▁for ▁constitution al ▁change ▁and ▁work ▁towards ▁inter - eth nic ▁co - operation . ▁ ▁The ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁Federation ▁of ▁Mal aya ▁did ▁not ▁go ▁down ▁well ▁with ▁the ▁eth nic ▁Chinese , ▁where by ▁fav ou rable ▁conditions ▁for ▁obtain ing ▁citizens hip ▁for ▁the ▁Chinese ▁and ▁other ▁non - Mal ays ▁were ▁with dra wn . ▁The ▁Malays ian ▁Chinese ▁Association ▁( M CA ) ▁was ▁formed ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 ▁under ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁Tan ▁Ch eng ▁Lock ▁who ▁frequently ▁raised ▁gr iev ances ▁over ▁the ▁citizens hip ▁terms ▁that ▁were ▁set ▁when ▁the ▁Federation ▁was ▁established . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁commun al ▁t ensions ▁between ▁the ▁Malays ▁and ▁Chinese ▁sur fac ed , ▁and ▁On n ▁Ja af ar , ▁who ▁was ▁then ▁heading ▁U M NO ▁kept ▁his ▁distance ▁from ▁Tan . ▁Tan ▁encountered ▁initial ▁difficulties ▁with ▁meeting ▁Sultan ▁I bra him ▁of ▁Joh or , ▁who ▁was ▁not ▁acc ustom ed ▁to ▁working ▁with ▁Chinese ▁business men . ▁ ▁The ▁goal ▁for ▁the ▁foundation ▁of ▁the ▁Mal ay an ▁Chinese ▁Association ▁was ▁to ▁un ite ▁the ▁Chinese ▁population ▁in ▁Mal aya , ▁including ▁the ▁protection ▁of ▁the ▁rights ▁and ▁interests ▁of ▁the ▁Chinese , ▁also ▁to ▁work ▁with ▁the ▁colonial ▁government ▁to ▁stop ▁the ▁spread ▁of ▁commun ism ▁and ▁to ▁work ▁with ▁other ▁races ▁to ▁achieve ▁the ▁independence ▁of ▁Mal aya . ▁ ▁The ▁M CA ▁branches ▁had ▁been ▁set ▁up ▁after ▁their ▁campaign s ▁had ▁attract ed ▁more ▁than ▁ 2