ASPEK YANG MENGHUBUNGKAN ORANG CINA DI TANAH MELAYU DENGAN NEGARA CHINA, 1850-2000

ASPECTS THAT SHAPE THE RELATIONSHIP OF ETHNIC CHINESE IN MALAYA WITH CHINA, 1850-2000

Abstract

ABSTRAK

Hubungan antara Tanah Melayu (kini Malaysia) dengan negara China, lazimnya dihubungkan dengan aspek-aspek ekonomi dan perdagangan. Hal ini termasuklah hubungan antara orang Cina dengan negara China. Walau bagaimanapun, dari sudut sejarah, hubungan Tanah Melayu dengan China terutamanya melibatkan orang Cina mempunyai pelbagai aspek yang kompleks. Kajian ini akan menggunakan metodologi penelitian teks-teks penulisan sejarah termasuklah dokumentari, sumber kolonial, buku, dan kajian akademik di dalam jurnal bagi memahami hubungan yang kompleks ini. Kajian ini mendapati hubungan orang Cina dan China di Tanah Melayu sejak 1850 hingga 1940-an banyak dipengaruhi ideologi dan unsur politik. Terdapat juga peranan yang dimainkan oleh tokoh-tokoh politik dan perniagaan dalam kalangan orang Cina di Tanah Melayu yang membantu hubungan diplomatik rasmi antara Malaysia dan negara China pada tahun 1974. Aspek-aspek lain yang dikenal pasti ialah identiti kecinaan melalui pendidikan, bahasa, identiti, keluarga, dan asal usul keturunan yang terus menghubungkan orang Cina di Malaysia dengan negara China hingga tahun 2000.

Kata kunci: Orang Cina; migrasi; Tanah Melayu; hubungan diplomatik Malaysia-China

ABSTRACT

The relationship between Malaya, which eventually formed Malaysia, and China is often analyzed primarily through an economic lens. This analysis frequently focuses on the ethnic Chinese population residing in Malaya, who are commonly perceived as economic migrants prior to independence. While this economic perspective holds merit, it fails to encapsulate the entirety of a relationship that has been far more intricate throughout history. This study employs a historical review as its primary methodology, analyzing a range of sources including colonial records, books, past studies, and academic writings to gain a deeper understanding of this complex relationship. The findings reveal that the relationship between the ethnic Chinese in Malaya and China from 1850 to 1940 was significantly shaped by various ideologies and political determinants. Following independence, the study indicates that local Chinese in Malaysia played a crucial, albeit behind-the-scenes, role in facilitating the establishment of diplomatic relations with China in 1974. Additional factors that invigorate the relationship between local Chinese and China include aspects of Chinese identity, such as education, language, family ties, and lineage. Collectively, these elements have continued to influence the relationship between local Chinese in Malaysia and China up until the year 2000.

Keywords: Ethnic Chinese; Migration; Malaya; Malaysia-China diplomatic relation