Chua Tian Chang - Early Life

Early Life

Born in Melaka on December 21, 1963, he was the eldest of four siblings. His father, Chua Neo Lai, 71, is of Hakka descent and was a rice wholesaler. His late mother, Chan Yuet Chien, was a Chinese schoolteacher.

Chua was educated in Siang Lin Primary School and Malacca Catholic High School. He then studied Lower Six in Gajah Berang High School.

In 1982, Tian went to continue his studies in Australia. He first studied Matriculation in South Sydney High School. After completing HSC, he got admitted into Agricultural Science in Sydney University.

“I wanted to be a scientist and invent things, like (Thomas) Edison. I got interested in the agro-sciences as I wanted to study things that could be useful,” recalls Chua.

But in his third year, he switched to Philosophy at the University of New South Wales. Australia in the 1980s was a hotbed for student activists. “My father had hoped I’d study law for good future prospects. But I became exposed to peace movements, environmental issues, and human rights situations around the world.”

He became an active student leader and was involved in student movement under the Network of Overseas Student Collectives (NOSCA) and Left Alliance. His mates included Steven Gan and Premesh Chandran, co-founders of news website Malaysiakini. Together, they protested against the imposition of university fees on foreign students started by Bob Hawke’s administration in 1985.

Chua had his first taste of arrest when he was locked up after a demonstration in Sydney. He was also recruited by East Timor then leader-in-exile, now president Ramos Horta to help prepare newsletters.