Dato' Tan Chiang Kiong, recipient of the 4th Overseas Teacher Award, retired from Chung Ling Private High School in Penang in December 2023 at the age of 91. His retirement marked three records: "oldest active teacher," "longest-serving teacher at the same school," and "longest teaching career in Malaysia." This remarkable career is highly esteemed by the Malaysian overseas community. As one of the first students sent to Taiwan with US aid, he studied under renowned artists like Ma Pai Sui at National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU)'s Department of Fine Arts. After returning to Malaysia, he became a significant figure in art education.
Since he began teaching at Chung Ling Private High School in 1964, he has made outstanding contributions in both artistic creation and art education. He recalls that when he returned to Malaysia in 1961 after graduating from the Department of Fine Arts at NTNU, many students sought his guidance. To meet their enthusiasm, he opened a private art studio at his home, which quickly became very popular.
He recalls his time studying art at NTNU as the most significant turning point in his life. Using watercolor as his main medium, he encountered diverse artistic perspectives, blending traditional and modern, Eastern and Western, laying a solid foundation for his future career in art and teaching.
In the early years, teachers at Malaysian Chinese schools had unstable incomes due to the lack of fixed salaries, leading to high turnover rates. In 1964, Tan Chiang Kiong was invited to serve as the art director at Chung Ling Private High School. Due to staff shortages, he also took on the role of director of student affairs, a position he held for 30 years until 1995. His dedication to education and nurturing numerous students earned him the Hai-Hwa Honored Medal from the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC).
Tan Chiang Kiong remarked, "The roles of an art teacher and a student affairs director are quite different. Being a student affairs director is very challenging, but during my time at NTNU, I learned about educational psychology, so I combined art education to ‘cultivate truth through beauty.’ Art can replace religion and serve as a spiritual support."
His artworks are frequently exhibited in galleries and institutions both domestically and internationally. In 1992, he was honored with the "PJK, Pingat Jasa Kebaktian." Despite being highly acclaimed for his artwork, Tan Chiang Kiong never painted for commercial gain throughout his life. In 2014, Chung Ling Private High School organized the "Half a Century with Chung Ling - Tan Chiang Kiong Art Exhibition." He mentioned that the exhibition was held to raise funds for the talented art students at Chung Ling, and within just two days, over a hundred paintings were sold, raising over RM 400,000.
Although Tan Chiang Kiong retired from Chung Ling last year, the school still maintains an office for him. Even in retirement, he regularly returns to offer support and guidance. His lifelong commitment to art and education is cherished by overseas compatriot communities and educators worldwide.
