Around 1830s, Chinese people migrated from Sambas and Pontianak in Kalimantan to Gold mines in Bau, Sarawak. They are mostly Hakka people that worked in Bau, Kuching. In 1857, it is reported that around 4,000 Chinese people residing at Bau. They were not intending to cooperate with Brooke government while planning to overthrow James Brooke from his power on Sarawak when James Brooke intervene in their works. They attacked the capital city of Sarawak, Kuching on 18 February 1857 - Bau Revolt 1857 is triggered. However, after the revolt until the dead of James Brooke in 1868, there were many other Chinese people entered into Sarawak. It is because James Brooke realizes that Chinese people are not only miners, farmers and businessmen; there are also contributing to the government revenue through opium and gambling businesses.
In 1871, most of the businesses in Sarawak and Sago processing business are under control of the Chinese. In 1873, a Chamber Business Council is established in Kuching and the Chinese was the main group. However in 1878, Charles Brooke allocated a huge area to the Chinese in pepper plantation. The development indicates the Chinese people still play an importance role in Sarawak economy after the Bau Revolt.
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| Charles Brooke (1829-1917) |
The great migration of Chinese people to Sarawak started in the end of 19th century and early 20th century. Rajah Brooke especially Charles Brooke admired and felt confident with the diligent of Chinese people. He reckons that the Chinese will be able to contribute to the development of Sarawak. Therefore, he encouraged the migration of Chinese people to Sarawak. Charles Brooke has ever mentioned that "The Chinaman would be equal to the master, or whitman, if both worked fairly by sweat of his bow. Without these people a tropical country would remain undeveloped." Besides, he also mentions that "...intellectually the Chinese are our equals, are physically as strong, and I believe, as brave; with surprising industry, energy and activity in commercial enterprises..." Therefore, four groups of Chinese immigrants were introduced by the group migration scheme between 1898 to 1912 by Charles Brooke.
The first group that came to Kuching is Hakka people in 1898. It follows by three groups of Chinese people in Rejang area, Foochow people in 1901, Cantonese people in 1902 and Henghua people in 1912. Charles Brooke signed the agreements with leaders of the particular groups in order to bring the Chinese people to Rehang area for the exploration of farming lands. Besides the Chinese moved in in groups, there is another group of Chinese people that came by themselves to Sarawak to try their luck for a better life. There are Hakka, Foochow, Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Hainan, Henghua, Chaoan, Luichow, Southern Mandarin and Shanghainese.
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| Vyner Brooke (1874-1983) |
The migration of Chinese people in Sarawak continues by the era of Vyner Brooke. Like Charles Brooke, Vyner Brooke also believes that the Chinese people are needed in the economic development of Sarawak. Even in the mid of 1920s, he encouraged Foochow people to move to Baram, hoping that they will help up with the rubber plantations in that area. However, the migration policy is strengthen especially in the era of economy downturn in 1929 and 1931. Many Chinese people, especially those who are old and physically weak were sent back to Mainland China. The development causes the number of Chinese migrants out getting greater than migrants in to Sarawak. Yen, the situation changes around 1935, and the number of Chinese people moving in exceeded those who moved out.
Table 1 below indicates the Chinese people moved in and out of Kuching and Sibu between 1930-1937. In 1930, there are 9,329 men and 1,351 women moved out, compares to 5,399 men and 1,529 women moving in. In addition, in year 1931, number moving out was greater than number of moving in. There are 6,029 men and 1,564 women moving out compares to 3,155 men and 1,020 women moving out. This is because of the economic downturn. However, the situation changed in 1935, number of Chinese migrants moving in getting greater than number of moving out. In 1935, total of 5,170 Chinese migrants moving out and 8,830 were moving in to Kuching and Sibu. However, in 1936, there are 8,955 migrants moved in while 6,370 moved out. As many as 14,108 Chinese migrants moved in in 1937 compares to 6,982 moved out. This caused by the economy situation of Sarawak as a whole which recovering gradually and attracting many more Chinese people to come to that place.
Table 1 Chinese migrants moving in and out of Kuching and Sibu, 1930-1937
Sources: Sarawak Administration Report, Kuching, 1938, page. 52
The coming of Chinese people in Sarawak changed the demography of the state. Total Chinese people in Sarawak increased dramatically as it indicates in Table 2. In 1871, Sarawak residents amounted at 141,546 with 4,947 Chinese people or at 3.5%. This number increases dramatically and reached 10.8% or at 45,000 people above total 416,000 residents in Sarawak in 1909. Within the next 30 years, total Chinese people even increased to 123,626 people or 25.2% compared to 490,585 residents in Sarawak. Later, total number of Chinese grows to 145,158 people (26.6%) of totaled 546,385 Sarawak residents in 1947 and at 244,435 people (31.5%) of total 776,990 Sarawak residents in 1962.
Table 2: Total Chinese Residents in Sarawak, 1871-1962
Sources: Reports on Population Census 1960, Department of Statistic Malaysia (Sarawak Branch), page 11. See also Vernon L. Porritt, The Rise and Fall of Communism in Sarawak 1940-1990, Victoria, Australia: Monash University Press, 2004, page 2.
However, before 1941, Chinese people were not getting involved in Sarawak politics, conversely their main focus was on the economic opportunities. They were involved in various kind of economic activities; gold mining, rice plantation, vegetables, pepper and rubber, timber and businesses. During the reign of Brooke, Chinese people as migrants and did not give any promise of official role by in the government. In addition, the interest of Chinese people in politics only at the level of the development in Mainland China and not such unimportant thing like some changes in Sarawak. However, in order to protect the interest and welfare of their communities, Chinese people getting active in association activities and social.
Association activities of Chinese people started by the establishment of Kongsi. An influential Kongsi which known as Twelve Company or San-tiao Kou Kongsi was organized around 1830s when the gold mining activity started in Bau, Kuching. This Kongsi plays the role as a management body of affairs among Chinese people in Bau, especially in the mining industry. After the revolt in 1857, that Kongsi ended because the government punished their leaders and members. With that, it exists a blank in the society and that blank was filled by Chinese people by various social organizations like construction of temples, churches, schools and Chines associations.
Chinese people especially Hokkien build temples for worshipping the Gods and praying for protection by God from dangerous or disasters. Building temples also means to fulfill the spiritual needs of the Chinese when they first arrived in a new place. Besides that, temple also plays the role as a place for giving birth, funeral and marriage. By those occasions, it gives a chance for Chinese people to gather together and build up an intimate relationship. While other Chinese groups involved in building churches. Those who are Christians assume that Church is a place of unity and protection. They also need church as a place to be delighted and releasing stress when they encounter with difficulties in a new place.
Besides that, Chinese people also consider education of their children as an importance matter and schools were established by their own financial supports. Before WWII, Chinese people in Sarawak established schools based on their own dialect groups. In Kuching, for instance, Free Hokkien School is established in 1912 for Hokkien community, Min Tech School is established in 1916 for Teochew community, Yik Kuan School for Cantonese community in 1918, Kong Ming School for Kaying Hakka was build in 1921, Tai Tung School for Taipu Hakka community was build in 1936, Kheng Kiow School for Hainan community was established in 1922 and Chung Hua School for various dialect groups was build in 1937. Besides that, dialect schools in Sibu before war were established by Foochow people. Those schools are Chung Cheng School (1906) and Chung Hua School (1907). In Kanawit, there is also a dialect school, called Khi Ting Primary School for Foochow community which was build in 1919. While, Kai Wen School for Foochow community in Binatang was established in 1922 and Sze Mei School for Foochow community in Sarikei was build in 1925.
According to dialect and district origin, before 1940, few Chinese associations were established. Among them in Kuching, Kong-Wei-Shiu Association (1853), Hokkien Association (1871), Kheng Chew Association (1898), Teochew Association (1914), Foochow Association (1930), Hakka Association (1934) and Chao Ann (1936) were established. However in Sibu, there are Kwang Wai Siew Association (1915), Chiang Chuan Sibu Association (1933), Kheng Chiew Association (1935) Hui Hua Pou Sen Sibu Association (1938) and Hakka Association (1939). Those associations above were established by different districts in Sarawak before the World War II. The association acts as a place for them to gather and discuss about matters related to their communities while building intimate relationship among themselves.
Besides, in order to take care of the economy, Chinese people also established their own organization. Among them, Kongkek was build by Hocking and Teochew leaders as early as in 1876. Kongkek plays the role of managing planting matters of pepper and gambier. This organization also acts as the mediator between farmers and administrators of Brooke government. Other business entities which established in Sarawak are Chinese chamber of commerces. Chinese Chamber of commerces in Kuching were registered on 17 Mei 1930, in Sibu on 7 August 1930, in Baram on 1 May 1929 and in Miri on 9 May 1929, addition to that Hua Ming Business club in Sarikei on 30 May 1930. Before WWII, Chinese Chamber of Commerce served as the connector between Brooke government and Chinese businessmen.
Although Chinese people were not getting involved in Sarawak politics, in 1930s, Chinese people unified and concentrated on politic changes in China. In China, in 1930s, Japanese army conquering Manchuria and started a puppet government which called Manchukou, which at last triggered the China-Japan war in 1937. In this matter, Chinese people in Sarawak actively joined in distributing supports to oppose Japan. They established few organizations, giving financial supports to China to opposed Japan, boycotting Japanese made goods and sending representatives to observe the condition in China. Meanwhile, for the Chinese youths with high spirit preferred to go back to China and joined the army opposing Japanese together. By the China Relief Fund which founded in Kuching and Sibu, Chinese people organized fundraising events and cultural charity performances in order to collect funds for China opposing Japanese. For that, amount of $400,000 was collected and sent back to China through Singapore. However, the situation of Chinese people in Sarawak started to change following by the advance of Japanese army and later Japanese occupation through Sarawak.
(Translated from Ling, Ho Hui "Orang Cina dan Penglibatan dalam Politik di Negeri Sarawak, 1841-1963")
