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they will shifted Chinese to towns where they founded banks, set a business (small,
medium and large) to meet local needs and expand from foreign commerce.
3.0 Ancestral Origin for Malaysian Chinese
Almost all Malaysian Chinses are Han Chinese and majority can be grouped into four
main sub-ethic group:
a.) Min People
Ancestor come from Fujian province and using Min languages to communicate
with their others. Min languages is the largest languages in Malaysia in Chinese
community. In Min people, they sub-divided into 5 groups:
i.) Hokkien
Hokkien is a largest Chinese language group in Malaysia among Chinese
community.
They are from the southern regions of Fujian.
ii.) Teochew
In 18th century onwards, Chinese immigrants from Chao Shan region
began to settle in Malaya in large numbers of people.
iii.) Hainanese
In 19th century onwards, Chinese immigrants from Hainan start began to
immigrate to Malaya and North Borneo.
iv.) Heng Hua
Part of Hokkien people, that came from Putian but their population is
smaller than other Min Chinese from Fujian.
v.) Min Dong
They are from Fu Zhou and Fu Qing. In 19 th century, they came in with
quite a number of people. Their appearance already influence the
corporate industry in 20th century.
b.) Hakka
Chinese characters for Hakka it means guest people. They came from both
Guang Dong and Fujian provinces. They form the second largest group of people
after the Min people. In 19th century, they worked as a miners such as gold and
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tin. After that, they formed a largest community in Selangor, Perak, Sarawak,
Sabah and Negeri Sembilan. When the gold and tin is go decline in economic,
they swift to rubber industry. In Sabah, they more involved in agriculture.
c.) Cantonese
People who speak Cantonese are come from both Guang Dong and Guang Xi
provinces. They are third largest group of people after Hakka and them mostly in
Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley region. Actually they are sub-divided into 3
categories of people:
i.) Guang Fu
Origin from Guang Zhou. They started development and turn early
settlements into principal towns. Most of them are worked as tin miners.
During economic downturn, they shift to doing business and contributed
more on social and economic development in Malaya.
ii.) Sei Yap
They speak their own dialect and origin from Sei Yap. Their districts
include Taishen, Kaiping, Enping and Xin Hui.
iii.) Guang Xi
Their group of people is smaller that people from Guang Dong. They
settled on Bentong, Mentekap and Raub.
d.) Wu
Is the smallest group of people who came to Malaya. They are mostly from Zhe
Jiang, Jiang Su and Shang Hai. Focus on Chinese education, tailoring and
construction.
4.0 Malaysian Chinese Predominant Languages by Regions
Even though their ancestral origins are come from different regions because of the
intermarriages between the different linguistic groups, regional influences within
Malaysia. In order to easily to be understand by difference group Chinese ethnic, so
Mandarin language is the more preferable to be common used among Chinese
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community. Nowadays, the younger generation has generally lost command of their own
languages and they prefer to speak other language such as American English and others
languages. They even do not know how to pronouns their origin mother tongues language
on their group ethnic. Their languages can be grouped into few main sub-ethic groups:
a) Hakka Language
Hakka is specifically the Hui Ying variant that is main Chinese variety in the East
Malaysian state of Sabah. According to 1991 census, many of Sabahans declare
themselves as being of Hakka descent. This is a clear majority over the Cantonese
making the ma distant second. However, this already makes Sabah the only state
in Malaysia where Hakka is the predominantly spoken Chinses variety among the
local Chinese.
b) Cantonese Language
Population of the Chinese in the central region of Peninsular Malaysia including:
i.) Kuala Lumpur
ii.) Petaling Jaya
iii.)Subang Jaya
iv.) Seremban
v.) Ipoh
vi.) Kampar
vii.) Kuantan
These entire places are predominantly by using Cantonese language to
communicate with their Chinese community. Cantonese is also the lingua franca
spoken among the Chinese in Sandakan. They only district dominated by
Cantonese in Johor is Mersing.
c) Teochew language
The Teochew dialect was the lingua franca of the Chinese community in Johor
Bahru until 1970s in Malaysia. Their dialect spread widely in town of Johor such
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as Muar, Batu Pahat and Skudai. Nibong Tebal and Bukit Mertajam also are
famous in spoken Teochew language as well.
d) Mandarin language
Mandarin language is the most important tools to communicate with others
different dialect Chinese community. Mandarin language easy to be understand
by all the Chinese and it commonly used. In Malaysia, the Chinese school also
using this language to communicate with their students as well.
5.0 Culture of Art, Leisure and Entertainments
Literature has a long and storied history in Chinese culture. From the Confucius to epic
stories, the Chinese have been familiar with the written word. Among the Chinese
community, they prefer more reading to absorb many ideas and skill from the book and
keep it in mind to use it in future. Some of them if good in grammar, they will write all
their ideas into a story , novel ,poem and so on to publish in the society to let others also
can learn from their ideas as well. In Malaysia, the short stories are especially popular.
There are many magazines and website devoted to short moralistic and entertaining
vignettes.
Our culture also got dance and theatre traditions that already bring in Malaysia. Actually
all this culture is come from China and when brings it to Malaysia, they will modify it to
suit in the local. Chinese street opera is the very popular during our ancestors time and it
present in variety of dialects. The opera is integrating singing, acting and acrobatics and
draw large crowds for evening entertainment. The opera reinforce the historical events in
Chinese culture and serve to bond modern people with a cultural tradition.
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Moreover, the Chinese also bring a form of art that is common among their architecture.
The Strait Chinese style involves building houses that are narrow but deep and it bring
Chinese a memorable feeling in Malaysia. The distinctive feature is a pair of wooden
half-doors at the main entrance. The doors are in carved and painted in gold colour as
well.
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first 3 days of New Year, sweeping the floor is forbidden or else the good luck might be
swept away.
Secondly, Qing Ming also is one of our Chinese culture that bring meaning od clear and
bright. In the calendar year of 1st April, Chinese will bring their family to visit the graves
of their departed relatives. All the food and beverage will be bring and left to the grave to
appease the dead. Paper money also will be burned, so that the money will travel to the
land of the ancestors. Qing Ming particularly is highlights the essential of ancestor
worship. The entire family is expected to gather together and participate in the rituals in
every year.
Thirdly, Dragon Boat festival that bring honors and celebrates Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan is a
court minister in China during the 4 th century B.C. He committed suicide by jumping into
a river and drowning in order to protest corrupt court practices. To save his body from
being eaten by fish, his friends rowed boats into the river and beat the water with oars to
scare away the fish. They also threw the rice dumpling in the water to bait the fish.
However, this festival is to memorialize the Chinese patriotic poet Qu Yuan, so this
legend is commemorated today with boat races and the eating of dumplings. Throughout
this festival, it bring out our Chinese culture into the community and feel proud with our
festival because it historical and memorable to us.
A forth of the festival is the Hungry Ghost Festival. Well, this festival it sounds familiar
like Halloween Day in Western culture which they celebrate on yearly at the end of the
October. The Western side is purposely celebrating together and unites the community
with this fun time. For our side, this festival offers insight into the afterlife of those who
do not live in a pleasing way. Taoists believe the gates of Hell are opened and spirits are
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allowed to roam the earth. This festival is for condemned souls who have no relief from
suffering. Incense is burned to prevent the ghost from harming people. In this celebration,
they will performance Opera to entertain the ghost and distract them from take revenge in
their difficultly. In our Chinese culture, the Hungry Ghost Festival is the most colourful
festival for our community.
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Marriage can take a variety of cultural forms. Normally, the ceremony leans towards
typical Chinese culture being a formal way such like a long day event with an elaborate
dinner. Before they get marry, they need to choose a lucky day for their wedding because
in our culture, we believe that a lucky day for the wedding will lead to a harmony way in
their whole life. Bad day for the wedding will lead to unfortunate and not a happy life in
their way. In the way to arrange the wedding, both side parents will meet months in
advance to discuss the details of the arrangement, ceremony and dowry.
As mentioned before, the wedding dates are often set on a lucky day determined by an
astrologer. Sometimes there will be mass weddings on a particularly lucky day. They
need to match with both of their birthday with a suitable day to organize their wedding.
Well, the wedding day will begins with the groom heading to the brides house to pick her
up and often at a time also set by an astrologer. He takes her back to his house where an
elaborate tea ceremony takes place. Successive cups are drunk to appease household
deities and departed ancestors. The ceremony lasts well into the night and is accompanied
with dancing, toasts and extensive gift giving. In modern tend wedding, they practices are
growing more popular and some couples get married at the local Registry and forego the
traditional ceremony.
After marry, their wife cannot stay at her house need to stay at his husband house. In our
Chinese culture, if their wife stays back to her familys house, this will give a bad
impression to the public that his husband is not daring to take care his own family even
though already married. In other perspective can be described as his husband unable to
raise a family due to his own ability unable to compete in the society and not strong as
been man.
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When a woman is getting pregnant, they need to aware some traditions and taboos in our
Chinese culture as well:
i.) Beware scissors
There is a Chinese belief that pregnant women should avoid scissors especially
anywhere near the marital bed. The worry is that it will somehow affect the baby
in utero and bay would be born with something missing or incomplete such like
no leg or no hand.
ii.) Avoid people touching you on the shoulder
This one is a bit to avoid. If someone is going to tap you on the shoulder is
usually to get your attention. Well, is extremely unlucky for anyone to tap a
pregnant woman on the shoulder.
iii.)Dont attend funerals
Usually pregnant women are advised to avoid going to funeral related activities
because the dead people soul will go into your baby and born out together. If still
want to attend advised to wear a red scarf around his belly.
iv.) Dont touch the bride
In some households, pregnant women are discouraged from attending weddings.
The reason is something to do with hierarchy on a bridges special day. No one
should upstage the bride and the gods looking after the pregnant woman might
rank more tightly than those there to protect the bridge.
8.0 Chinese Names
The names of Chinese people have our own tradition and characteristics. Unlike
westerners, the family name in Chinese is put first and followed by the given name. The
given name usually contains one or two Chinese characters but in order to avoid
confusion, newly-born babies are now entitled to be given names of 3 characters. Given
names are meant to convey special meaning with expressing the best wishes on the new
born.
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to describe these briefly. The description will also serve to provide a historical
perspective to our analysis of the Chinese religion as a whole system. The below will
describe details the religions as below:
a) Confucianism
The treating of Confucianism as a religion is partly due to a wrong perception of
the Chinese word Jiao. The Chinese do describe their religion as having the
components of Ru, Dao and Shi which are usually translated into English as
Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism respectively and are collectively known as
the San Jiao means religious sects have developed out of these three systems. San
Jiao in Chinese religious words define as teaching. In Malaysia, there is also a
Confucian association in Penang called The Confucian Association Penang.
From our perspective, it is obvious that the two Confusion association described
above are not association of any Confusion Religion nor they aim to be so. In fact,
it is difficult even to classify them as either religious associations concerned with
the study of Confucian philosophy. This is especially so in Singapore now that the
government is trying to propagate the philosophy of Confucius.
It remains to be mentioned that there are some people who view Confucianism
not in the theistic sense but in the sense of a non-theistic religion, just as some
people consider communism a religion. In this sense, Confucianism is a system of
ethics which for centuries have had tremendous influence on the thinking and
behavior of the Chinese. Confucianism viewed in this way is not within the scope
of our study and is beyond our definition of religion. Hence, there is a relationship
between Confucianism and Chinese Religion. The sources of Chinese ethical
values is the mainly derived from Confucianism not religion because it belong to
two separate aspects of the institutional structure of traditional Chinese society.
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b) Taoism
It means misleading because it does not distinguish Taoism as a school of
philosophy from Taoism as a system of religion. Normally is refer as Dao Jia and
Dao Jiao. The philosophy of Taoism is represented by two early classic works as
Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi. The work Lao Zi is actually much later than the time of
Confucius even though some of the sayings may be the thought of Lao Zi the
man.
The main concept of the early Taoist followers was to find ways to avoid death
and become immortals called Xian. This goal of physical immortality and craving
for life is certainly against Taoist philosophy which teaches men not to work
against nature. The term Taoism should preferably be used for the system of
philosophy but in certain contexts it may refer to either or both depending on the
context it is used.
Taoist religion is of ancient origin that growing out of indigenous Chinses beliefs
and occult practices which were systematized by the Ying Yang school pf thought.
These occult practices included astrology, the art of the almanac and five elements
( Wu Xing ) , geomancy (Feng Shui) and so on. The Taoist priests in Malaysia are
religious practitioners within this general system of Chinese Religion and not
practitioners of separate Taoists sects. Taoist religion grew pout of the popular
religion of ancient China that succeeded in forming an independent religious
system that never really independent form the influence of popular religion and in
modern times as merged again into the popular religion. Therefore, it losing its
independent identity but enriching the popular religion.
c) Buddhism
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The Chinese probably worshiped Buddha as they do Lao Zi and other deities. This
indicate that Buddhism was not seen as a very different religion. Look at Malaysia
today, Chinese Buddhism hardly exists as an independent system of religion and
its distinctiveness is to be found only in certain Chinese Buddhist temples and
associations. Yet Chinese Religion and Chinese way of life in general are heavily
colored by Buddhism. The Buddhism already become a part of Chinese Religion
in Malaysia is essentially that derived from the Pure Land School of Mahayana
Buddhism. Namo Emituofo is an important expression of this school and also
familiar for the most Malaysian Chinese. They express the love and salvation of
Amitabha Buddha.
A few monks and nuns live in the temple but they are neither preachers of
Buddhist doctrines nor do they represent a particular Buddhist, although their
religious practices are derived from certain traditions, t funerals and other Chinese
functions. However, the presence of these monks and nuns at the temple make it
appear Buddhist and daily perform their rituals and chanting.
Most marginal Buddhist temples in Malaysia do not have resident monks, but it is
fairly common to find a temple of this nature managed by a resident nun. Each
Chinese temple is distinct according to the patron deities it worships. Moreover,
the meat dishes are not offered to Buddhist deities but more preferable vegetarian.
By the way, Chinese Buddhism in Malaysia is part of Chinese Religion rather
than an independent religious system.
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as well as immigration patterns of Chinese to Malaysia. That time the vast majority of
Malaysians Chinese are descendants of immigrants from southern China, the cuisine is
predominantly based on dishes with roots from Cantonese cuisine, Hakka cuisine, Fujian
cuisine and Teochew cuisine.
These early immigrants settled in different regions throughout what was then British
Malaya and Borneo which they carried with them traditions of foods and recipes that
were particularly identified with their origins in China that gradually became infused with
the characteristics of their new home locate in Malaysia while remaining distinctively
Chinese. For example, Hainanese chicken rice is usually flavored with tropical pandan
leaves and served with chili sauces for dipping an tastes unlike the typical chicken dishes
found in Hainan Island itself. Some of these foods and recipes became closely associated
with a specific city, town or village. At the end, developing the foods become local taste
and recipe itself.
Chinese food is especially prominent in areas with concentrated Chinese communities at
roadside stall, hawker centers, kopitiam and so on. So they are expend their business
become cafes and upmarket restaurants throughout the nation. A lot of Chinese dishes
have pork as a component ingredient but chicken also is available. Besides that, Chinese
dishes also got vegetarian food serve for those who do not consume the any meat in their
meal.
Below will show the list of dishes that found in Malayian Chinese that bring out their
culture:
a) Ba Kut Teh
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The root meaning of the dish Ba Kut The is Hokkien dialect that the term for
meaty ribs with a simplest cooked with garlic, dark soy sauce and a specific
combination of herbs and spices which have been boiled for many
hours.popularly regarded as a health tonic, this soup is historically eaten by
hardworking Chinese coolies working on the wharfs at Port Swettenham (Port
Klang) and clearing estates, that it accompaniment with strong tea on the side.
Whereby, there are some differences in seasoning amongst other Chinese
communities:
Teochew
Preferring a clear broth which is heavier on garlic and pepper
Cantonese
They refer additional varieties of medicinal herbs and spices.
Moreover, Ba Kut Teh not just serve as a pork but also serve in a variety meat
such as chicken and seafood. Therefore, Ba Kut Teh divide into two categories such as
dry and wet. Dry Ba Kut Teh means they cook in a dry way which do not consist of soup
in this dishes, while Wet Ba Kut The define as a soup with the dishes. Some of them
serve Ba Kut The with You Tiao. You Tiao can be also eat alone or mix with other dishes.
b) Bak Kwa
It means dried meat and also can define as barbequed meat jerky. Normally, this
this delicacy will be more appear during the celebration of Chinese New Year.
c) Bean Sprouts Chicken
This food is the most popular in the distinct of Ipoh. Their chicken rice consists of
poached or steamed chicken accompanied with a plate of blanched locally grown
bean sprouts in a simple dressing of soy sauce and sesame oil. The crunchy and
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stout texture of Ipoh grown bean sprouts is attributed ti the mineral rich properties
of local water supplies. This dish is usually served with hor fun noodles in a
chicken broth or plain rice.
d) Char Kway Teow
Stir fried rice noodles with bean sprouts, prawns, eggs, chives and thin slices of
preserved Chinese sausages. Cockles and lardons were once standard offerings
but mostly relegated to optional additions these days due to changing taste
preferences and growing health concerns. Penang style char kway teow is the
most highly regraded variant both in Malaysia as well as abroad.
e) Chee Cheong Fun
This food is a square rice sheets that made from a viscous mixture of rice flour
and water. This liquid is poured onto a specially made flat pan in which it is
steamed to produce the square rice sheets. The steamed rice sheets is rolled or
folded for ease in serving. It is usually served with tofu stuffed with fish paste.
The dish is eaten with accompaniment of semi-sweets fermented bean paste
sauce, chili paste and light vegetable curry gravy.
f) Fish Head Bihun
A noodle soup that serve with the main ingredients are rice vermicelli and a deep
fried fish head cut into chunks. The soup itself is somewhat creamy which is
usually achieved using a mixture of rich fish stock and milk. Tomatoes and
pickled vegetables are sometimes added to cut the richness and provided a tangy
foil for the noodle soup.
g) Hakka Mee
Hakka mee is a simple dish of noodles topped with a ground meat gravy. A
popular hawker dish with Hakka cultural roots that is based on the older recipe
called Dabumian. Dabumian define the dame its place of origin as Dabu Country
which is the center of Hakka culture in the mainland China.
h) Yong Tau Foo
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It is a tofu products and vegetables like brinjals, ladys fingers, bitter gourd and
chilies stuffed with fish or pork paste. It originally come from Ampang, Selangor.
They localization the adaptation of a Hakka dish called Ngiong Tew Foo and is
usually serve with clear broth.
i) Zong Zi
It is a traditional Chinese food made of glutinous rice stuffed with savoury or
sweet fillings and wrapped in bamboo, reed or other large flat leaves. They are
cooked by steaming or boiling. They use to celebrate Duan Wu festival every year
in Chinese Lunar calendar.
11.0 Conclusions
The Chinese population in Malaysia has become an integral component of the
community. Chinese contribute a lot of culture in term of food, religion and language of
Malaysian cities. The Malaysian Chinese have developed a unique culture that origin
bring from their ancestors as well. The distinct ethnic identities found in China have
blended together as the Chinese population have had to unite in order to provide a new
cultural identity as succeed on the international business scene.
These modern Chinese are educated but still prefer to reinforce their cultural identity
through short stories, poems, proverbs and the street operas. These communication styles
become more localization in the Malaysia as well. Chinese has develop their own culture
very well, even though they immigrant to Malaysia. They still keep their valuable and
rituals cultures to next generation.
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