PETALING JAYA: Former chairman of the United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong), Dr. Yap Sin Tian, passed away at the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) this morning. He was 87.

His passing was confirmed to Sin Chew Daily by former Dong Zong deputy chairman Chow Siew Hon.

Yap was born in Kuala Lumpur in 1939. He taught Malay at Chong Hwa Independent High School and Tsun Jin High School. Fluent in Chinese, Malay and English, he was also active in writing and translation for many years, using pen names including Ye Jian, Leng Miao, Zhi Ya Xiao and Yassin Tani. He translated Chinese classics into Malay.

In his younger years, Yap was actively involved in social movements. He participated in the anti-eviction campaign in the Kepong squatter settlement and was detained under the Internal Security Act in 1970 for about four years and two months.

After his release, he worked in journalism, publication and business before gradually devoting himself to the Chinese education movement.

From the 1990s, Yap became actively involved in the Dong Zong. He served as a standing committee member and secretary-general from 1991 to 1999, before becoming deputy chairman in 1999. In 2005, he succeeded Quek Suan Hiang as Dong Zong chairman, a position he held for nearly 10 years.

During his tenure, he was deeply involved in defending Chinese education, including opposing the teaching of mathematics and science in English, urging the government to recognise Unified Examination Certificate, addressing shortage of teachers in Chinese primary schools, the issue of teachers without Chinese-language qualifications and the approval for Chinese independent school SM Chong Hwa Kuantan.

Yap was also embroiled in several controversies, including the New Era College ( known as New Era College University now) controversy from 2008 to 2009 and the leadership crisis of Dong Zong from 2014 to 2015.

Dong Zong held an extraordinary general assembly in Aug 2015 to elect a new leadership, bringing Yap’s nearly decade-long tenure as chairman to an end.

After stepping down as Dong Zong chairman, Yap continued to be involved in Chinese education affairs and served as chairman of an association to defend Chinese education in Malaysia called Persatuan Pemeliharaan Pendidikan Tiong Hua Malaysia

He also remained actively involved in the development of Dong Jiao Zong Higher Learning Centre and the then New Era College, serving as chairman of the board of Dong Jiao Zong Higher Learning Centre and concurrently as chairman of the council of New Era College, now known as New Era University College.

On September 18, 2025, the Persatuan Pemeliharaan Pendidikan Tiong Hua Malaysia and New Era University College jointly hosted a retirement appreciation dinner for Yap to honour his decades of involvement and contributions in Chinese education.