Do Penang Chinese remember where they come from?

Penang-eh3 Tng3 Lang2 e33ki3 iyang1 ta1lok1 lai2 eh2 boh2?

Hua2yu3 si3 cit1-leh3 cin3 yau1kin4 eh3 wa3. Ka1liau1 lang2 eng3kai1 ok1. "Ka1liau1 lange" i1su3 si3 kong4, mm3 si3 ka1nia3 Ma1lai3si1a1-eh3 Tng3 Lang2, ta3pi1, si3 ka1liau1 lang2.

Cna3hnui1 wah1 tiok3 chuak3 eng3goay33 lang3 kong4 hor4 wah1 thnia1 kong4, see1-leh3 te3-it1 tua3 eh3 Hokkien-eh3 kong3hoay3 khui3hoay3 yong3 Hokkien wa3 kah1 Ang3mor3 wa3. Boh3 yong3 Hua2yu3 meh4? Co1mik1 su3 boh3 yong3 Hua2yu3? Wah1 be3 ciap1siu3, cit1-hang1 mi3knia3 a1nae1 Tng3 Lang2 eh2 boh3 yong3 Hua2yu3. Wah1 cit1thau3 kha1 tien3wa3 Mr Cheah ti1 Khoo Kongsi mui3 ie1. Ie1 kai1sek3 hor3 wah1 thnia1. Wah1 thnia1 tiok1 liau4, wah1 beng3pek1. Wah1 beng3pek1 kau3ka1 wah1-eh3 bat3iu2 lau2 chut3 lai2.

Lu1 e33ki3 boh2? Lu1 e33ki3 lu1 ta1lok1 lai2 eh2 boh2?

Tng3 Snua1 khan3khor4 eh3 si2, lu1-eh3 cor1kong1 cau4 chut3 lai2. Hor3 ie1lang2, cui33-cui33 cau4 chut3 lai2, si3 boh3 tharn1 tnui1 Tng3 Snua1 liau4. A3si3 lu4 chut3 lai2, lu1 si3 bo2 liau4. Mm3thang3 sniau3 lu1 au3koay4 lu1 boek1 pae2 tnui4 lai2.

Lu1-eh3 cor1kong1 kew2 Ang3mor2 hor3 ie1lang2 tua3 Pi3nang3 Su3. Ang3mor2 ciap1siu3 ie1lang2, hor3 ie1lang2 ki3hoay3 tharn1 cuan1ciak1 ti1 cit1-peng2. Heh1-leh1 jit1 khi4, Hokkien Lang2 lai3 Pi3nang3 Su3 tua3. Ie1lang2 khoh1 si3 kong4, khoh1 si3 sia4 Hokkien wa3, ta3pi4 ie1lang2 tun1 ok3 Ang3mor3 wa3, eng3goay33 ie1lang2 cai1 kong4, tua3 Ang3mor2-eh3 pho1, tiok3 toay3 Ang3mor2-eh3 lor3. Khah1 ban3 liau3 eh3 si2, kokh1 kah1 ce3 Tng3 Lang2 lai3 Pi1nang3 Su3 tua3. Heh1-leh1 si2 tun4, Hokkien wa3 pien3 co1 Pi3nang3 Su3 phor1thong1 yong3 eh3 wa3. Boh3 kuan4 lu1 si3 Kong1 Hu1 Lang2, Khek1 Lang2 a3si3 Teo3chew3 Lang2, a3si3 lu1 si3 Tng3 Lang2 lai3 Penang tua3, lu1 kong1 Hokkien wa3, mien1 kong1 khah1 kae1 liau4. Hua2yu3 ni4? Boh3 lang3 kong4.

Hokkien Lang2-eh3 bat3ciu1 khnua3, Ang3mor2 hor3 ie1lang2 cit1-leh3 sin3 eh3 snaeh1mia3, ie1lang3 cin3cnia1 kam1siah3. Ti1 Pi3nang3 Su3, Tng3 Lang2 tua3 ka1 pa3-leh3 bang3sa1, uh3 Huan3na4, uh3 Ke1ling3na4, boh3 boon3tay2.

Ti1 te3-cap3-kau1-pak1-ni2-eh3 boay4 eh3 si2, cin3 ce3 Tng3 Snua3 Lang2 lai3 Penang tua3. Ie1lang2 si3 kio3 co1 Sin3khek3. Ie1lang2-eh3 sniau3 boh3 siang3ka1 Huan3peng3 Lang2-eh3 sniau3. Ie1lang2 si3 boek1 tharn1 lui1 liau4, khiok1 lui1 tnui1 Tng3 Snua1. Ie1lang2 a1nae1 ce3 khien4 kau3ka1 ie1lang2 khah1 ce3 goay3 Lau33khek3 gok3. Ta3pi1, cui33-cui33 lai3 cit1-peng2 tua3 tiok3 boek1 toay3 cit1-peng2-eh3 lor3, sor1yee4 ie1lang2 tun1 tiok3 boek1 ok3 kong4 Penang-eh3 Hokkien wa3.

Hokkien Lang2 khui3 ok3tng2 eh3 si2, si3 yong3 Hokkien wa3 kah3. Gin1na4 ok3 kong4, ok3 sia4 yong3 Hokkien wa3. Tua3 ti1 te3-jee33-cap3-pak1-ni2-eh3 thau2 ba1lu1 kui3 Teong3 Kok3 wna3 khee1 yong3 phor1thong3wa3. Tua3 cit1-peng2, Sin3khek3 khah1 ce3 goay3 Lau33khek3. Ie1lang2 tun1 wna3 khee1 yong3 phor1thong3wa3, kio3 co1 Hua2yu3.

Hokkien Lang2 eh3 sniau3 si3: cit1-leh1 sor1cai3 si3 wah1lang2 khui1 hor3 lu1lang2 lai2. A3si3 boh3 wah1lang2, tok3si3 boh3 lu1lang2. cui33-cui33 lang2 kna1si4 mui3, ha1mik1 su3 Hokkien-eh3 kong3hoay3 yong3 Hokkien wa3 kah1 Ang3mor3 wa3 ti1 ie1lang2-eh3 khui3hoay3, boh3 yong3 Hua3yu3, tiok1 boek1 ka3ki3 tap3: co1mik1 su3 lu1 tua3 Penang be3hiau1 yong3 Hokkien wa3 kah1 Ang3mor3 wa3. Lu4 be3ki3 lu3 ta1lok1 lai2, lu4 cin3 boh3 hau3!

cui33-cui33 lang2 gim3 Hua3yu3 an3-an1 eh2, e33ki3 cit1-leh1: Tng3 Lang2 tua3 ti1 Huan3 Peng2 hor3 lang3 phak3, Teong3 Kok3 uh3 bat1 kong4 boh2: "Theng2, theng2! Cit1-leh1 si3 wah1lang2-eh3 lang2, lu1 mm3thang3 tong3."

Wah1 co1 Sin1ning3 Lang2, wah4 beng3pek1 Hokkien Lang2-eh3 sim1, khnua3 tha1na1-eh3 gin1na4 khee1 ok1tng2 ok3 Hua2yu3 liau4 tnui4 lai2 khnua1 be3 khi4 chu1lai3 yong3 eh3 wa3. Khah1 si4 tok3si3, tha1na1 ni4, Tng3 Lang2 pien3 khah1 Tng3 Lang2, Huan3na4 pien3 khah1 Huan3na4, ka1liau1 lang2 khiu4 khui1, be3ki3 liau4 ha1ku4 si3 an1cnua4. Cin3cnia1 kek1sim1 khnua3 tha1na1 eh3 gin1na1 lang2 be3ki3 liau4 ie1lang2 ta1lok1 lai2.

Hua2yu3 si3 cit1-leh3 cin3 yau1kin4 eh3 wa3. Ka1liau1 lang2 eng3kai1 ok1. Ta1pi1, ok3 Hua2yu3 mm3 si3 kong4 lu1 eng3kai1 be3ki3 lu1 ka3ki3 eh3 wa3.

Do Penang Chinese remember where they come from?

Mandarin is a very important language. Everybody who has the chance ought to learn it. And when I say "everybody", I don't mean the Chinese in Malaysia; I mean everybody.

Yesterday I was incredibly astonished to learn that proceedings at four of the five main Hokkien clan associations are conducted in Hokkien and English. Not Mandarin. Why not Mandarin? How can something so Chinese not be conducted in Mandarin? I was aghast. I had to get the confirmation "from the horse's mouth", so to speak. After Mr Cheah, the supervisor of tourism for Khoo Kongsi, explained it to me, I understood. I understood plenty, and suddenly my tears well up.

Have you forgotten the deal? Do you remember where you come from?

Our forefathers fled China at a time of great crisis. They burned their bridges. As far as they're concerned, there was no tnui1 Tng3 Snua1 for them. The moment they chose to leave, they are history. As far as China is concerned, they do not exist anymore*, and they would never be welcomed if they came crawling back like prodigal sons.

Our forefathers besought the British to allow them to settle on Penang Island and begin a new life here. The chance to resettle brought with it a new deal. While they continue to speak and write Hokkien, they also learned English, and made themselves a useful, integral part of the society that the British has established. By the time subsequent waves of immigrants arrive from China, they have already established Hokkien as the spoken language in Penang. Regardless if you're Cantonese or Hakka or Teochew or whatever, if you're a Chinese in Penang, you speak Hokkien, period. Mandarin is unheard of.

As far as the Hokkien is concerned, the British gave them a new lease on life, and they are eternally grateful. So it was that the Hokkien could acculturate themselves to the local society, absorbing local culture and make it their own. For generations, the Chinese lived harmoniously with the Malays, Indians and other communities.

Then, from the late 19th century, a new influx of immigrants swept into Penang. They are the Sin3khek3. They think differently. They mission was to make it big and then tnui1 Tng3 Snua1. They are so numerous that they quickly outnumbered the Lau33khek3. However, he who enters Rome has to do as the Romans do, and so the Sin3khek3 also had to learn Penang Hokkien.

When the Hokkien established their schools, they were originally conducted in Hokkien. They learned to read and write Hokkien using Literary Chinese. It was only in the early 20th century that putonghua was introduced, and somehow the Chinese in this country (with the Sin3khek3 greatly outnumbering the Lau33khek3) chose to follow along.

The position of the Hokkien is clear: it was us who established this place for all of you to come; without us, there is no you. So anybody who has the audacity to question why proceedings at the Hokkien clan associations should be carried out in Hokkien and English, and not Mandarin, should have the question tossed back at him: why are you not proficient in Hokkien and English? You ungrateful beast who have forgotten your roots, how dare you!

For those who cling to Mandarin, remember this: When the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia face suppression and oppression, does China even once lift up a finger to say, "Do not harm them, they are our people!"

Although I am Sinning, I can completely subscribe to the feeling of the Hokkien, when they see children nowadays going to school to learn Mandarin, then coming back to condescend on their own mother tongue. And worse than that, the Chinese is becoming more Chinese while the Malays more Malays, everybody is pulling is separate directions and the original deal seems to have been forgotten. I cannot begin to describe the wound in the hearts of a true Penang Lang when he sees the younger generation being completely indoctrinated about their roots.

Mandarin is a very important language. Everybody who has the chance ought to learn it. But you do so with a firm grasp of your roots.

* This is also mentioned by Martin Jacques in one of his YouTube talks.

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