Commentary: What does it mean that more non-Chinese Malaysians are learning Mandarin?

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KUALA LUMPUR: On the eve of Malaysia’s 67th Independence Day, Malaysian Chinese YouTuber Wabikong released a game-show video entitled Guess the Real Chinese ( Malay Version ) to wide acclaim. &nbsp,

In the movie, a blind host guessed which one of the five Mandarin-speaking members was a Malay Chinese. The four Asian participants demonstrated fluency in Mandarin and a breadth of cultural awareness of jargon and eateries that matched those of a native speaker. As a result, the visitor consistently failed, eliminating the single Malaysian Chinese participant first. &nbsp,

As of November 2024, this movie and its forerunner, in which the player attempted to select the only Indonesian Chinese among generally Indian participants, received over 50 000 views.

More non-Chinese Malaysians appear to be adopting the Chinese language.

Anecdotal evidence suggests a increase, particularly among Malays, despite the lack of formal data on non-Chinese Mandarin loudspeakers in Malaysia. Organizations of Chinese language areas, like Fasih Mandarin in Malay-majority Kuantan, Pahang, have boomed. Political figures like former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin and members of the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia ( PAS ) have embraced the language, influencing and reflecting on a broader trend.

The non-Chinese student enrolment in Chinese language primary schools ( Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina, or SJKC), a dependable but imperfect proxy, is a reliable but imperfect proxy. &nbsp,

The non-Chinese attendance in SJKCs soared from 17, 309 in 1989 to 101, 011 in 2020: A 484 per cent increase in three years. This means that non-Chinese students today make up one-fifth of SJKC individuals.

According to the statistics, Malays make up about 15.3 % of the entire student body in SJKCs. This is important for Malaysia’s Malay-Chinese tribal relations, as it primarily represents early-stage contact between huge groups in an increasingly combined setting that was usually more homogenous. &nbsp,

For example, in 2010, Malays made up 94 per cent of federal college students ( where Malay is the primary method of teaching ) and Chinese, 88 per cent of SJKC attendance. This is crucial because first acculturation interactions and friendships have been shown to lessen discrimination and foster positive ingroup attitudes.