Late DAP co-founder leaves behind ‘free service clinic’ legacy

SEREMBAN: The iconic Chen Dispensary located along Jalan Tuanku Munawir here since the 1950s will always remain in the hearts of countless poor people for the free treatment they received from its proprietor Dr Chen Man Hin.

Dr Chen, the co-founder of DAP, who died early yesterday at 97, never stopped the free service as he had made it his lifelong mission to help the people, especially those in poverty.

Born in China in 1924, the former student of St Paul’s Institution obtained his medical degree from Singapore’s King Edward VII Medical College in 1952.

After a few years in Singapore, he returned to Seremban where he briefly worked at the general hospital before opening his own clinic.

Dr Chen made his electoral debut when he contested and won the Rahang state seat in a by-election in 1965, standing as an independent then as DAP had yet to be registered.

In the 1969 general election, he won both the Seremban parliamentary and Rahang state seats, and retained both constituencies in the 1974 and 1978 polls.

In the 1982 general election, he only defended Seremban, but lost to then MCA president Datuk (now Tan Sri) Lee San Choon.

However, when Lee quit MCA in 1983, Dr Chen managed to wrest the seat in the ensuing by-election, and won it again in 1986.

In the 1990 general election, he again lost the seat to MCA by 77 votes.

He tried to make a comeback by contesting the Rasah parliamentary seat in 1995 and 1999, but was unsuccessful on both occasions.

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke said Dr Chen died in his sleep.

“He has been in and out of hospital for the past two months and was also recently down with pneumonia,” he said.