Tan Chee Khoon’s legacy shows politics need not be race-based, says Jomo
The economist says Malaysia’s political history has overlooked a pan-ethnic tradition that once brought people together across racial and party lines.
On the 30th anniversary of Tan Chee Khoon's passing, economist Jomo Kwame Sundaram emphasized the importance of his legacy in today's Malaysian politics. Jomo highlighted that Tan's political career was defined by ideas and reforms, not ethnicity, and urged Malaysian youths to recognize this. During the forum marking the former opposition leader's death, Jomo underscored that Malaysia's political landscape had once been centered around ideas and visions for the country, rather than racial divisions.
He pointed out that the Labour Party, of which Tan was a member, was part of a broader progressive movement during its early days. Jomo further noted that the strength of the left-wing movement before and after independence often went unacknowledged in Malaysia's historical narrative, with one-third of workers belonging to left-wing parties before they were banned in 1947 and 1948.
He also cited the Socialist Front's success in the 1958 Penang local elections and the 1962 Brunei election, where Parti Rakyat Brunei won 54 of 55 seats. Jomo explained that Tan was one of only two Socialist Front MPs elected in the 1964 general election during a period of political repression. This repression eventually changed the character of Malaysian politics, leading to the rise of ethnic politics in the late 1960s.
Jomo emphasized that this shift should not be seen as a defining feature of Malaysian politics, as most Malays in Peninsular Malaysia voted for the opposition in the 1969 elections. He argued that this historical perspective had been largely absent from textbooks and official narratives, contributing to the reinforcement of ethnic politics among successive generations.
Jomo urged Malaysians to recognize Tan's political legacy and appreciate that Malaysian politics once encompassed a wider range of issues, not limited to ethnicity. He called on the younger generation to build upon this legacy, fostering a more inclusive and pan-ethnic political environment.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Legasi Tan Chee Khoon bukti politik tak perlu berasaskan kaum, kata Jomo freemalaysiatoday.com
