Malaysia & Singapore Chinese: Don't Suppress Your Own Languages

This is a plea to the Chinese of Malaysia and Singapore, and in particular to the Chinese schools in this region: by all means, teach Mandarin, but not at the expense of suppressing the use of other Chinese languages and dialects. Give the languages and dialects a chance to survive.

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[learnpenanghokkien]

Leave a comment. Share a thought on this matter. I look forward to hearing from you.

[etloo]

In mid 1980s and 1990s I get lots of slander from Mandarin speakers for speaking Hokkien in Melaka and by Singaporeans.

[sususegar]

I call this the CCPification of Chinese-ed Malaysians and Singaporeans. It's unfortunate that the changes in central Peninsular Malaysia, mainly Klang Valley, Ipoh and Seremban/PD, over the last couple of decades has been highly influenced by the developments in China especially now with all these XHS and Douyin. While there are the over-Westernised ones on one end, there are Chinese-eds who are on the other extreme of the spectrum. But believe it or not, I've been ask by a PRC if Malaysia can be their "surrogate country", a vessel state. That's how little they think of us - he was just daring enough to ask me what others think of but don't say.

As a KL born and bred, Cantonese has always been the ligua franca while growing up in the 90s. Both sides of my family are Hakka, I know schoolmates who spoke Hokkien at home but we all learned and spoke Cantonese through not only TV and movies, but from each other and from strangers like the chicken rice seller or the aunty at the sundry shop. Nowadays, every Chinese-ed person below 30 will automatically speak Mandarin and when you reply in Cantonese, they'll answer you English instead, or even worse in broken Malay because they can't even speak English. We are the real Chinese, unaffected by direct political revolution and appropriation which included the language yellow-washing, we should be ourselves and not be follow them.

[lionelproctor]

I find it quite bizarre how many Malaysians of Southern Chinese descent are abandoning Hokkien, Teochew, Hainanese, etc. and considering Mandarin to be their "mother tongue". Us Malaysians of Southern Indian descent would never dream of ditching Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, etc. in favour of Hindi. Nevertheless, I can see a parallel between the glorification of Mandarin by the Malaysian Chinese with the worship of English by the Malaysian Indians.

[Brisamars-qc]

What a cute sepia picture on the cover...I think I spotted you in there! We totally agree with your plea. Mandarin was the language of the Manchu Court duly imposed on 1.4 billion people today. We are not a vassal state of CN, we are simply "civilisational Chinese" of Malaysia in South East Asia. Let's speak Hokkien, our true heritage.

[anyanyanyanyanyany]

In Indonesia, the problem is quite the opposite. It's mostly that Indonesian 中华人 could no longer learn and speak Mandarin as Chinese culture was suppressed during the Suharto's New Order regime from 1965 onwards until 1998. As a result, Hokkien - as well as Cantonese and other Southern languages - remained an entirely oral language which is at risk of extinction due to the lack of standardization and the eagerness to use Indonesian/Malay loanwords in the most liberal fashion. Even in Java island, I think 中华人 don't even speak a word of Hokkien anymore, though some would still be able to speak Mandarin.

The problem is very pronounced especially for the younger generation where English and Mandarin, in addition to Bahasa Indonesia, dominates the business, social, and cultural environment. I find that the elderly, who can actually pass down most of the Hokkien tradition, simply do not do so or refuse outright because of their age or their temperament. This leaves the younger generation at a loss on who to look up to for guidance. Sadly, in Medan and elsewhere, I have yet to see anyone who is intent on preserving Hokkien, especially Medan Hokkien, for future generations.

[athuatang]

Thanks for bringing the preservation of Chinese languages (dialect) and Mandarin language, which is i support for your video (your point), i am from Việt Nam with teochew heritage live in Australia now. ❤

[anakitiktokwi]

Aiyo imagine malaysia with only mandarin spoken by malaysia Chinese? If you go to johor bahru that what is happening now😢... I hope you dont forget about Chinese name in malaysia nowadays!!!! Most of younger generation of malaysian Chinese nowadays are in mandarin!!!

[CHZheng-bq]

The Hokkien association should conduct Hokkien language classes for the Hokkiens! Likewise for other languages!

[dmchld]

I have found Mandarin speakers struggle with Cantonese, but Cantonese speakers general can speak/understand Mandarin.

[veritastangg]

Many Chinese in Msia & Spore discard their mother tongue languages because they want to appear to be "patriotic" to Communist China. That is the wrong idea of patriotism. China, in its more than 2, 000 year history, is more than just Mandarin ; it is also Hokkien, Cantonese, etc. Losing these "dialects" would mean losing a big chunk of Chinese history & culture, & a disaster. Knowing the past helps us define the future, as Confucius said. The communists in China are keen to wipe out the past, & rewrite history, because their Marxist ideology urges them to do so.

[cktange]

I support your idea to preserve or revive our native Chinese languages as I champion for it too. But I always heard this argument: "The real culprit is 'English' and not Mandarin. Many ethnic Chinese families choose 'English' rather than their own 'dialects' as the language spoken at home is the main cause." How do we respond to this argument?

[frederickastarr]

Thank you, Timothy. I wish you success with your advocacy, you're wonderful. Stay well as always.

[yasminejade]

When non-chinese learn mandarin, they end up learning an extra language
When chinese learn mandarin, they end up losing their own mother language(s). funny

[quireyuyue]

I have ppl asking my husband why we teach our son Cantonese. We should be teaching him mandarin so that it will be easier for him to learn Chinese when he start schooling and he will automatically learn Cantonese in the future. At that time i really want to laugh at his face and say no thank you. Looking at the declining numbers of Cantonese speakers, it in itself already told us that if a language is not being used, it will slowly

[sonnymak]

I only speak Mandarin in places where Cantonese not lingua Franca that also I will start with Hokkien . Wah beh hiau kong Hokkien. Eh sai kong Hua ee ber?

[Brisamars-qc]

The naive Communists of the Mao era wiped out Chinese culture with their "4 modernisations". We are the inheritors of Tang culture and the Teng Lang. I can go on and on about their cultural crimes (again Mao-era only) like destroying the Ming Dynasty Beijing city wall, allowing the pillage of the Qing tombs (Qianlong, Cixi), the destruction of classical temples and courtyard homes of landlords (Cultural Revolution is also known as the Chinese Holocaust), etc. someone in China has compiled a long list of the cultural genocide of China, extending to local languages. Every time they have social and political unrest, they wantonly destroy their heritage. What a fragile society. Just my observations.

[yasminejade]

sometimes we hear: learn mandarin is better, more worth it!

As the malay proverb goes: BAHASA JIWA BANGSA (language is the soul of a people). Not only the malay people, I think no any ethnic races in the world will throw away their mother tongues.

Except chinese who always boast of 5000 years of culture, yet they are throwing away their 1500+ year-plus mother tongues (Hokkien/Cantonese/Hakka) for modern standard mandarin which only has at most 100 year history.

We learn our mother tongue because it is our DUTY, pride, not because it is "more worth it" or not. If we use "more worth it", then many languages in the world, including Mandarin, will need to be eliminated. Only one language is necessary to exist: ENGLISH

[anakitiktokwi]

As a malay who dont speak any Chinese, i always paying attention to any chinese speaking chinese 😂😂 whether they're speaking non mandarin or not😂😂😂