His ancestor, Tan Hay Kwan (Chinese: 陳夏觀; pinyin: Chén Xiàguān; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tân Hē͘-kuan), a junk owner and trader, had migrated to Malacca from Zhangzhou prefecture in Fujian Province, China in 1771.
[2] His grandfather, Tan Choon Bok (Chinese: 陳春木; pinyin: Chén Chūnmù; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tân Chhun-bo̍k), was very wealthy but he felt his four sons were unworthy to inherit his business empire and wealth and locked his assets in a family trust which ended 84 years after he died, in 1964.
He was unable to proceed to England to study law due to his financial situation so he decided to teach instead, and taught at the Raffles Institution from 1902 to 1908.
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 championed social causes like opposing opium smoking, promoting Chinese vernacular education, legislating against polygamy and pressing for immigration policy reform.
They witnessed the struggles of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru for independence during their stay in India, which inspired them to do the same for Malaya when they returned.
He joined the Malay leaders – first through the All-Malaya Council of Joint Action, which he chaired, and then the Communities Liaison Committee headed by Dato' Sir E. E. C. Thuraisingham – to fight for constitutional change and work towards inter-ethnic co-operation.
On 26 September 1951, he supported Onn Jaafar's idea to form the Independence of Malaya Party (IMP) in Kuala Lumpur with co-operation of various races as its theme.
In the end, Tan decided that only a Chinese party could safeguard the interests of his community and that multi-ethnic co-operation was more likely to be achieved through partnership with UMNO.
In 1952, Tan Cheng Lock and the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) under Tunku Abdul Rahman's leadership contested the election as partners.
In 1952, Tan Cheng Lock and the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) under Tunku Abdul Rahman's leadership contested the election as partners.
He was best remembered for his contributions in the business and political arenas and his work for integrating between the Chinese and the Indian communities to the nascent Malayan society.
[18] Another donation of S$1.5 million was made for the purpose of acquiring two other houses on Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock in Malacca for the conservation and promotion of Peranakan architecture and culture in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.