The country’s political landscape might have been different had Tun Sir HS Lee not persuaded MCA to join Umno in the Alliance Party coalition instead of Dato’ Onn Jaafar’s Independence of Malaya Party. Lee was one of the founding fathers of Malaysia, and its first finance minister. In 1957, however, he was defeated in the Selangor MCA presidential election, and two years later, he stepped down as finance minister. It was said that he had wanted more equal economic opportunities for the Chinese community, while others said he was too uncompromising with his demands. His eldest son and retired businessman, Dato’ Douglas KK Lee, tells us what HS was like as a person and leader, and his memories when independence was declared.

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