|
| honorific-suffix = SMN, DPMJ, KBE | image=Tcl.jpg | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = Malacca, Malaysia | residence = | death_date = | death_place = | office = 1st President of the Malaysian Chinese Association | term_start = 27 February 1949 | term_end = 27 March 1958 | predecessor = | successor = Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu | party = Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) | religion = Buddhist | occupation = Businessman | majority = Chinese | relations = | spouse = Yeo Yeok Neo | children = 1. Tun Tan Siew Sin (M) 2. Tan Kim Tin (F) 3. Wee Geok Kim (F) 4. Alice Tan Kim Yoke (F) 5. Agnes Tan Kim Lwi (F) | website = | footnotes = }} Tun Dato' Sir Cheng-lock Tan, SMN, DPMJ, KBE () was a Chinese Malaysian businessman and a key public figure who devoted his life to fighting for the rights and the social welfare of the Chinese community in Malaya. Tan was also the founder of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), which advocated his cause for the Malaysian Chinese population. ==Background== Born on 5 April 1883, Tan was the third son of Tan Keong Ann,〔Page 127, ''Who's Who in Malaya 1938''〕 who had seven sons and daughters, and the fifth-generation Peranakan Chinese Malaysian living at 111, Heeren Street ((マレー語:Jalan Heeren)) in Malacca. His ancestor, Tan Hay Kwan, a junk owner and trader, had migrated to Malacca from Zhangzhou prefecture in Fujian Province, China in 1771.〔Page 1, "A Son of Malacca" 1985. Private publication authored by Mrs Agnes Scott-Ross a.k.a. Agnes Tan Kim Lwi.〕 His grandfather, Tan Choon Bok, was very wealthy but he felt his four sons were unworthy to inherit his business empire and wealth and he locked up all his assets in a family trust which ended 84 years after he died, in 1964. By then even Tan Cheng Lock had already been dead for four years.〔Nutgraph.com interview with Tan Siok Choo, granddaughter of Tan Cheng Lock, 7 January 2010.〕 Tan Cheng Lock's father, Tan Keong Ann, was so devastated by his 'disinheritance' that he railed at his father's portrait daily and took to drink.〔Biodata on Tan Cheng Lock, Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia 2000.〕 He did not try to earn a living to support his family and instead lived off his annual allowance of $130 (Straits dollars) from the family trust in genteel poverty.〔Speech by Tan Siok Choo, granddaughter of Tan Cheng Lock, addressed to the MCA School of Political Studies.〕 Tan Cheng Lock refused to emulate his father. The young Tan attended Malacca High School and won the Tan Teck Guan Scholarship awarded to top performers in the school. He later continued his education at Raffles Institution in Singapore. He was unable to proceed to England to study law due to his financial situation so he decided to teach instead, and taught at Raffles Institution from 1902 to 1908.〔Biodata on Tan Cheng Lock, Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia 2000.〕 He was unhappy with his lot and was too impatient to be a teacher,〔Speech by Tan Siok Choo, granddaughter of Tan Cheng Lock, addressed to the MCA School of Political Studies.〕 so his mother, Lee Seck Bin, insisted he return to Malacca to work as an assistant manager of the Bukit Kajang Rubber Estates Ltd.,〔Page 1, "A Son of Malacca" 1985. Private publication authored by Mrs Agnes Scott-Ross a.k.a. Agnes Tan Kim Lwi.〕 a company which belonged to his maternal cousin, Lee Chin Tuan.〔Biodata on Tan Cheng Lock, Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia 2000〕 Being a rubber planter suited him and he was a quick learner. Soon he was appointed visiting agent to Nyalas Rubber Estates in Malacca in 1909. In 1910, Tan was involved in the founding of three rubber companies. He started United Malacca Rubber Estate Ltd. himself, and he obtained the assistance of other businessmen to jointly set up Malacca Pinda Rubber Estates Ltd. and Ayer Molek Rubber Company, Ltd.〔Pages 2 and 3, Report on THE MALAYSIAN PLANTATION INDUSTRY, 1880–1921 by Boon Weng Siew, Vice chairman, MPOA & President, MEOA.〕 Three years later in 1912, he was nominated as Malacca Council Commissioner and a Justice of the Peace for Malacca by the British government. Months later, he was also nominated as the Commissioner of the Town Council for the towns and Malacca port as well. In 1914, he resuscitated the Chinese Company of the Malacca Volunteer Corps (later also known as B Company, 4th Battalion, Straits Settlement Volunteer Force) and served as a private for five years until 1919.〔Page 19, Leaders of Malaya and Who's Who 1956.〕 In 1915, the Straits Chinese British Association (SCBA) was revived by him, electing him as the President of SCBA soon after. In 1923, at the age of 40, he was appointed as a nominated member of the Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements. In 1926, Tan made history with his monumental speech of ideals of a territorially and politically united Malaya in a speech to the council. Like many Straits-born Chinese of his time, Tan was partial towards Britain but was deeply influenced by ideas of independence which were sweeping across many British colonies. He advocated the concept of a "united self-governing British Malaya". From 1933 to 1935, he was an unofficial member of the Straits Settlements Executive Council. He championed social causes like opposing opium smoking, promoting Chinese vernacular education, legislating against polygamy and pressing for immigration policy reform. During the Japanese occupation of Malaya, Tan and his family lived in India in exile. They witnessed the struggles of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru for independence during their stay in India, and inspired them to do the same for their motherland Malaya when they returned. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Tan Cheng Lock」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|