, describing him as a man who maintained relationships across political divides and had a broad understanding of international affairs.
“My grandfather had the ability to work with people of various political affiliations.
“He was not limited in his view of what was happening in Malaya, and was aware of developments overseas.
“He saw a future for Malaya that few even thought of,” she said, adding that he had articulated his vision of a united Malaya as early as 1926 before reiterating it in 1949 when he founded the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) now known as the Malaysian Chinese Association.
The book launch also featured a discussion between Siok Choo and Daryl Yeap, 57, the great-granddaughter of prominent Penang businessman and philanthropist Yeap Chor Ee.
Daryl shared historical material documenting the friendship between the two families, including a letter from Cheng Lock to her great-grandmother, Lee Cheng Kin.
She revealed that Cheng Lock’s friendship with Chor Ee dated back to 1932, when they served together on the board of OCBC Bank.
Both shared an interest in education and philanthropy, with Cheng Lock serving as an adviser and witness to Yeap Chor Ee’s will, which established an endowment trust supporting education and charitable causes.
The trust’s properties included Homestead, the heritage mansion now forming part of WOU’s main campus.
In a recorded video message, Yeap Chor Ee’s grandson Datuk Seri Stephen Yeap recalled that his grandfather admired Cheng Lock for his integrity and public spirit.
“He respected my grandfather not for his wealth but for what he did with it.
“He knew Yeap Chor Ee was a man with strong principles who understood that fortune carried responsibility,” Stephen added.
George Town Institute of Open and Advanced Studies chairman Tan Sri Andrew Sheng said Cheng Lock’s Peranakan Baba background, cultural understanding and relationships across communities helped him build alliances during Malaya’s transition from colonial rule to independence.
“His aspiration for a Malayan consciousness was pioneering and inspirational, forming an important building block for Malayan and later Malaysian identity and statehood,” said Sheng.
Born in Melaka on April 5, 1883, Cheng Lock began his public career as a municipal commissioner in 1912 before joining the Straits Settlements Legislative Council in 1923.
He founded MCA in 1949 and served as its first president until 1958, helping to establish the Alliance partnership between MCA and Umno and that which later included the Malayan Indian Congress (MIC) -- now known as the Malaysian Indian Congress. The Alliance played a key role in the country’s independence in 1957.
Cheng Lock died in Melaka on Dec 13, 1960, aged 77, and was accorded a state funeral.
The biography features contributions from 13 authors and editors, drawing on personal letters, family papers and national and British archives.
The soft-cover edition retails at RM139 while the hard-cover version is RM200.
All proceeds from the book’s sale will go to the Tun Tan Siew Sin Student Loan Fund for students of Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.
