Tan Sri Lee San Choon has contributed greatly to the country, and in my eyes, he was a great statesman and a great Chinese politician who deserved the Tun-ship. While he accomplished many things, I would like to highlight one in particular: The Star Newspaper. The Star is very famous, particularly among the English-speaking community in our country. Today, The Star media not only thrives financially, but it is also a high-quality newspaper that transcends political boundaries. Many Malaysians grew up reading The Star. Interestingly, the name “Star” originated from Tan Sri Lee San Choon initiative, which came from the initials “Suara Tunku Abdul Rahman.”
Furthermore, Tan Sri Lee San Choon was a visionary person who encouraged the MCA and Chinese societies to establish cooperatives for various purposes. This initiative resulted in the Chinese community’s success in numerous businesses, including banking, plantations, and even Magnum. All of this was due to his leadership and vision.
Even Tan Koon Swan, who was only a casino manager in Genting back then, was spotted by Tan Sri Lee San Choon and made to become his successor. Everything that followed became history. Unfortunately, with Tan Koon Swan’s failure, all of the hard work put into the cooperatives, like Magnum, the estates, were falling apart. Except The Star newspaper and the MCA building, both managed to remain a testament to Tan Sri Lee San Choon’s vision and leadership, both of which are worth more than RM 2 billion today. In fact, many of his economic strategies and visions have been imitated by subsequent politicians, and they have become part of Malaysian history over the following decades.
If you have read my article on Tan Sri Lee San Choon in Mandarin, you would know that he enjoyed drinking. After retiring, he loved spending time with friends, he loved drinking, and he loved thinking. However, this quiet man was often misunderstood by many.
But I can assure you that he was a true gentleman and one of the cleanest politicians I have ever met, who never condoned any form of corruption.
I sincerely hope that all Malaysians, especially all MCA leaders who are enjoying the fruits of Tan Sri Lee San Choon’s vision, we must always remember his hard work. I hope that his vision can reignite the LSC-spirit, and we must recognize that everything he did and created was for the best interest of the party and the country. When he left, he did so very firmly and without hesitation, and with no attachment to anything left behind.
The quality of Tan Sri Lee San Choon’s integrity, his high morals and personal ethics, all these should serve as role models for all Malaysians, and to inspire our young people today.
In Memory of Tan Sri Lee San Choon.
Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew,
Founder of World Chinese Economic Forum (WCEF), now rebranded as Global Chinese Economic & Technology Summit (GCETS)