The Chinese diaspora and its influence on the society and economy in Malaysia and Singapore.

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present the Chinese diaspora in two Southeast Asian countries, Malaysia and Singapore, and the influence of this group on the society and economy of these countries. Chinese people, who left the country, for instance, for political or remuneration reasons and settled in Southeast Asia, have a significant impact on the region. The influence of this group on countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia, where it has been present for centuries, is substantial. The attitudes of the Islamic Malaysian and secular Singapore governments to overseas Chinese is completely different. In spite of many political, social and economic difficulties, the Chinese diaspora has been able to preserve its culture, language and tradition, and has achieved significant economic success. This economic success has been often associated with aversion to the local community. In modern Southeast Asian history, there are the examples of social tensions that have been turn into anti-Chinese riots. Nevertheless, the Chinese diaspora has contributed actively to the economic development of Malaysia, as well as the economic and political development of Singapore, basically during one generation, on a significant scale.