The triumphs and tragedy of Dr Tan Chee Khoon

The triumphs and tragedy of Dr Tan Chee Khoon

3 hours ago

Letter to the Editor

He was an opposition leader who commanded respect from both sides of the political divide, who was indomitable until untimely illness crippled him.

From Terence Netto

Dr Tan Chee Khoon, once the quintessential opposition leader, passed away 30 years ago and is all but forgotten today.

But for three hours last Sunday (Aug 23) at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, his memory was re-ignited before an audience of about 100 people by his youngest daughter Poh Lai and economist Jomo Kwame Sundram.

The occasion was a public forum, organised by Aliran, the social consciousness movement based in Penang.

Poh Lai spoke movingly.

With the aid of video stills, she was able to re-ignite the embers of memory of the times when Chee Khoon was regarded as “Mr Opposition”, for the resoluteness of his espousal of issues that mattered to the public.

Around half the attendees were 70 years and above and so would have been able to recall the Chee Khoon of his heyday in the 1960s and ’70s.

Poh Lai’s narrative gave this lot renewed appreciation of the man’s life and valour.

At the end of her talk, there must have been a furtive finger raised to flick away a teardrop of remembrance at the travails endured by her father, from his poverty-stricken upbringing before World War II through his student days in Universiti Malaya (UM) in Singapore.

It is a story of stoicism, courage and fortitude.

A measure of the hardship Chee Khoon endured was the loss of sight in his left eye from an injury suffered while tapping rubber on family land along the 10th mile Jalan Cheras.

In his remarks, left wing public intellectual Jomo situated Chee Khoon in the context of the movement that was poised to make a credible claim to leading a fledgling Malayan and (after 1963) Malaysian nation because it was the most popular political force in the country from 1947 till Merdeka in 1957.

That presumption was forestalled by, first, the British and then by the Alliance government led by Tunku Abdul Rahman, employing the Internal Security Act to cripple the leftwing movement which included among its leading lights Malay, Chinese and Indian stalwarts capable of unifying a multi-racial citizenry.

It had shown its strength by calling for a hartal in October 1947 to press its formulation of the People’s Constitutional Proposals on the British colonial government.

The proposals envisioned a united Malayan nation, with Malay primacy though not dominance, the building blocks of the country.

The hartal was successful because of wide support from the trade unions. But the British ignored the proposals.

They preferred to deal with the Alliance, knowing that the leftwing movement would be hostile to their economic interests.

The communist insurgency of 1948 furnished the British with spurious justification for using the ISA to arrest leftwing leaders.

This weakened the Labour Party and Parti Rakyat, who in combination projected the Socialist Front, which won town council elections in Penang and Malacca in the 1950s. Only Chee Khoon escaped the repressive ISA dragnet.

His dedication was legendary in helping poor patients at his clinic in Batu Road (renamed Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman) in Kuala Lumpur where from the mid-1950s onwards he held court.

A busy medical practice did not prevent him from chairing the board of governors for something like 30 schools, besides serving in Methodist Church councils, and being a member of the UM’s Council.

Education, upliftment of the poor, and healthcare were his lifelong concerns.

Not surprisingly, he was importuned by MCA to stand as a candidate in elections, but he declined because of his preference for representing the poor.

He won the Batu parliamentary and Kepong state seats on a Labour ticket in the 1964 general election, both by the slenderest of margins.

After Labour Party ranks were depleted through ISA detentions from the mid-1950s through the 1960s, Chee Khoon left to form Gerakan in 1968.

He did this in cahoots with a band of academics, trade union leaders, and private sector professionals.

It is Jomo’s thesis that the ISA detentions of leftwing leaders in the 1950s and ’60s rid the Malaysian body politic of popular leaders who were averse to using race and religion as platforms to garner public support.

Things went steadily downhill in this respect after the May 13, 1969 race riots.

The stroke Chee Khoon suffered in 1976, which forced him to withdraw from representational politics, symbolised the vitiation of multi-racial politics in the country.

Henceforth, it was race and, following that, religion that became the rallying cries of sectarian politicians.

The triumph of Chee Khoon’s Gerakan in the general election of 1969 was followed by the tragedy of its aftermath which saw race-based and religion-suffused politics gain ascendancy.

In retrospect, Chee Khoon’s illness-compelled exit was a harbinger of things to come.

Terence Netto is a senior journalist and an FMT reader.

PKR needs recovery plan to avoid ‘disastrous’ GE16 defeat, says Tian Chua

PKR needs recovery plan to avoid ‘disastrous’ GE16 defeat, says Tian Chua


5 hours ago
Minderjeet Kaur


The party veteran says PKR must reconnect with grassroots supporters and address concerns across communities

Weaker support from PKR’s grassroots is believed to be a factor behind the party’s defeats in the recent Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections.

PETALING JAYA: PKR must recognise that it risks a “disastrous defeat” in the next general election unless it devises and implements a robust recovery plan, warns veteran party leader Tian Chua.

He said the party must work to restore its momentum and build up its political capital to continue its struggle.

Party leaders “have to act like a corporate turnaround consultant and change the reality instead of merely commenting on it,” he said in an interview with FMT.


Tian Chua, a former vice-president, was sacked by the party in 2023 for contesting the Batu parliamentary seat as an independent against PKR’s chosen candidate at the 2022 general election.

He has since welcomed party president Anwar Ibrahim’s call for veterans to return to the fold, and said he attended the party’s national congress at Anwar’s invitation.


The former two-term MP said the weakening of PKR’s grassroots was one of the factors behind its defeats in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections.

Former PKR vice-president Tian Chua said many PKR supporters or those who had taken part in the 1998 Reformasi movement felt neglected after PKR entered government.

Tian Chua said many people who had supported the party or taken part in the 1998 Reformasi movement felt neglected after PKR entered government. “They feel that a gap emerged, and that gap became wider and wider,” he said.

“The grassroots members who had been very supportive suddenly felt marginalised. They feel that since the party is in government, it no longer needs them. They step back and become demotivated.”

Tian Chua, who turns 63 this year, said the problem extended beyond party veterans, or “otai,” and affected many ordinary supporters whose contributions had been crucial to the party. “The key is to regenerate their interest and make them feel that this movement belongs to them.”


Competing expectations

Tian Chua said Chinese and Indian voters felt PKR had not fought hard enough for their rights or for more equal treatment, while Malay voters saw the party as “neither here nor there” and not defending what they perceived as the erosion of Malay rights.

“In the end, you are stuck in the middle and are not going to please anybody,” he said.

Even so, he said PKR must remain consistent in promoting policies that cut across ethnic divisions, even if the approach was not immediately popular, and warned against relying on last-minute policies to win back support.


“If you introduce a few policies just because the election is approaching, many people will say they will not take the bait,” he said. “We have to start from the bottom and rebuild the party’s connection with the people.”

Islamic State watched me while I went jogging, says Ayob

Islamic State watched me while I went jogging, says Ayob


Yesterday
Pan Eu Joe


I knew they were watching because we were in the same group watching them, says the former deputy IGP, who once led the counter-terrorism division at Bukit Aman

Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay earned national and international attention for his work in dismantling terrorist cells. He recently retired as deputy inspector-general of police.

PETALING JAYA: Being constantly on guard was second nature to Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, especially when he was head of counter-terrorism. He knew there were eyes watching when he went jogging at Taman Tasik Perdana.

He knew that the Islamic State’s principal coordinator for Malaysia would recruit Malaysians through social media to carry out surveillance on security personnel.

“They tracked the movements of certain officers, including the inspector-general of police at the time. They knew I would go for a jog at Taman Tasik Perdana, and that then IGP (Khalid Abu Bakar) went for convoy bike rides on Saturdays.


“I received information about this because we were also in the group (monitoring them),” Ayob told FMT in an interview after recently retiring as deputy inspector-general of police following 35 years in the police force.

Ayob earned national and international recognition when he was head of the counter-terrorism division at Bukit Aman from 2016 to 2020, becoming known for dismantling militant cells and thwarting terror plots.


He said he had to take additional security precautions while in counter-terrorism, travelling in a bulletproof vehicle, changing routes, and remaining alert to his surroundings. He would sit facing outside when eating at restaurants so he could monitor the movements of people around him.

Ayob said such security practices were the result of techniques developed during the days of fighting the Malayan communist party from the 1950s to the 1980s.

He said the police needed specialised legal tools to prevent major security threats, such as the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012. The law, commonly known as Sosma, has been the subject of criticism and calls for it to be repealed.

Ayob said Sosma is important in helping the nation deal effectively with serious security threats, particularly terrorism and organised crime. However, he clarified that he was not arguing for the return of the Internal Security Act 1960, which allowed for indefinite detention without trial.


The ISA was repealed in 2012 and replaced by Sosma, which sets a maximum 28-day detention period for investigations after which suspects must be charged or released.

He said standard remand procedures under general criminal law were inadequate when dealing with large-scale terror operations involving multiple suspects.

“I didn’t just arrest one person when I was in counter-terrorism. Within 24 hours, I arrested 40 suspects,” he said.

Ayob explained that it would be impossible for investigators to thoroughly examine seized items, analyse mobile phones and laptops, and complete investigations for dozens of individuals if courts only grant a two-day remand.


He also stressed that strong security laws are essential to prevent communal tensions from escalating in Malaysia’s multiracial society, citing previous racial clashes in Kampung Medan and Kampung Rawa as examples.

“Our social fabric is different. We cannot simply take the model Western countries use,” he said, warning that politicians must look at long-term national safety rather than short-term political mileage.

Singapore urges Israel to halt West Bank settlement expansion, says it violates international law

Singapore urges Israel to halt West Bank settlement expansion, says it violates international law



Singapore’s Foreign Ministry said the proposed construction of residential settlements in the East 1 (E1) area would further fragment the West Bank and severely undermine the prospects for a viable two-state solution. — Unsplash pic


Summary

• Singapore has called on the Israeli government to cease its settlement expansion plans in the West Bank, labeling them as illegal under international law.
• The Singaporean Foreign Ministry expressed concern that the construction in the East 1 area would further fragment the West Bank and jeopardize the potential for a viable two-state solution.
• Additionally, Singapore condemned the rise in settler violence against Palestinians, urging Israel to prevent such acts and ensure accountability.
• The ministry reiterated that a negotiated two-state solution aligned with UN Security Council resolutions is essential for lasting peace.

First Published: Tuesday, 25 Aug 2026 10:32 AM MYT


SINGAPORE, Aug 25 — Singapore is urging the Israeli government to halt its settlement expansion plans in the West Bank, emphasising that they are illegal under international law.

Singapore’s Foreign Ministry said the proposed construction of residential settlements in the East 1 (E1) area would further fragment the West Bank and severely undermine the prospects for a viable two-state solution.


“Singapore is also deeply concerned by the increase in acts of settler violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank.


“We call on the Israeli government to take firm action to prevent such violence and to hold those responsible accountable,” the ministry spokesperson said in a statement yesterday.


The ministry stressed that a negotiated two-state solution consistent with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions remains the only viable pathway to a comprehensive, just, and durable peace.


Earlier, media reported that the Israeli government issued a tender on Aug 18 for the construction of more than 1,200 housing units as part of a project to expand settlements in the E1 area. — Bernama

Netanyahu Hails Finding of Sunken Jewish Terrorist Arms Ship, Denounces Ben-Gurion and IDF For Attacking It in 1948

 

Netanyahu Hails Finding of Sunken Jewish Terrorist Arms Ship, Denounces Ben-Gurion and IDF For Attacking It in 1948

 

Israeli officials say they have located the wreck of the Altalena, the Irgun arms ship sunk off Tel Aviv during a deadly confrontation with Israel’s newly formed military in June 1948. The ship was carrying hundreds of immigrants along with rifles, machine guns and ammunition for the Irgun, the Zionist paramilitary organization led by future prime minister Menachem Begin. Sixteen Irgun members and three IDF soldiers were killed in the confrontation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated the discovery and condemned founding prime minister David Ben-Gurion’s decision to use force against the ship, saying there was “no justification for firing on our brothers.” The episode remains politically charged because Ben-Gurion viewed an independently armed Irgun as a threat to the new state’s monopoly on military force, while Begin and his supporters maintained they were bringing badly needed weapons for Israel’s war effort.

Netanyahu invoked the episode as a warning against civil war and pledged to try to raise the wreck from the Mediterranean.

GhostofBasedPatrickHenry: Now this is an interesting development.

The story of the Altalena is the story of the near-civil-war that almost destroyed Israel before it really began.

First, some background:

The first large-scale Jewish defense force to operate in British Mandate Palestine in the 1930’s was the Haganah. In addition to planning operations and training fighters, the Haganah and its partner groups would import weapons for the Jewish radicals to use.

However, there were disagreements among the leadership in who they should target and with who they should align.

Two young leaders, Menachem Begin and Ze’ev Jabotinsky, believed that the British government in Palestine was the true enemy, and that grotesque acts of violence were a modern and legitimate form of political action.

So the Irgun broke away from the Haganah, and made a name for itself as a hyper-violent and ruthless group, known for using grenades and car bombs to target bus depots and marketplaces, where they would kill hundreds of victims.

The Irgun is most notoriously remembered for the massacre at Deir Yassin, where hundreds of women and children were marched out of their homes, shot in the head, and tossed into a mass grace.

The Irgun were so extreme and so violent that they were designated a terrorist organization by the UN, the British government, and even the newly created Israeli government. They even fought the Haganah militia at times.

In 1948, after the UN created the State of Israel with the Palestine Partition Plan, the newly established government was eager to get its military up and running. The Haganah reached out to the other three main militia groups (there were four total, including Haganah) citing plans to create an Israeli Defense Force, and asked them all to join.

The Irgun agreed, but there was still plenty of diplomacy needed to resolve their disputes. The two groups still had issues, and would sometimes fight.

With the help of the Sicilian Mafia and the Zionist network, the Irgun was shipping in weapons to be used by its soldiers. The Altalena was one of these ships.

With the young IDF only a weeks old and at that point comprised only of the Haganah, the old rivalry between Menachem (who would later serve as PM) and then Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion.

Ben-Gurion demanded that the weapons aboard the Altalena be turned over to the IDF. When Begin refused, Ben-Gurion ordered Haganah General Yitzhak Rabin (who would also later serve as PM) to fire artillery rounds at the Altalena, sinking it.

The sinking of the Altalena led to a massive backlash that nearly started a civil war in Israel.

The fact that Netanyahu is applauding the widely recognized/designated terrorist organization, while denouncing the early IDF and the Founding Father of Israel (Ben-Gurion), is indicative of a similar dynamic we are now witnessing take place in present-day Israel. The country is at its own throat, and who knows how many factions of violent thugs are roaming the streets just looking for trouble.

What happens when Israel’s political infighting is left unchecked and civil war is being discussed by specific leaders? (many of who have grown disillusioned and indifferent)

It seems like perhaps the plan is to trick Ukraine and Israel into destroying themselves, lest they cause any more harm to their neighbors.

 

China says will ‘safeguard own interests’ after US vows Iran sanctions

China says will ‘safeguard own interests’ after US vows Iran sanctions

2 hours ago

AFP

A foreign ministry spokesman said China's cooperation with Iran complies with international law and should not be disrupted or interfered with.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian participates in a press conference with foreign media in Beijing. (EPA Images pic)

BEIJING:

China said on Tuesday it would safeguard its interests after Washington laid out plans for the “economic asphyxiation” of Beijing’s economic partner Iran.

Almost six months into its war with Iran, the US issued new penalties on some entities, including in China, and expanded secondary sanctions threats, urging governments worldwide to join its economic campaign.

China has advocated for a ceasefire and insisted US sanctions will not resolve the conflict.

“Cooperation between China and Iran has always been conducted within the framework of international law and should not be interfered with or disrupted,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a regular news briefing on Tuesday.

“China has already stated many times that it firmly opposes illegal unilateral sanctions… China will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its own rights and interests,” he added.

Beijing is a key customer for Iranian oil and is directly affected by the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has weathered sanctions for decades, using complex international financial networks to evade restrictions. Before the war, it continued to export millions of barrels of oil, mostly to China.

Asked on Monday if Chinese banks would be targeted by the new penalties, US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said, “No one is above the reach of US sanctions.”