|
Malaysian
Chinese
Malaysian Chinese (simplified Chinese: 马来西亚华人;
traditional Chinese:
馬來西亞華人; pinyin: Mǎláixīyà
Huárén) is a Malaysian of Chinese
origin. Most are descendants of
Chinesewho arrived between
the fifteenth and the mid-twentieth centuries. Within Malaysia,
they are usually simply referred to as "Chinese" in all languages.
The term Chinese Malaysian is also sometimes used to refer
to this community.
1.0 History
1.1 First Wave
The first wave of Chinese settlers came during
the Malacca Empire in the early
15th century. The friendly diplomatic relations between China and
Melaka culminated during the reign of Sultan Mansur Syah who married
Hang Li
Pofrom China. A senior minister of
state and five hundred youth of noble births and handmaidens in
waiting accompanied the princess to Malacca. [3] The
descendants of these people are called Baba (men) and Nyonya(women).
1.2 Second Wave
The second and much bigger wave of Chinese
immigrants came during the 19th century and early 20th century as
coolies. These immigrants
were running away from China due to the fighting of the Opium
Warin 1840. Their immigration to
Malaya was encouraged by the British who needed Chinese coolies to
work on their rubber plantations and tin mines. The immigrants came
as free labour or indentured labouron a
credit ticket system. Free labour meant they financed their own
journey with savings or loans from their kinsman. These groups of
early Chinese coolies are not surprisingly the most exploited by
their employers. They worked long hours to pay off the high
interest rates on credit ticket system.[4]
2.0 Origins
2.1The Min
Chinese "閩語/闽语"安部 form the largest Chinese group in Malaysia and they came
from Fujian, eastern Guangdong and Hainan provinces.
2.1.1 Min Nan people
A map of the primary
varieties of Min.
Mǐn or
Miin[1] (simplified Chinese: 闽语; traditional Chinese: 閩語;
pinyin: Mǐn yǔ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Bân gú; BUC: Mìng ngṳ̄) is the
name of a broad group of Chinese languages spoken by 60 million people in the
southeastern Chinese province of Fujian as well as by migrants from this province in
Guangdong (around Chaozhou-Swatou, or Chaoshan area, and the Leizhou peninsula), Hainan, three counties in southern Zhejiang, and Zhoushan archipelago off Ningbo, and some towns in Liyang and Jiangyin city in Jiangsu province, and Taiwan. There are many Min speakers also among
overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia as well as in New York City in the United States. The most widely spoken variety of Min
outside Fujian (the Min Province) is Hokkien, which includes Taiwanese and Amoy, amongst other dialects; while in Fujian, Min
Dong is considered the standard. The Min dialects preserve many of
the archaic pronunciations of Old Chinese.[2]
2.1.1.1 Hokkien
Chinese settlers from the southern regions of
Fujian constitute the largest group, and generally identified as
Hokkien. The bulk of Chinese settlers in Malaya before the 18th
century came from Amoy and Zhangzhou and settled
primarily in Penang and Malacca, where they formed
the bulk of the local
Chinesepopulace. More Hokkiens
settled in Malaya from the 19th century onwards, and dominated the
rubber plantation and financial sectors of the Malayan
economy.[5] The bulk of
Hokkien-speaking Chinese settled in the Malay
Peninsula and formed the largest
dialect group in many states, specifically in Penang, Malacca,
Kelantan, Terengganu,[6] Kedah and
Perlis.[7]In Malaysian
Borneo, the Hokkiens make up a sizeable proportion within the
Chinese community, and are primarily found in larger towns, notably
Kuching and Sibu.[8]
2.1.1.2 Teochew
Immigrants from the Chaoshan region began to
settle in Malaya in large numbers from the 18th century onwards,
mainly in Province Wellesley and
Kedah (mainly around
Kuala
Muda). These immigrants established
were chiefly responsible for setting up gambier and pepper plantation
industries in Malaya. More Teochews immigrated to Johor at the encouragement
of Temenggong Ibrahim in the
19th century, and many new towns were established and populated by
plantation workers from the Chaoshan region. The
Teochews constitute a substantial percentage within the Chinese
communities in Johor
Bahru[9] and
principal towns along the coasts of Western Johor (notably
Pontian, Muar and to a smaller
extent, Batu
Pahat) as well as selected hinterland
towns in the central regions of the state.[7] Many rural
communes in Sarawak and Sabahwere also populated by
the Teochews, many of them being descendants of plantation workers
which came to set up gambier and pepper plantations, following the administrative pattern of their countrymen in Johor.[10] Smaller
communities of Teochews can also be found in other states, notably
in Sabak
Bernam in Selangor, where many
Teochews settled down as rice agriculturalists,[7] as well as
in the hinterlands of Malacca.[11]
2.1.1.3 Hainanese
Chinese immigrants from Hainanbegan to migrate to
Malaya and North Borneo from the 19th century onwards, albeit in
much smaller numbers than the aforementioned speech groups. The
Hainanese were employed as cooks by wealthy Straits Chinese
families, while others were engaged in food catering business or
the fishery business and formed the largest dialect group in
Kemaman district of
Terengganu[12] and
Pulau
Ketam (Selangor) as well as
sizeable communities in Penang and Johor
Bahru.[13]Smaller
communities of Hainanese are also found in Sarawak and Sabah, where
they work as coffee shop owners and are mainly found in large towns
and cities.[14]
2.1.1.4 Hing Hua
The Henghua came from Putian. Their numbers were
much smaller than the other Min Chinese from Fujian and they were
mostly involved in the bicycle, motorcycle and automobile spare
parts industry.
2.1.1.5 Min Dong people
Settlers from Fuzhou 福州 (also known as
Hokchew or Foochow among the Hokkiens and Cantonese
respectively) and Fuqing福清 also came in
sizeable numbers during the 19th centuries and dominated the
corporate industry in the 20th century. They speak a distinct
dialect and are classified separately from the Hokkiens and a large
number are Christians. The Foochow formed the largest dialect group
in Sarawak–specifically in
areas around the Rajang
River,[15]namely in
the towns of Sibu, Sarikei and Bintangor. The Foochow also settled
in large numbers in a few towns in Peninsular Malaya, notably
Sitiawan in Perak and
Yong
Peng in Johor.[16]
2.2 Hakka
people
The Hakkas came from both Guangdong and Fujian
provinces. They form the second largest group of people after the
Hokkiens. Large numbers of Hakkasettled in the western
parts of Malaya and North Borneo and worked as miners in the 19th
century as valuable metals such as gold and tin were discovered.
Descendants of these miners formed the largest community among the
Chinese in Selangor[17] and very
large communities in Perak (specifically
Taiping and Ipoh),[18] Sarawak ,
Sabah and Negeri Sembilan.[19]As the gold
and tin mining industries declined in economic importance in the
20th century, many turned to the rubber industry, and large numbers
of Hakka settled in Kedah and Johor (principally in Kulai and Kluang).[20] In
Sabah, many Hakkas were
involved in agriculture. They cut down the forests to make way for
tobacco, rubber and coconut plantations. In time, the Hakka
community also dominated the state's industry and economy. However,
even today, many Sabahan Hakkas are still involved in agriculture,
especially those living in rural towns such as Tenom and Kudat where they are often
the backbone of the local industry.
2.3 Cantonese
people
The Cantonese mostly came from Guangdong province and a
minority from Guangxi province. They form
the third largest group of people after the Hakkas. They settled
down in Kuala
Lumpur of the Klang
Valley, Ipoh of the Kinta
Valley in Perak, Pahang as well as Seremban in Negeri Sembilan and
Sandakan of Sabah. They started the
development and turn these early settlement into principal towns.
Most of the early Cantonese worked as coolie laborers, engaged in
tin mining and rubber plantation. From the late 19th century
onwards as the tin mining industry declined in economic importance,
the Cantonese as well as other Malaysian Chinese gradually shifted
their focus to business and contribute much to the social and
economic development in Malaya.
3.0 Demographics
An early census of ethnic groups in the British
Malay states, conducted by the British in 1835, showed that ethnic
Chinese constituted 8 percent of the population and were mainly
found in the Straits Settlements, while
the Malays and Indians made up 88 percent and 4 percent of the
population respectively.[21]Malaya's
population quickly increased during the 19th and 20th centuries,
although the majority of Chinese immigrants were males rather than
females.[22]By 1921,
Malaya's population had swelled to nearly three million, and the
Chinese constituted 30 percent of Malaya's population while the
Malays constituted 54.7% of Malaya's population, whose growth was
fueled by immigrants from neighboring Indonesia(the Indians made
up most of the remainder). While the Chinese population was largely
transient, and many coolies returned to China on a frequent basis,
29 percent of the Chinese population were local born, most of whom
were the offspring of first-generation Chinese immigrants.[23]The British
government began to impose restrictions on migration during the
1930s, but the difference between the number of Chinese and Malays
continued to close up even after World War II. The 1947 census
indicated that the Malays constituted 49.5% of the population,
compared to the Chinese at 38.4%, out of a total population of 4.9
million.[24]
|
Malaysian Chinese historical
demographics (%)
|
| 1957 [25] |
1970 |
1980 |
1991 |
2000 [26] |
2010 [27][28] |
|
2,667,452 (45%)
|
3,564,400 (35%)
|
3,564,400 (33%)
|
4,623,900(31.7%)
|
5,691,900(25%)
|
6,390,900(24.6%)
|
3.1 By state &
territory
The 2000 Population and Housing Census Report
gives the following statistics (excluding non citizens) [29]:
|
State
|
Population
|
% of
Population
|
| Johor |
54,920
|
35.4%
|
| Kedah |
12,569
|
14.9%
|
| Kelantan |
2,575
|
3.8%
|
| Malacca |
22,392
|
29.1%
|
| Negeri Sembilan |
22,405
|
25.6%
|
| Pahang |
14,749
|
17.7%
|
| Perak |
61,175
|
32%
|
| Perlis |
992
|
10.3%
|
| Penang |
44,323
|
46.5%
|
| Sabah |
691,096
|
13.2%
|
| Sarawak |
852,198
|
26.7%
|
| Selangor (including Federal
Territory of Putrajaya) |
166,018
|
30.7%
|
| Terengganu |
2,641
|
0.3%
|
|
Federal
Territory
|
Population
|
% of
Population
|
| Kuala
Lumpur |
71,819
|
43.5%
|
3.2 States with large Chinese
population
As of 2008, the majority of Chinese people are
mainly concentrated in the west coast states of west Malaysia with
significant percentage of Chinese (30% and above) such as Penang,
Perak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor.
Areas with significant Chinese populations(40%
and above) for each state are:
Kuala Lumpur
Kepong, Cheras, Bukit Bintang, Old Klang Road, Sri
Petaling, Pudu,
Segambut.
Selangor
Subang Jaya/USJ, Puchong, SS2, Petaling Jaya, Damansara Jaya/Utama,
Bandar Utama, Serdang, Port Klang.
|
Year
|
Total
population
|
Malay
|
Percentage
|
Chinese
|
Percentage
|
| 1891[30] |
81,592 |
23,750 |
|
50,844 |
|
| 2011[31] |
5.46
Million |
|
|
1.45
Million |
29 % |
Penang
Penang island, Bukit Mertajam
|
Year
|
Total
population
|
Malay
|
Percentage
|
Chinese
|
Percentage
|
| 1812[32] |
26,107 |
9,854 |
37.7% |
7,558 |
28.9% |
| 1820 |
35,035 |
14,080 |
40.2% |
8,595 |
24.5% |
| 1860 |
124,772 |
71,723 |
57.4% |
36,222 |
29.0% |
| 1891 |
232,003 |
92,681 |
39.9% |
86.988 |
37.5% |
| 1970[33] |
775,000 |
247,000 |
30.6% |
436,000 |
56.3% |
| 1990[34] |
1,150,000 |
399,200 |
34.5% |
607,400 |
52.9% |
| 2005[35] |
1,511,000 |
624,000 |
41.3% |
650,000 |
43% |
Perak
Ipoh, Taiping, Batu Gajah, Sitiawan
|
Year
|
Total
population
|
Malay
|
Percentage
|
Chinese
|
Percentage
|
| 1891[36] |
|
|
|
94,345 |
44.0% |
| 1901[36] |
329,665 |
|
|
150,239 |
45.6% |
Johor
Johor Bahru, Kluang, Batu Pahat, Muar, Segamat
3.3 States with medium Chinese
population
These are states where the Chinese are a
significant minority (10% - 29.9%) such as Malacca, Negeri
Sembilan, Pahang, Sarawak and Sabah.
The major Chinese population areas (40% and
above) for each state are
Malacca
Malacca City
Negeri Sembilan
Seremban, Rasah
Pahang
Bentong, Raub, Mentakab, Kuantan
Sarawak
Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu, Miri, Sarikei, Sri Aman, Marudi, Lawas,
Mukah, Limbang, Kapit, Serian, Bau
Sabah
Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. Tawau, Kudat and scattered regions in
the south (most notably Beaufort and Keningau) also have small but
significant Chinese communities
5.0 Languages
A governmental statistic in 2000 classifies the
dialect affiliation of the ethnic Chinese in Malaysia:[37]
|
Dialect
|
|
| Southern Hokkien
(Minnan) |
1,848,211 |
| Hakka |
1,679,027 |
| Cantonese |
1,355,541 |
| Teochew |
974,573 |
| Mandarin |
958,467 |
| Hainanese |
380,781 |
| Min
Bei |
373,337 |
| Foochow |
249,413 |
Although their ancestral origin are different
but due to intermarriages between the different linguistic groups
and also due to regional influences, different regions are formed
each with its own defacto lingua franca to facilitate communication
between the different Chinese dialects in the same
region.
Furthermore, the younger generations have
generally lost command of their own subdialect (e.g. Hainanese,
Hing Hua) and prefer to speak the lingua franca in each
region.
5.1 Hokkien
In Sibu and Sitiawan, Fuzhou is widely
spoken but it is not a lingua franca.
5.2 Hakka
Hakka, specifically the
Huiyang (惠陽, Hakka: Fui Yong) variant, is the main Chinese dialect
in the East Malaysian state of Sabah. According to a census in
1991, 113000 Sabahans identified themselves as being of Hakka
descent. This is a clear majority over the Cantonese, of whom there
were 28000, making them a distant second.[39] This makes
Sabah the only state in Malaysia where Hakka is clearly the
predominant dialect among the local Chinese.
In other regions of Malaysia, there are
significant numbers of Hakka people, for example in the town of
Miriin Sarawak and in major
cities in Peninsular Malaysia. However, many do not speak Hakka due
to the stronger influence of Hokkien and Cantonese in Peninsular
Malaysia. The variants of Hakka most widely spoken in Malaysian
states other than Sabah are the Ho Poh and Moiyan (Meixian)
variants, which are very seldom spoken in Sabah
itself.
5.3 Cantonese
Cantonese is also the main dialect in Sandakan. The only district
dominated by Cantonese dialect in Johor is Mersing.
Many Chinese of other dialect subgroups are
able to understand and/or speak Cantonese at various levels due to
the influence of movies and television programs from Hong
Kong, which are aired on the
TVB channel through the
Astropay television
service. The Hakkas, especially, are able to pick up Cantonese with
ease due to the similarities between the Hakka and Cantonese
dialects.
5.4 Mandarin
Southern Peninsular Malaysia especially
Johor are predominantly
Mandarin speaking.
This is a result of influence from the Mandarin
dominant media from Singapore and proximity of Johor to Singapore.
Johor and parts of Malacca are able to receive Singapore's
free-to-air TV.
Many Chinese educated Malaysian Chinese
families have taken to speaking Mandarin with their children due to
the notion that other Chinese dialects are growing increasingly
redundant in an era where Mandarin is increasing in importance.
This has led to the emergence of a community of young Chinese who
are fluent in Mandarin but unable to speak their native Chinese
dialect, understand but do not speak it, or prefer not to speak it
in public.
Unlike Singapore which has a single medium of
instruction, not all families send their children to Chinese medium
schools so there still exists Malay or English educated Chinese who
don't know how to speak Mandarin. Morever, a significant percentage
of older generation regardless of education are more comfortable
speaking non Mandarin dialects.
6.0 Education of Malaysian
Chinese
Malaysian Chinese can be categorised to be
educated in 3 different streams of education i.e. English educated,
Chinese educated and Malay educated. This is due to the different
era and type of education offered mentioned below.
Public education in Malaysia is free. There are
two types of pre-tertiary schools in Malaysia—National schools (the
medium of instruction is the National language Malay) and
National-type schools (the medium of instruction is in either
Chinese or Tamil). In all schools, the National language is a
compulsory subject and English is taught as a second language.)
Malaysian Chinese citizens can therefore choose to attend either
Chinese or Malay medium schools.[40]
Most Bachelor's degree courses offered at
public universities are taught in the national language, that is,
Bahasa Malaysia, while post-graduates studies are usually conducted
in English. English is used as the primary medium of instruction at
most private higher educational institutions.[40]
About 90% of Malaysian Chinese children in
Malaysia today go to Mandarin-medium primary schools, while only a
small group of 10% or so attend Malay medium primary schools.
However, most Malaysian Chinese (more than 95%) switch to Malay
medium schools for their secondary education. The rationale behind
this is because Malay-medium secondary schools are free while
Mandarin-medium secondary schools are fee paying.[41]
The switch from Mandarin medium primary school
to Malay medium secondary school for the majority of Malaysian
Chinese has resulted in many school dropouts as students are unable
to cope with the difference in the medium of instruction. The
Malaysian Chinese Association(MCA) pointed out an estimated 25% of Chinese students dropout
before reaching the age of 18; the annual dropout rate is estimated
to be over 100,000 and worsening. Certain dropouts become
apprentices in workshops, picking up skills like plumbing or
motor-repair. Others eager to make a quick buck find themselves
involved in illicit trades, such as peddling pirated DVDs or
collecting debts for loan sharks.[41]
An older group of Malaysian Chinese who
attended school before the 1970s when Malaysia was still a
British
colonyare English educated as
national schools in Malaysia then used English as the medium of
instruction. English-medium teaching was phased out of Malaysian
schools by the 1970s and all national schools used Malay as the
medium of instruction.[42]
In 2003 to 2011, the Malaysian government
introduced an experimental policy of using English as the language
of instruction for Science and Mathematics. The policy did
not turn out well as only 8% of teachers were using English
exclusively in classes while the use of Bahasa Melayu was still
common and schools could not find enough staff who could teach in
English. In March 2009, 5,000 ethnic Malays who took to the streets
to voice their opposition to the policy and in July, the education
minister announced that the medium of instruction for Science and Mathematics would revert
back to Bahasa Melayu starting from 2012.[42]
7.0 Name Format
7.1 Non Mandarin
Before Mandarin gained popularity among
Malaysian Chinese in the late 20th century, Malaysian Chinese
romanised their names according to the pronunciation of their
Chinese names in their respective original dialect.
E.g.:
7.2 Mandarin
The younger generations tend to retain the
original dialect for the surname while using Mandarin pronunciation
and romanisation for the given name. E.g.:
Male: Chan Yung Choong 陈永聪 (Surname: Cantonese,
Given name: Mandarin)
In recent years, it has become increasingly
common for given names to be romanised according to the Pinyin
system. E.g.:
Female: Wee Xiao Wen 黄小雯 (Surname:
Hokkien/Hokchiu, Given name: Mandarin, according to Pinyin
romanisation)
7.3 English
Some Chinese will adopt an English nickname for the convenience of
Westerners e.g.
7.4 Muslim
Those who marry Muslims and converted into Muslim will have a
Muslim name in front e.g.
Tan Yew Leong, Abdullah[43] commonly
written as Abdullah Tan
8.0 Religion
A majority of the Chinese in Malaysia claim to
be Buddhist or Taoist, though the lines
between them are often blurred and, typically, a syncretic Chinese
religion incorporating elements of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and
traditional ancestor-worshipis
practised, with the fact that each individual follows it in varying
degrees. Thus, Chinese Buddhism is traditionally embraced by the
Chinese which is brought over from China and handed down over the
generations of Malaysian Chinese born in Malaysia.
About 9.6% are Christian (Mainstream
Protestants, Catholics and other
denominations including a fast-growing number of Evangelicals and Charismatics). This is
largely due to the influences of Western educated Malaysian Chinese
who went overseas either for studies or work.
A small number (0.7%) profess Islam as their faith due mostly to
the compulsory conversion to Islam should a Chinese marry a Muslim
in Malaysia.
9.0 Intermarriage
The Chinese in Malaysia maintain a distinct
communal identity and rarely intermarry with native Muslim Malaysfor religious and
cultural reasons. According to Muslim Laws, the Chinese partner
would be required by law to renounce their religion and adopt the
Muslim religion. Most Malaysian Chinese consider their being
"Chinese" at once an ethnic, cultural and political
identity.
However, there are many who have intermarried
with Malaysian Indians, who are
predominantly Hindu. The children of such
marriages are known as Chindians.[44] Chindians
tend to speak English as their mother tongue.
In the Bornean states of Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysians of
mixed Chinese-Native parentage ('native' referring to the
indigenous tribes in those states, e.g. Iban and Melanau in Sarawak
as well as Kadazan and Murut in Sabah) are referred to as "'Sino'"
(e.g. Sino-Iban, Sino-Kadazan). Depending entirely on their
upbringing, they are either brought up to follow native customs or
Chinese traditions. A small minority forgo both native and Chinese
traditions, instead opting for a sort of cultural anonymity by
speaking only English and/or Malay and not practicing both Chinese
and tribal customs.
10.0 Food
Malaysian Chinese eat all types of food which
includes Chinese, Indian, Malay and Western cuisines. Some
Malaysian Chinese are vegetarians, as they may be devoted followers
of Buddhism, while others do not consume beef, especially those
worshipping the Goddess of Mercy (Guan Yin). Malaysian Chinese food
contains similarities and differences with the Chinese food in
China.
10.1 China
10.2 Local
However, there are local inventions such as Loh
Mee 滷麵, thick noodle in clear gravy found only in the Klang Valley
and dark gravy in Penang. Bak Kut Teh 肉骨茶 originated from Klang and
not China.[45] Influences
from the spicy Malay
cuisine can be found in local
inventions such as Curry Mee, Curry Chicken and Chili Crab. The
influence from the Peranakan cuisine can be
found in dishes such as Laksa and Mee Siam.
11.0 Culture
There exist some degrees of differences in the
Malaysian Chinese culture compared to that of China. Some traditional
festivals celebrated by the Chinese community in Malaysia are no
longer celebrated in China after the Chinese Cultural Revolution. This
is especially true of regional rites and rituals that are still
celebrated by the Malaysian descendants of the peasant migrants from
China. Some have attributed the traditional practices of Malaysian
Chinese to "a little backwater of Chinese culture as it was in
China 80 years ago".[46]
12.0 Socio-economic position within
Malaysia
12.1 Economic status
Malaysian Chinese have the highest household
income among the 3 ethnic groups in Malaysia. According to Sulaiman
Mahbob, as of December 2007, the monthly average household income
was at 4,437 ringgit [47]
Malaysian Chinese are dominant in both business
and commerce sectors in Malaysia.[48] As a
result, they are the biggest taxpayers among all ethnic groups in
the country.[49] They
contribute almost 90 percent of the country's income tax.[50]
12.2 Non bumiputera
Article 153 of the Constitution of
Malaysiagrants the Yang di-Pertuan
Agong (King of Malaysia) responsibility for “safeguard[ing] the
special position of the ‘Malays’and natives of any of the States of
Sabah and Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other
communities” and goes on to specify ways to do this, such as
establishing quotas for entry into the civil service, public
scholarships and public education.[51]
Malaysian Chinese along with Malaysian Indians are
considered "non bumiputera" and hence do not enjoy these
concessions.
13.0 Prominent Malaysian
Chinese
13.1 Artists
13.1.1 Film
Amber
Chia (谢丽萍) - International model and
actress
Carrie Lee Sze Kei(李詩琪) -
International Actress / Host; Miss Chinese Cosmos International
2004/05 Champion [ Phoenix TV Hong Kong ]
Chen Han
Wei - leading television actor in
Singapore; has won Best TV Actor twice
Christopher Lee - leading
television actor in Singapore; has also acted in joint
China-Taiwan-HK-Singapore productions
Ling
Tan (Tan Mang Ling) - International
model
Phyllis
Quek - television actress who has
acted in Singapore, Taiwan and China drama serials
Tan Chui
Mui - film director, has won an award
in Pusan Film Festival 2006.
Vivien Yeo (楊秀惠) -
television actress who has acted in Hong Kong movies and
serials
13.1.2 Fine arts
Yong Mun
Sen, 杨曼生 - (1896–1962) Kuching born
Penangite watercolorist and Malaysian artist.The Father of
Malaysian Painting. One of the founder of Nanyang Acadeny of Fine
Arts or NAFA, Singapore, Penang Art Society. [1]
C. N.
Liew - K.L. born Malaysian artist who
took the traditional artform of Calligraphy to a whole new
dimension with his creation of Surrealligraphy.
13.1.3 Popular music
Ah
Niu (Tan Kheng Seong, 阿牛/陈庆祥) -
singer
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