Shared national loyalty was key to Tan Cheng Lock’s Malayan vision, says Wee

MCA president Wee Ka Siong highlighted Tan Cheng Lock's belief in the significance of cultural identity and traditions. However, Wee emphasized that beyond these differences, Malaysians must have a shared sense of belonging and loyalty to the country. The Chinese population in Malaya was expanding, with no place to go and unwilling to be deported.

They desired loyalty to their homeland. Tan promoted this vision among the pre-independence Chinese community to demonstrate their allegiance to the country. Wee noted that Tan managed to bridge ideological divides by engaging with both conservatives and leftists. He understood that while identity and culture shape individuals, there needed to be a unified sense of loyalty to the nation, which is a challenging equilibrium to maintain.

Tan's granddaughter, Tan Siok Choo, revealed that her grandfather managed to unite Malaya's Chinese community despite speaking only Peranakan Malay and English. The Chinese community particularly honored Tan for his fundamentally Chinese values, citing the ancestral home's display of paintings of historical Chinese figures like Guan Yu, symbolizing loyalty and fidelity.

Siok Choo co-edited the biography, "One Country, One People: The Life and Legacy of Tun Tan Cheng Lock" with academic Heng Pek Koon. The eight-year project aimed to resolve a long-standing academic debate over who founded MCA. One objective was to confirm that Tan was the primary founder of the party, corroborated by primary archival evidence.

The biography also details Tan's personal relationships across linguistic and political divides, such as his close friendship with Peranakan entrepreneur Yap Chor Ee, who had to use his wife as an interpreter due to language barriers. The book, published by UTAR Press, is available for RM130 upon emailing alumni@tarc.edu.my. Proceeds from sales go to the Tun Tan Siew Sin Student Loan Fund at TARUMT.