Question 3

There was a large-scale movement of labour from China, India and Java in the late
19th and early 20th centuries. Discuss the factors that encouraged the migration of
these groups of people to Malaya.
(30 marks)

In early 19th and 20th centuries Malaysia is one of leading country in Asia with strong
influence of investor from foreigner countries . Malaysia development in economy and
political is promising status that had encourage labours from China , India and Java to
migrate to Malaysia. There were some factors that led why the Chinese from China , Indians
from India and Malay from Java are interest to work as labour in Malaysia.

The Chinese settled in Malaysia since thousands of year before, living in cave at Gua Niah ,
Santubong and Kota Batu at Sarawak before enteries of Iban people from Kalimantan it had
been proved by Tom Harrison from his research. At 15th century, Chinese were staying at
Malacca there were about 2500 people on the year of 1750’s. And on the year of 1700’s
there are about 1000 people of Chinese were living at Johor Lama and mostly 3000 people
living at Penang has been founded. In the mid on 19th century there were more Chinese was
found at Perak Kelian Putih about 40,000 people and at Sungai Unjung nearly 10,000
Chinese people worked at tin mines . there were about 100,000 Chinese were living at
Johor. There were a huge number of Chinese lived at Johor. This was because of the
encouragement from Temenggung Ibrahim to tenor for development of agriculture. The
Chinese were given a letter called as ‘ Surat Sungai ‘ as a authority to Chinese leaders to
open their own farm according to river side’s. The Chinese leaders were known as ‘ Kangcu ’
as the leader of the river . Some of the Chinese people known as offspring from Hakka
people were brought to Sabah to work at tobacco farm. People of Hokien and Teochew
were involved in business and Cantonese people were lived at Sandakan Town, Kota
Kinabalu and Tawau. The migration of Chinese from China was less due to Japanese took
over China at World War Two. Most of the Chinese entered to Malaysia with a contract
system had by their respective agents. Eventually the system was eliminated because most
of the Chinese were started to migrate individually.

There were some reasons, why there were a huge move of Chinese people from China to
Malaysia and was not the only reason that their indeed to work at Malaysia. The were some
factors that led their migration to Malaysia. The main factors were distress of living in China
due to high population, a lot of natural disasters and limited natural resources. Following
with the instability of political at South China even is ruled by Manchu Dynasty at the time ,
some of the local people were against to Kingdom because Manchu rule is consider as
foreigners. Besides that Malaysia, was development in the wealth of tin and rubber industry.
So that, plenty of labours were needed to work. This is become one of the factor. The
migration process becomes very easy because the transportation system that they used was
steamships. The politics at Malaysia is very stable under the rule of British. This is one of the
causes to improve labour force when the tin and rubber prices shot up. And the
characteristic of Chinese people are well known as hardworking and like to travel.
The Indians had been traded in the ports at Malaysia since 2000 years ago. Most of Indians
were at Malacca and plays an important role in Islamic religious and business, this people to
be known to be from Gujerati . ‘ Chitty ’ is one of large community at Malaya , who from India
get married with the local Indian people . In the year 1860’s there were more Indians
founded at Penang , Sebarang Perai & Singapore were working in coffee and sugar cane
farms. There are 12,700 Indians in Singapore and at Penang , Sebarang Perai and Malacca
about 15,200 people founded in the year of 1865. The Indians labour are largely increased
when the rubber estate rapidly start to plant more rubber trees in most of places like in
Perak , Selangor , Negeri Sembilan and Johor. The Indians that migrate from India can be
categorize in 4 types groups. The 1st is the Indian that migrate is prisoner under the British
ruler they were placed to work at building ares as railway station , roads , bridge and
government buildings.The 2nd is the Indian labour brought to Malaysia with a contract
system known as ‘kangany system’ . In this system, labours are not tied with any contract
but they been burden to pay the own expense of bring them from India to Malaysia .The
were one million Indian lobours were brought to Malaysia through ‘kangany system’ before
on the year 1938 the system were banned . And the 3rd group also based a contract
system but much different with ‘kangany system’ . This sytem required the Indian labours to
work must 3 years time in Malaysia in agricultures sectors . Most the Indian migrate from
India are Tamil , Telugu , Malayali , Punjabi , Pakistan , and Sinhala people.

The reason why Indian were migrate to Malaysia is difficulties living in India as population
are so high. Many of the farmers have lost their farms due to natural disaster’s. And those
educated were very hard to get job vacancy, Besides of that the were caste problems and
cause lower caste to migrate to Malaysia. There are rapidly economic change in Malaya
when rubber price were shot up, follow with oil palm estate plant were huge open big
plantation cause need more labours. And other reason is the encouragement from British
government Indians to work in the plantation , construction and civil service. The Indians
were known has hardworking people even under the sunshine.

The Malays has to been known early indigenous population in Penisula Malaysia. Malays
(Malay: Melayu Jawi: ‫ )مليو‬are an ethnic group of Austronesian people predominantly
inhabiting the Malay Peninsula, including the southernmost parts of Thailand, the east coast
of Sumatra, the coast of Borneo, and the smaller islands which lie between these locations.
The Malay ethnic group is distinct from the concept of a Malay race, which encompasses a
wider group of people, including most of Indonesia and the Philippines. The Malay language
is a member of the Austronesian family of languages. In the 19th century them migration from
Indonsian archipelago was started. The Jawa people were known to have lied as
mecrchants in Malacca since the time of Malay Sultanate . They came in as contract and
free labour in the European and Chinese owned coffee and rubber plantation. There some
reason why Indonesian migrate to Malaysia. Poverty is one of the first reason why the
migaration happened. Due to increase populating caused variety of tax charges imposed by
the Dutch Colonialis. Political is not stable is the second reason that cause migration the
pressure on Indonesian from colonialists has hatred towards them. Some of the Indonesian
for instance those Bugis descent were skilled in the field of sailing and business. As such
they customarily travelled to other areas. Among the Minagkabau people on the other hand ,
their matrilineal family system was said to have passed on the concept of travelling among
the male members community. There were migration cause to family problems.