Some people say that Malaysia is a Southeast Asian country with a monopoly on the economic lifeblood of the Chinese.
The history of the Chinese in Malaysia dates back thousands of years. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, Chinese merchants and emissaries have come to Malaysia for trade and diplomatic exchanges. Zheng He went to the West seven times in 28 years, and Malaysia became one of his important residences, and Chinese silk, porcelain, tea and other goods were also introduced to this land. In the process, the Chinese not only brought material wealth, but also spread Chinese culture, religion and technology, which had a profound impact on Malaysian society. Later, with the maritime ban policy, these Chinese gradually merged with the ancestral academy to form a unique indigenous Chinese nation in Malaysia, Baba Nyonya.
The second large-scale immigration of Chinese to Malaysia was during the late Qing government, when the foreign powers invaded China, and Malaysia was also colonized by the British, in order to develop the Malay Archipelago, the British recruited a large number of Chinese workers to Malaysia, at this time the Chinese were generally working in rubber factories or mines. In 1911, the number of Chinese in Malaysia reached 900,000, and the total population of Malaysia at that time was only 2.2 million. At this time, the number of immigrants from the Qing Dynasty had greatly surpassed that of the early Nyonya Baba people, so they were called "newcomers" by those who settled in the early days.
With the development of Malaysian Chinese from generation to generation, the economic level of Malaysian Chinese is generally relatively good, and Chinese have developed well in all walks of life in Malaysia, and many rich people have emerged.
In 2022, 9 of the top 10 richest people in Malaysia are Chinese, 70% of small and medium-sized enterprises are owned by Chinese, and well-known Malaysian media such as Sin Chew Daily, Shihua Daily, and United Daily are also controlled by Chinese.
However, although the Chinese control and control the social wealth and economic lifeline of Malaysia, the status of the Chinese in Malaysia is contrary to their strength. Because, such an outstanding and successful Malaysian Chinese turned out to be only inferior second-class citizens.
Malaysia has a population of 33 million, of which 70% are indigenous Malays, 22.7% are Malaysian-Chinese, 6.6% are Indians, and 0.7% are of other races. Malaysians are both indigenous and the largest ethnic group, and they have even enshrined Malay supremacy in the Malaysian constitution, while Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indians have become second-class citizens.
We experience the different treatments of Chinese in Malaysia from three aspects.
The first is that the Chinese have been politically excluded and marginalized.
The Chinese in Malaysia are not uninterested in politics and have been actively involved in political activities, not only forming Chinese-dominated political parties, such as the Malaysian Chinese Association, but also playing an important role in various political roles, including government ministers, parliamentarians, state legislators, and municipal councillors, as well as social movements and civic groups.
But this still does not reverse the political disadvantage of the Chinese community, and the Malaysian government has repeatedly pursued clearly discriminatory policies. For example, in the recruitment of civil servants, the Malaysian government is completely biased towards Malays, although Malaysian Chinese account for 22.7% of the total population, but only a pitiful 2% of Chinese can eventually become civil servants.
For example, in 2008, Malaysian politician Ahmad Ismail threw out the "Chinese sojourn theory" in the local elections, saying that the Chinese in Malaysia "must not try to control politics in addition to controlling the economy like 'American Jews'". There are even extremist parties that have been blatantly advocating the so-called "Malay supremacy principle" for years.
The second is the economic discrimination and exclusion of the Chinese.
At its peak, there were more than 20 Chinese banks in Malaysia, but they were either annexed or forcibly taken over by the government, and in the end only two (Public Bank and Hong Leong Bank) remained.
Finally, the suppression of Chinese culture.
The Malaysian government has always wanted to assimilate the Malaysian Chinese. For example, in 1952, Malay-controlled officials announced that all schools would have to teach Malay and no longer teach Chinese. There were originally 3 types of schools in Malaysia, Malay schools, Chinese schools and Tamil schools.
However, you must know that Malaysian Chinese attach great importance to Chinese education and unswervingly inherit Chinese culture. You don't let the descendants of Yan and Huang stop speaking Chinese, and this policy immediately caused protests among the Chinese. In particular, Mr. Lin Lianyu, a Chinese educator born in Yongchun, Fujian Province, stepped forward and led the Chinese people to start a 10-year struggle.
At first, he sold his pigs and invested all his family property to raise funds for the construction of the school, and did his best in the devastation. He traveled all over Malaysia on his legs, just to find a suitable school site. He put his hands on the bricks and tiles, and added a table and a chair until the Chinese school in Malaysia finally rose from the ruins, and the flower of the soul of Chinese education took root again in the burned wasteland.
In the end, the government compromised and retained Chinese schools, and the Chinese secondary schools could continue to be established, but the government no longer provided funding for them, and they had to find their own ways to solve all the expenses.
However, if one plan failed, another plan was born, and this time it became a "conspiracy" against Lin Lianyu. On August 12, 1961, Mr. Lin Lianyu received a notice from the Ministry of the Interior to revoke his citizenship rights, and about 10 days later, his teaching license was also revoked.
But this does not affect the later Malaysian Chinese, and the erection of a statue to mourn him does not affect him to become the "soul of the family" of the Malaysian Chinese.
Mr. Lim Lian Yu completed the first stick of adhering to Chinese education, and the next step was the protracted funding run that required the participation of all Malaysian Chinese.
During that long period of time, thousands of ordinary people who were not well-off, small traders would donate money to the school every once in a while, and tricycle drivers would collectively agree to donate all the hard-earned money earned one day to the school.
Today, Malaysia is the only country other than Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan that has a complete Chinese education system such as kindergarten, primary school, secondary school and junior college. Malay Chinese are sent to Chinese schools from an early age, and they are educated in a Chinese environment from primary school to university. Up to now, there are 1,290 Chinese primary schools, 60 Chinese independent middle schools, and 3 Chinese colleges and universities.
It can be said that Malaysian Chinese actually regard the identity of the descendants of Yan and Huang as more important than their own nationality.
Therefore, during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the overseas Chinese in Nanyang led by Chen Jiageng established the Nanyang Overseas Chinese Association for Refugees from the Motherland, calling on overseas Chinese to unite sincerely and contribute money and efforts to support the War of Resistance.
According to statistics, the Chinese in Malaysia sent 5.4 billion donations at that time, accounting for more than 2/3 of the donations of the Chinese in the world at that time, and almost half of China's war expenses.
It can be said that overseas Chinese in Malaysia have become an important backing for China's victory in resisting Japan.
After the reform and opening up, overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia were the first to invest in the mainland to support the construction of the motherland, and the investment accounted for more than 50% of the overseas direct investment injected into Chinese mainland every year, becoming an important driving force for Chinese mainland's economic development.
Hendynton said that China is a civilization masquerading as a state. Lin Lianyu said: Our culture is the soul of our nation.
We can say that if the Malaysian government continues to harbor anti-Chinese and anti-Chinese sentiments, the number of Chinese in Malaysia will only continue to decrease. According to statistics, from 2008 to 2018, about 600,000 Malaysian Chinese immigrants to other countries, most of whom are highly educated and highly skilled.
The trend suggests that perhaps by 2030, the proportion of Chinese Malaysians will drop to less than 19.6%, and at the same time, the common loss of wealth behind the Chinese will only continue to lead to a recession in Malaysia's economy.
In the land of Malaysia, the story of the Chinese represents a poignant and unyielding history, as well as a legend of hard work and entrepreneurship. They have faced hardships, discrimination and challenges, but they have always maintained a deep affection for their homeland and the Southeast Asian region. They constantly strive to contribute to this land, but also carry the feelings of family and country and the dream of pursuing a better life.