陳清水 MCA stalwart Tan Cheng Swee

link source: the staronline
MCA stalwart Tan Cheng Swee dies (Update) - Nation | The Star Online

“We must not forget our alma mater.” he said during his primary school’s 100 years dinner in 2008. He was a former student of Bandar Hilir English School. Bandar Hilir English School was called Malacca Government School in her 1^st year in 1909 and the school is call Sekolah Kebangsaan Banda Hilir now. His speech was witnessed by Datuk Yaakub Md Amin, chairman of the State Education, Science, Technology and Human Resources Executive Committee, Isa Abu, Director, State Education Department, Dr. Sabri Zainuddin Zainol, President, Parents-Teachers Association and Rosalind Chan, the former headmistress.

I first heard of his name in 1971. My father sat with him on the same table for a dinner. My father did not tell me about that. Many of his friends told me repeatedly in that year and in 1972.. He was a former student of Malacca High School, now Sekolah Tinggi Melaka, his son too. I did not know that he was my senior in primary school level and again my senior in secondary school level. 清水,  a name I remember well since 1971 because with the Hokkien pronunciation, it means “clean water”. 

I came to know that he is my senior in schools only on 12.2.2011 when a group of us go back to school. 

I thought I would never have a chance to meet him in person eversince 1971 but I was wrong. I met him in 1997. With him was Datuk Wira Gan Boon Leong and a few others. We exchanged greetings.

After that meeting, I would take a swift glance at his residence each time I drove through. I was touched when I saw him again on television, weeping during the burial of Tun Abdul Ghafar bin Baba at Makam Pahlawan, Masjid Negara in Kuala Lumpur in 2006. I knew he is a kind man. In 2009, when I was with my cousin in Batu Pahat to attend a family ceremony, I asked him, “How is Tan Cheng Swee ?” My cousin replied, “Cheng Swee just called my handphone when I’m about to reach Batu Pahat” He further added, “Cheng Swee is okay but he is getting a little weak with age.” That shattered my heart a little.

The last time, I saw Tan Cheng Swee was last year, 9^th July 2011. He was attending the Parents-Teachers Meeting with Datuk Lim Cheow Seng at Yok Bin Secondary School.

He had contributed much to the Melaka State’s Malaysian Chinese Assembly, and served well in the national level Chinese Assembly. He contibuted much to Melaka as he had administered Melaka.

In the past, people said Melaka is a “sleepy hollow”. It is because there was no great development in Melaka other than well-known ruins and monuments. A Commissioner, he had put in effort to make Melaka better as early as 1973 or before. Today, we see Melaka differently.

 In honour of him. 陳清水