CHINESE education in Malaysia has a rich history worth exploring.
Recognising its significance, a research team from Universiti Malaya (UM) is delving into the century-old history of Chinese education in Melaka.
Their efforts recently received a boost with an RM10,000 research grant from United Malacca Berhad (UMB).
At the mock cheque presentation, UMB chairperson Datin Paduka Tan Siok Choo recalled the interest her grandfather, the late Malaysian statesman Tun Tan Cheng Lock of Melaka, had shown in education in Malaya, including Chinese education, as reflected in his speeches in the Straits Settlements Legislative Council and his role in setting up the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) Chinese Education Central Committee.
She expressed hope that more academics, particularly research students, would study the lesser-known aspects of Cheng Lock’s life beyond his pivotal role as MCA founder and his collaboration with Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj and other leaders in securing Malaya’s independence.
She also noted that Cheng Hoon Teng Temple in Melaka – the oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia, where Cheng Lock served as a trustee and worked tirelessly to enact the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple Incorporation Ordinance in September 1949, making it the first and only temple in Malaysia protected by legislation – remains under-researched.
Among the other areas Siok Choo highlighted as offering rich research potential were the Malaysian rubber industry and the banking and finance sector, in which Chinese communities were early participants.
Siok Choo further reflected on Melaka’s development potential beyond tourism, calling for broader avenues of economic and cultural innovation.
“The dialogue with Datin Paduka Tan offered the UM team valuable insights into Malaysia’s social and economic history, as well as inspiration for ongoing research,” a Nov 4 press release from the varsity read.
Expressing appreciation for UMB’s support, UM Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Department of Chinese Studies principal investigator Dr Florence Kuek, who leads the funded project, said: “This partnership not only strengthens our research capacity but also ensures that the legacy of Malaysia’s multicultural and educational heritage continues to be studied, documented and remembered.”
Working with Kuek are Dr Yeoh Yin Yin and Dr Lee Kean Yew as co-researchers, and Chong Zi Tong as research assistant.
The presentation ceremony was held at UMB’s Kuala Lumpur office, with chief executive officer Young Lee Chern and Plantation Controller (Peninsular) Low Fook Sin also in attendance.
