Tan Koon Swan#Pan-El crisis

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri

| name = Tan Koon Swan

| honorific_suffix = PSM

| native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|zh-hans|陈群川}}}}

| image =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1940|9|24|df=y}}

| birth_place = Puchong New Village, Selangor, British Malaya (now Malaysia)

| residence =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| office = 5th President of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA)

| 1blankname = {{nowrap|BN chairman}}

| 1namedata = Mahathir Mohamad

| term_start = 24 November 1985

| term_end = 27 August 1986

| predecessor = Lee San Choon

| successor = Ling Liong Sik

| constituency =

| office1 =

| parliament1 = Malaysian

| constituency_MP1 = Gopeng, Perak

| term_start1 = 1986

| term_end1 = 1987

| majority1 = 6,135 (1986)

| predecessor1 = Constituency created

| successor1 = Ting Chew Peh (MCA)

| constituency1 =

| office2 =

| parliament2 = Malaysian

| constituency_MP2 = Damansara, Kuala Lumpur

| term_start2 = 1982

| term_end2 = 1986

| majority2 = 14,522 (1982)

| predecessor2 = V. David (DAP)

| successor2 = Constituency abolished

| constituency2 =

| office3 =

| parliament3 = Malaysian

| constituency_MP3 = Raub, Pahang

| term_start3 = 1978

| term_end3 = 1982

| majority3 = 5,964 (1978)

| predecessor3 = Abdullah Majid (UMNO)

| successor3 = Tan Tiong Hong (MCA)

| constituency3 =

| party = Malayan Chinese Association (MCA)

| otherparty = Barisan Nasional (BN)

| occupation =Politician, Businessman

| majority =

| relations = Tan Loon Swan (brother)

| spouse = Catherine Chong (1st)
Penny Chang (2nd)

| children = 2 children by 1st wife
3 daughters by 2nd wife

| website =

| footnotes =

| module = {{Infobox Chinese|child=yes|

| t = 陳群川

| s = 陈群川

| p = Chén Qúnchuān

| poj = Tân Kûn-chhoan}}

}}

Tan Koon Swan ({{zh|t=陳群川|s=陈群川|p=Chén Qúnchuān|poj=Tân Kûn-chhoan}}; born 24 September 1940) is a Malaysian political and corporate figure. He was the fifth president of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a component party of Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition; from November 1985 to September 1986.

Personal life

Tan was born in Puchong New Village in Selangor on 24 September 1940 to a poor family.{{cite web |url=http://www.mca.org.my/en/about-us/about-mca/history-zone/former-presidents/tan-koon-swan/ |title=Tan Koon Swan |work=Malaysian Chinese Association |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402152102/http://www.mca.org.my/en/about-us/about-mca/history-zone/former-presidents/tan-koon-swan/ |archivedate=2 April 2015 |df=dmy-all }} He helped out at his parents' hawker stall while still in school.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v9QEBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA1082 |title=Southeast Asian Personalities of Chinese Descent: A Biographical Dictionary |editor= Leo Suryadinata |author=Ho Khai Leong |pages=1081–1083 |publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies |year= 2012 |isbn=978-9814345217 }} He studied in a missionary school, and after leaving school, he worked as a clerk with Lembaga Lektrik Negara (LLN) while studying part-time to finish his High School Certificate (HSC). He also worked as a laboratory technician with LLN, then moved on to be an investigator of Inland Revenue Board and a tax consultant with Esso.

Tan married his first wife, Catherine Chong, who is a paraplegic and has two children with her. He then got together with his second wife, Penny Chang, fathering another three daughters.{{cite web| url = http://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2009/08/01/duo-show-its-possible-to-overcome-failure/ | title =Duo show it's possible to overcome failure |author= CHEONG SUK-WAI |work=Singapore ST | publisher = The Star (Malaysia) |date=1 August 2009| accessdate = 30 August 2017}}

Tan, after facing many hiccups in life, is still a respected member of society. He is a born-again Christian who likes to maintain a low profile.{{cite news | title = The Sunday Interview With: Former MCA President Tan Koon Swan | date = 2 October 2005 | newspaper = New Straits Times}}

Political and business career

In 1970, Tan became the General Manager of Genting Highlands Berhad, helping Lim Goh Tong to establish Genting Highlands Resort as a successful tourist destination. In 1976, he attended a senior management course at Harvard University.

In 1977, he was invited by the then MCA president Lee San Choon to head the Koperatif Sebaguna Malaysia (KSM) and Multi-Purpose Holdings Berhad (MPHB), the corporate structure through which the MCA hoped to encourage Chinese participation in all areas of economic development.{{cite news | title = Portrait of Success | date = 1 December 1985 | newspaper = Malaysian Business | pages = 8, 9}} He joined the party and became involved in politics.

In 1978 general election, Tan made his political debut and elected as the Member of Parliament (MP), winning a parliamentary seat in Raub, Pahang. The following year, he was elected to the party's Central Committee and appointed Chairman of MCA Wilayah Persekutuan State Liaison Committee. In 1982 general election, he cinched a landslide victory for the parliamentary seat in the opposition stronghold of Damansara, Selangor.[http://www.mca.org.my/English/PastPresidents/Pages/TanKoonSwan.aspx Past Presidents: Tan Koon Swan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090712044805/http://www.mca.org.my/English/PastPresidents/Pages/TanKoonSwan.aspx |date=12 July 2009 }} 1984 saw him appointed as vice-president of the MCA.{{citation needed|date=March 2015}}

In March 1984, Tan was sacked as vice-president from the MCA along with Lee Kim Sai as well as other members for urging the party to investigate its member records for the presence of non-existent people, an issue that had sparked off factionalism and crisis within the party.{{cite news | title = The Malaysian Chinese Association has expelled 14 leading members including vice president, Tan Koon Swan | date = 29 March 1984 | newspaper = The Wall Street Journal Asia | pages = 1, 3}} However, he and the other 13 were all reinstated two months later with the support of 1,600 MCA members in an extraordinary general meeting.{{cite news | title = An EGM of 1,615 "dissident" members of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) in Kuala Lumpur yesterday (6 May) voted to reinstate the 14 expelled leaders led by Tan Koon Swan | date = 7 May 1984 | newspaper = The Wall Street Journal Asia | pages = 1, 3}} In November 1985, he was voted to be president of the MCA winning 76.9% of the votes cast, the largest majority in the party's history, and the first challenger since 1954 to win national leadership.{{cite news | title = Mr Tan Koon Swan was yesterday elected president of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) by a landslide | date = 25 November 1985 | newspaper = The Wall Street Journal Asia | page = 16}}{{cite news | title = MCA: New Beginning | date = 1 December 1985 | newspaper = Malaysian Business | page = 5}}

In a memoir published by Robert Kuok, it was revealed that the MCA leadership approached Kuok to provide a bail payment for Tan in 1986. The amount paid by Kuok was S$20 million.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/12/10/robert-kuoks-memoir-stirs-debate-the-tycoons-tellall-with-its-many-political-insights-and-revelation/|title=Robert Kuok's memoir stirs debate - Nation {{!}} The Star Online|website=www.thestar.com.my|access-date=2018-11-17}}

Controversies and issues

=Pan-El crisis=

Tan remained a highly prominent member of the corporate sector, controlling numerous companies, including Sigma International, which had a 22.6% stake in Pan-Electric Industries (Pan-El),{{cite news | title = Prospects Improve For Pan Electric Rescue / Attempts to save debt-ridden Singaporean company | author = Chris Sherwell | date = 25 November 1985 | newspaper = Financial Times | page = 30}} a Singaporean-based company. Pan-Electric entering receivership forced the closure of the Singapore and Kuala Lumpur stock exchanges between 2 and 4 December 1985, to try to contain the fallout on leveraged stockbroking firms.{{Cite web|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/history/events/ec498103-8fda-4fe1-b85d-0bf4235e6253|title=The Pan-Electric crisis hits the stock market - Singapore History|website=eresources.nlb.gov.sg|access-date=2018-11-25}} On 12 December 1985, Tan signed an agreement that gave the troubled company S$ 20 million of funds through an interest-free loan and allowed it to resume trading.{{cite news | title = Singapore Pact to Aid Troubled Firm | date = 12 December 1985 | newspaper = San Francisco Chronicle | page = 47}}{{cite news | title = An interim agreement has been signed by parties concerned to save Pan Electric Industries of Singapore and pave the way for a rescue and reconstruction of the debt-ridden concern | date = 12 December 1985 | newspaper = The Wall Street Journal Asia | pages = 1, 11}}

In 1986, he was charged in Singapore with abetting criminal breach of trust relating to the collapse of Pan-El. He was convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment by Singapore High Court Justice Lai Kew Chai. In Lai's judgement, Lai said Tan's offences had "struck at the very heart, integrity, reputation and confidence of Singapore as a commercial city and financial centre".{{Cite web|url=http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/in_memoriam/former_singapore_high_court_judge_lai_kew_chai_dies.html|title=The Malaysian Bar - Former Singapore High Court judge Lai Kew Chai dies|website=www.malaysianbar.org.my|access-date=2018-11-25}} After his sentencing, Tan in 1987 relinquished his position as MCA President and MP for Gopeng, Perak that he just won in 1986 general election earlier.{{cite news | url = http://malaysiansmustknowthetruth.blogspot.com/2012/09/koon-swan-saga-will-truth-emerge.html | title = Koon Swan saga: Will the truth emerge? | date = 12 September 2012| publisher = Malaysians Must Know the Truth. | accessdate = 7 September 2018 }}

In 1988, Tan was also sentenced and imprisoned in Malaysia, declared a bankrupt, and reportedly owed over RM 400 million, at the time roughly equivalent to more than 100 million US dollars. He was ordered to pay RM1000 a month to the Official Assignee and the New Straits Times estimated it would take him 35,316 years to pay off his outstanding claims.{{cite news | title = Unknown | date = 4 May 1989 |newspaper = New Straits Times}} In the mid-1990s, after full repayment, Tan was discharged from bankruptcy.{{cite news | title = Tan Koon Swan no longer a bankrupt | date = 20 September 1995 | newspaper = New Straits Times}}

In 2012, a book by the former chief prosecutor Glenn Knight revealed that Chief Justice Yong Pung How stated in a 1996 hearing that Tan Koon Swan had been wrongfully charged in the Pan-El case.{{cite book|last=Knight|first=Glenn |title=Glenn Knight, The Prosecutor|location=Singapore|publisher=Marshall Cavendish Editions|year=2012|isbn=978-981-4302-33-3|page=163}}{{cite web | title = Koon Swan wrongfully jailed | url = http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/highlights/220201-koon-swan-wrongfully-jailed.html | publisher = The Edge (Malaysia) | accessdate = 11 September 2012 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://archive.today/20130203203619/http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/highlights/220201-koon-swan-wrongfully-jailed.html | archivedate = 3 February 2013 | df = dmy-all }}{{cite news | title = Koon Swan case 'a mistake' | url = http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/9/11/nation/12002560&sec=nation | newspaper = The Star | accessdate = 11 September 2012 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20120912010629/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2012%2F9%2F11%2Fnation%2F12002560&sec=nation | archivedate = 12 September 2012 | df = dmy-all }} However, the book has been heavily criticised as containing factual errors.{{cite news | title = A-G Chambers: Errors in Glenn Knight's book | url = http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?sec=nation&file=/2012/9/14/nation/20120914222153 | newspaper = The Star | accessdate = 14 September 2012 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20120915032856/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2012%2F9%2F14%2Fnation%2F20120914222153&sec=nation | archivedate = 15 September 2012 | df = dmy-all }}{{cite news | title = Of pleading guilty and going topless | url = http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/9/30/focus/12085322&sec=focus | newspaper = The Star | accessdate = 30 September 2012 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20121022060522/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2012%2F9%2F30%2Ffocus%2F12085322&sec=focus | archivedate = 22 October 2012 | df = dmy-all }}

Election results

class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"

|+ Parliament of Malaysia{{cite web|url=http://semak.spr.gov.my/spr/laporan/5_KedudukanAkhir.php |title=Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Parlimen/Dewan Undangan Negeri |publisher=Election Commission of Malaysia |language=Malay |accessdate=4 February 2017 }} Percentage figures based on total turnout.

!|Year

!|Constituency

!colspan=2|Candidate

!|Votes

!|Pct

!colspan=2|Opponent(s)

!|Votes

!|Pct

!|Ballots cast

!|Majority

!|Turnout

rowspan=2|1978

| rowspan=2|P068 Raub

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |

| rowspan=2|{{nowrap|Tan Koon Swan}} (MCA)

| rowspan=2 align="right"|11,411

| rowspan=2|56.16%

|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |

|Wan Sai Kai (DAP)

|align="right" |5,447

|26.81%

| rowspan=2|N/A

| rowspan=2|5,964

| rowspan=2|N/A

{{Party shading/PAS}} |

|Tengku Puji Tengku Abd Hamid (PAS)

|align="right" |3,462

|17.04%

rowspan=2|1982

| rowspan=2|P086 Damansara

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |

| rowspan=2|{{nowrap|Tan Koon Swan}} (MCA)

| rowspan=2 align="right"|34,659

| rowspan=2|59.43%

|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |

|{{nowrap|V. David}} (DAP)

|align="right" |20,137

|34.53%

| rowspan=2|58,772

| rowspan=2|14,522

| rowspan=2|67.88%

{{Party shading/PAS}} |

|{{nowrap|Ramli Mohamed Yasin}} (PAS)

|align="right" |3,527

|align=roght|6.05%

rowspan=3|1986

| rowspan=3|P064 Gopeng

| rowspan=3 {{Party shading/Barisan Nasional}} |

| rowspan=3|{{nowrap|Tan Koon Swan}} (MCA) ¹

| rowspan=3 align="right"|14,009

| rowspan=3|60.37%

|{{Party shading/Democratic Action Party}} |

|{{nowrap|Quek Swee Siang}} (DAP)

|align="right" |7,874

|33.93%

| rowspan=3|23,723

| rowspan=3|6,135

| rowspan=3|67.71%

{{Party shading/PAS}} |

|{{nowrap|Abdul Majid Salleh}} (PAS)

|align="right" |981

|align=right|4.23%

bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party (Malaysia)}} |

|{{nowrap|Leong Wai Man}} (SDP)

|align="right" |341

|align=right|1.47%

Note: ¹ Incumbent Tan Koon Swan had resigned in 1987 after his conviction in the Pan-El case in 1986.

Awards and recognition

The World Chinese Economic Forum awarded Tan a lifetime achievement award in November 2012.{{cite web | title = Former MCA president Tan Koon Swan to get lifetime achievement award | url = http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/10/31/nation/20121031125535&sec=nation | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130221065000/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/10/31/nation/20121031125535&sec=nation | url-status = dead | archive-date = 21 February 2013 | newspaper = The Star | accessdate = 31 October 2012 }}

=Honours of Malaysia=

{{Flag|Malaysia}} :
50px Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (PSM) – Tan Sri (2016){{cite web

|url=http://www.istiadat.gov.my/index.php/component/semakanlantikanskp/|title=Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat|publisher=Prime Minister's Department (Malaysia)}}