Chinese Civilization in Malaysia: History and Contribution

Abstract

Malaysia is a multicultural country with diversity. Among the cultures here are the Chinese inclusive of all their subcultures. This paper discusses the contribution of the Chinese civilization to Malaysia. Malaysian Chinese has contributed a lot to the building of Malaysia both culturally and economically. They arrived in Malaya in the year of 1500 and have embedded themselves by bringing their economical capabilities as well as religious and linguistic values. Chinese Malaysian have layered identities based on ancestry. Upon arrival in Malaya many years ago, they were here as traders who eventually married locals and begun the early assimilation of Malayan Chinese. However, in the early of 1900 they were brought into Malaya under the British rule to mine the tin mines in land rich in natural resources. The final wave is recent and include Malaysia’s My Second Home program. Among the contributions of Malaysian Chinese is wealth. Some of the richest Malaysians and successful businesses are Chinese-owned. There is also no shortage of Chinese architecture in Malaysia and that has also influenced the art industry. Mandarin is the main language spoken by Malaysian Chinese and is used in all vernacular schools and businesses as the official method of communication. However, there are many sub-cultural languages among the Chinese community as well. The Chinese have also brought their religion which is mainly Buddhism, Taoism, or Confucianism. Chinese religions are more of a way of life rather than a worship of a supreme being.