In law-abiding Singapore, neither the Kuomintang nor the Communist Party of China could register as legally recognized organizations. As a non-partisan de facto leader, Tan-who held British citizenship and had been a member of a political advisory council composed of Chinese businessmen-had the support not only of the Chinese community but also of the British colonial authorities.
在有法治秩序的新加坡，在中國國民黨和共產黨都不能登記為合法組織的情況下，一向遵紀守法、具有英國國籍、曾任華人參政局局員的陳嘉庚，以無黨派、無官職僑領地位，不僅得到南洋華僑的擁戴，而且得到英國殖民當局的認可與支援。