The Chinese people in Malaysia are also called as “Orang Cina” in Malay, “Sina” or “Kina” among Borneo indigenous, “Sinar [pronounced as Chee-ner]” in Tamil, and “Huaren” (Chinese people) or Huaqiao (Overseas Chinese) by Chinese themselves. Their formal language that is spoken in education or any formal activities known as “Huayu” (华语). Malaysian Chinese are also make as a second larger population in Malaysia, behind the Malay races.
Malaysian Chinese Origin
The majority of ethnic Chinese in Malaysia are mostly from ethnic Han from the historical areas of Fujian and Guangdong provinces in southern China.
The Chinese immigrants in Malaysia can be divided into 3 waves.
Among the first group from the first migration wave are the Peranakans in Kelantan and Terengganu, Sino-Natives in Sabah and Straits-born Chinese (Baba-Nyonya) in Malacca and Penang.
The second wave of migration is from the Hokkien of southern Fujian. They are led by many their wealthy and powerful individuals with skills in finance and maritime shipping. In other word, they are mostly a big businessmen. The Cantonese from Canton in Guangdong follow suit and became well known as mine workers, land reclamation, mechanics and their familiarity with cash cropping. Another large group, the Hakka are mostly hill farmers originated from northeastern Guangdong and various southern China places who very specialize in forest clearance, mining as well on metalworking. Other groups like the Teochew from Chaozhou of eastern Guangdong are mainly on plantation agriculture,the Foochow from central Fujian specialise on entrepreneurship, while the Hainanese from Hainan as one of the ethnic Chinese minority saw themselves as sojourners with many of Hainanese chefs and waiters ruled the kitchen of local Chinese kopi tiam and restaurants.
And the third wave of ethnic Chinese migration thereafter, this resulted Malaysia as being one of the country outside China and Taiwan with largest population of Chinese speakers in the world.
Distribution Of Chinese People In Malaysia
In West Malaysia, Hokkien became the leading group followed by Cantonese, Hakka and Teochew.
The pattern differs in East Malaysia where Hakka is the majority in Sabah and Sarawak followed by Hokkien and Cantonese in Sabah and the Foochow, Hokkien and Teochew in Sarawak.
The Hokkien are notably prominent in the states of Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Malacca, Penang, Perlis, Sarawak and Terengganu.
The Cantonese is mostly concentrate in the cities of Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh, and to some extent to Kuantan and Seremban.
The Teochew are mostly in Johor and coastal Perak. While the Hakka is prominent in Sabah.
The population of Hainanese can be found in all cities and towns in Malaysia, numerously in Malacca and Terengganu.
The Foochow also are numerous in Yong Peng, Sitiawan, Sungai Pelek, Bintangor, Sarikei and Sibu.
And other Chinese races just have a small population in Malaysia such as Kwongsais and Hockchia.
Class of Mandarin 