Kit Siang, Dr. Rais praise late Dr. Chen’s magnanimity

SEREMBAN, Aug 19 – Tributes for the Democratic Action Party(DAP)’s founding member Dr. Chen Man Hin, who passed away on Aug 17 at age 97, have continued to pour both from his party and Malaysians in general.

Dr. Chen was the Rahang Assemblyman from 1965 till 1982. He was also Member of Parliament for Seremban Timor (1969-1974), MP for Seremban (1974-1982), and also from 1983 to 1990.

In a statement today, DAP’s Member of Parliament for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang again paid tribute to the late Dr. Chen for the principles he stood for.

He also cited the President of Dewan Negara, Tan Sri Dr. Rais Yatim praising Dr. Chen and saying how Malaysia would be a better place with more political leaders like him.

“While expressing his condolences over the death of Dr. Chen, Rais said they were from the same political era in the seventies and knew each other since l978 when he was the Negeri Sembilan Mentri Besar,” Kit Siang said.

Rais also said Dr. Chen as a leader who fought for racial unity and was a genuine politician who acted as a balancing force between the DAP and the government.

Kit Siang said Rais also rightly described Dr. Chen as someone who cared about racial diversity and was against racism.

“It was my privilege in my five decades of political work  to be in the company of Dr. Chen, Karpal Singh, P. Patto, Fan Yew Teng, Chiang Heng Kai, Chan Kok Kit, Lau Dak Kee and many others to fight for Malaysian Malaysia and the Malaysian Dream,” Kit Siang said in the statement issued here.

“Malaysia is a nation of diverse languages, religions and cultures and to find unity in diversity, it is  important  for Malaysia to adopt a nation-building policy of integration instead of  assimilation.

“This is the first great battle that was fought in the first 30 years of the DAP  and it is a tribute to the commitment, dedication and  sacrifices of the early batch of DAP leaders, members and supporters that the Prime Minister of Malaysia acknowledged in the mid-nineties that integration and not assimilation was the best nation-building policy for a plural society like Malaysia.

“But the Malaysian Dream has not been achieved yet. The best way to  remember Dr. Chen is to continue the Malaysian Dream journey, and as Rais said – “Let there be more Dr. Chen Man Hins in Malaysia!”

The funeral mass for Dr.Chen will be held at the Church of Visitation here on Sunday at 2pm followed by cremation at the Xiao En Memorial Park in Nilai.

–WE