In tribute of Dr. Chen Man Hin (6): Sublime life leaving footprints on the sands of time
The outpouring of support and solidarity for Dr. Chen Man Hin at his passing in Seremban reminds me of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem which I had studied in school:
“Lives of great men all remind us, we can make our lives sublime, and, departing, leave behind us, footprints on the sands of time.”
Dr. Chen is DAP founding chairman and a Malaysian leader who had led a sublime life and left footprints on the sands of time.
The first time I visited his residence in Seremban was at the end of 1965, after the memorable Rahang by-election which Dr. Chen won as a “cherry blossom” Independent candidate pre-dating the establishment of the Democratic Action Party which took some six months to be registered as a political party by the Registrar of Societies on 18th March 1966.
We held the wake for Dr. Chen at his residence.
It was there that we had a special DAP Congress in the early seventies to fob off the onslaughts which the DAP suffered for several years to fulfil a deputy prime minister’s public declaration that the DAP was “one foot in the grave” and bury the DAP altogether.
Yesterday, when DAP leaders and members from all over the country paid their last respects to Dr. Chen, I observed to myself that the DAP had grown considerably from the DAP’s founding days in 1966, when there were less DAP leaders and members.
We were not only short of manpower, but of all sorts of material resources including the pecuniary kind.
The only thing we had in abundance were our fighting spirit for justice, freedom and equality – for a Malaysian Malaysia.
The DAP poverty in all sorts of material resources in the sixties was driven home to me when I read the declassified document which was the statement I made to the police while in police custody at the Kuala Selangor Police Station lock-up under the Internal Security Act after I voluntarily flew back to Malaysia on 18th May 1969.
I was asked by the police about funds, manpower and vehicle resources of the DAP. This is what I said in the document:
“Funds
“28. Funds were very limited. The total donation collected for the national electioneering campaign was probably in the region of $40,000 of which printing expenditure amounted to about $30,000. All candidates were expected to raise whatever funds they could from their personal circle of friends and supporters. I do not know how much the DAP Election Sub-Committee of the Bandar Melaka constituency raised from the DAP members, supporters and well-wishers. I contested in the Parliamentary seat in this constituency. Electioneering expenses incurred by me and four other component State wards within this Parliamentary constituency in which the DAP also contested amounted to over $5,000.
“Manpower
“29. In every constituency, the DAP candidates faced the problem of shortage of manpower. I cannot state with certainty about the conditions each candidate faced because there had been no opportunity to get reports on their problems from them. To illustrate a case in JOHORE BAHRU, the DAP did not even have people to man the polling booths outside the polling stations. As a result, all the voters who went to the polling centres with the DAP voting notification cards were turned away at the Alliance polling booths on the ground that their names were deleted from the electoral register. I also learnt that even the polling stations where votes were cast were not fully manned. Similar problems were also encountered in BANDAR MELAKA where the DAP could not fully man its polling booths inside and outside the polling stations.
“Vehicle
“30. Up to Nomination Day, the DAP had a landrover. It was in a state of condemnation. The DAP had no other vehicles. I later learnt that during the electioneering campaign, a few candidates bought a few second-hand cars, each costing in the region of $250. Bought with their own money, the vehicles came in handy to transport the campaigners to whatever places they wished to go.
“ 31. On polling day (10 May 1969), those vehicles made available to the DAP were borrowed from supporters and friends. I am in no position to talk about the position of vehicles in the various constituencies on Polling Day because we had no opportunity to get a national report on it. It is not a surprise if some constituencies could not even muster more than five cars for their disposal on polling day. However, I can say with assurance that no DAP candidate hired or rented cars for polling day owing to financial reasons.”
On such poverty of resources, the DAP contested the 1969 general and won 13 parliamentary and 31 state assembly seats.
Dr. Chen is fired by a passion for justice, freedom and equality for all men and women
He has helped many, regardless of race and religion. He was a servant of humanity although he paid a heavy personal price for his beliefs and conviction.
The most touching moment yesterday was at cremation of Dr. Chen at the Xiao En Crematorium at Nilai.
Rest in Peace, Dr. Chen, you are an example to all Malaysians – to lead a sublime life and to leave behind footprints on the sands of time.
The battle for a Malaysian Malaysia must continue until we realise the Malaysian Dream.