Chen Man Hin

Chen Man Hin (Chinese: 曾敏兴; 14 November 1924 – 17 August 2022) was a Malaysian politician and physician. He was a founding member of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and served as its inaugural chairman from 1966 to 1999. He later served as its life advisor until his death in 2022.

He served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Seremban Timor (1969–1974), and later for Seremban (1974–1982, 1983–1990). He also served as a member of the Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Rahang from 1965 to 1982.

A Hakka Chinese, Chen Man Hin was born in China and sailed to British Malaya (present day Malaysia) at a young age, before the Second World War. In 1946, he studied at the King Edward VII Medical College in Singapore and graduated in 1952. He then worked as a doctor in Singapore and at a hospital in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan until 1956, before opening his own clinic.

His first electoral victory was a 1965 by-election for the Rahang state legislative assembly seat in Negeri Sembilan as an independent using the symbol of a cherry blossom. The Democratic Action Party (DAP) was still in the process of creation at the time, and was only registered on 18 March, following which Chen became its inaugural chairman.

Chen Man Hin was one of the founders of the party in Seremban with other leaders such as Lim Kit Siang, Tan Seng Giaw, Karpal Singh and Hu Sepang. The party headquarters was then located at Choo Teik Building, Seremban. In the 1980s, Negeri Sembilan was a stronghold of the DAP.

He won his first federal parliamentary seat in Seremban Timor, Negeri Sembilan in 1969 as a member of the DAP against Barisan Nasional (BN).

He subsequently won the elections of 1978 and 1986. In 1986, DAP won 24 parliamentary seats and 56 state seats.

In the 1999 general elections, he lost in Rasah, Negeri Sembilan to Goh Siow Huat from Barisan Nasional. The party performed below expectations that year and the results were called "catastrophic" by Lim Kit Siang. Chen eventually resigned as Chairman of DAP and was replaced by Lim.

Chen died on 17 August 2022 at the age of 97. According to DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke, Chen died in his sleep. Loke also revealed that he had been making trips to the hospital two months prior and had been infected with pneumonia prior to his death.

A major road in Seremban, Jalan Temiang, was renamed to Jalan Dr. Chen Man Hin in honour of his contributions.