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7-1989

Chinese Politics in Malaysia: A History of the Malaysian Chinese

Association, by Heng Pek Koon
Sharon A. Carstens
Portland State University, carstesa@pdx.edu

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Citation Details
Carstens, Sharon A. "Chinese Politics in Malaysia: A History of the Malaysian Chinese Association. By Heng Pek Koon. East Asian
Historical Monographs. Singapore: Oxford University Press, 1988." The Journal of Asian Studies 48.03 (1989): 677-678.

This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations
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 BOOK REVIEWS-SOUTHEAST
BOOK REVIEWS-SOUTHEAST ASIA
ASIA 677

environmental concerns
environmental concerns associated
associated today
today in Europe
Europe and
and the United States
States with the
green movement.
green movement. Dorothy Stein finds
Dorothy Stein finds that an
an underlying reason why
underlying reason why the dowry
dowry system
system
persists
persists in defiance
defiance of India's laws is that only
India's laws by marriage
only by marriage can can a woman
woman be a full
member
member of society. Women who are
society. Women are unmarried,
unmarried, disowned
disowned byby their husband or
their husband or husband's
husband's
family,
family, oror widowed
widowed are are threats
threats according
according to a prominent
prominent ideology male-centered
ideology in male-centered
societies. The same
societies. same rationale also justified
rationale also justified widow burning decades
widow burning decadesago. She She notes
notes that
it cuts across
acrossreligious
religious groups
groups in India
India and
and is not
not altogether
altogetherdifferent from views
differentfrom views toward
toward
women often
women pronounced in the West.
often pronounced West.
Burton concludes that the origins
Burton Stein concludes origins of the Nagar uprising in Mysore
Nagar uprising Mysore must be
traced far
traced back in history
far back history and that the unrest
and that unrest does not fit
does not fit well into analytical
analytical grids
grids
offered by
offered others. Both findings
by others. call into question
findings call question recent
recent theoretical
theoretical studies
studies of Indian
Indian
peasant movements. R. D. Hill argues
peasant movements. that the numerous
argues that numerous casescases of Malay
Malay peasants
peasants
packing up and
packing and moving beyondbeyond the reach
reach of oppressive rulers were
oppressive rulers were expressions
expressions of
protest. This suggests the usefulness
protest. usefulness of not
not limiting the concept
concept of protest
protest movement
movement
to organized,
organized, confrontational
confrontationalconflicts
conflicts that a more
more conventional notion of what
conventionalnotion what is po-
litical requires.
requires.
BEN
BEN KERKVLIET
KERKVLIET
University
Universityof Hawaii
Hawaii

Chinese Politics in
ChinesePolitics Malaysia: A History
in Malaysia. History of the Malaysian Chinese
theMalaysian Association. By
ChineseAssociation. By
HENG
HENG PEKPEK KOON.
KOON. EastEast Asian Historical Monographs.
Asian Historical Monographs. Singapore:
Singapore:Oxford
Oxford
Press, 1988. xiv,
University Press,
University xiv, 307 pp. $36.00.
$36.00.

focus of this book, covering

The focus covering only years(1949-
only eight years (1949-57) 57) in the history
history of the
Malaysian Chinese
Malaysian Chinese Association
Association (MCA)
(MCA),, at at first
first seems
seems rather narrow; yet the author
rather narrow; author
skillfully uses frameworkto provide
uses this framework an insightful, balanced,
provide an balanced, andand politically astute
astute
evaluation of the possibilities and
evaluation and limitations of Chinese
Chinese politics in Malaysia.
Malaysia. Heng
Pek Koon
Pek Koon credits MCA both with the successful
credits the MCA successful indigenization
indigenization of Chinese
Chinese politics
Malaysia and
in Malaysia and with the ultimate marginalization
marginalization of these these politics because
because of com-
promises reachedwith the United Malays
promises reached Malays National
National Organization
Organization(UMNO), the major major
Malay
Malay political party,
party, in preindependence
preindependence negotiations.
negotiations. Hence, as as she
she argues her
argues in her
covers 1957-87),
(which covers
epilogue (which 1957-87), the MCA MCA no no longer claims the sustained
longer claims sustained political
support
support andand confidence Chinese Malaysians.
confidence of most Chinese Malaysians.
While Heng Pek Pek Koon's
Koon's account follows a basic
account follows basic chronological format, it simul-
chronological format,
taneously weaves
taneously weaves within it a more thematic understanding
more thematic Chinese Malaysian
understanding of Chinese Malaysianpol-
She begins by
itics. She carefully reviewing
by carefully reviewing the earlier
earlier adaptation
adaptationof Chinese
Chinese institutions
to the Malayan
Malayan setting (secret societies; the Kapitan
(secret societies; China system;
Kapitan China system; clan,
clan, district, and
and
dialect associations)
dialect associations)and and then describes the formation
then describes formationof new groups linked to specific
new groups specific
economic and
economic and political interests.
interests.
The heart
heart of the book deals with the MCA
book deals between 1949 and
MCA between and 1957.
1957. Established
Established
at the suggestion of British
British officials,
officials, the association first years
association in its first served primarily
years served primarily
as a conduit for
as for social-welfare programs in the resettlement
social-welfareprograms resettlement of Chinese
Chinese rural
rural squatters
squatters
during the Emergency.
Emergency. Yet Yet with
wi.th the quickening
quickening movement
movement toward independence, key
toward independence, key
MCA
MCA leaders recognized the need
leaders recognized need for
for a more
more centrally
centrally organized approachto the po-
organized approach
future of the Chinese
litical future Chinese in postindependence
postindependence Malaya. Starting in 1952, the UMNO
Malaya. Starting
agreed with MCA
agreed MCA leaders
leaders that by working together
by working together they could eventually
they could eventuallywin the right
to inherit
inherit power from the British.
power from British. Heng PekPek Koon describes in considerable
Koon describes detail the
considerabledetail
agreements reached
agreements reached by MCA (and
by MCA (and UMNO) leadersleaders in the next few years
next few on racially
years on racially
sensitive issues, arguing that the English-educated
issues, arguing English-educatedMCA leaderswere
MCA leaders were willing to barter
barter

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678
678 THE ASIAN STUDIES
JOURNAL OF ASIAN
THE JOURNAL STUDIES

acceptance of Malay
acceptance national language,
Malay views on national education, and
language, education, and special rights in ex-
change for
change for more
more liberal
liberal citizenship provisions
provisions for Chinese. When opposition to
for the Chinese.
language, and
agreements on citizenship, language,
the constitutional agreements education was raised
and education raised by
leaders of traditional
leaders traditional Chinese associations in 1956, their position was
Chinese associations undercut both
was undercut
by lack of unity among them and and by fears
fears of harming financial positions
harming their own financial
by belonging to a politically powerless
powerless outgroup.
outgroup.
between the backgrounds
tension between
This tension backgrounds and aspirations of Western-oriented,
and aspirations Western-oriented,
English-educated Chinese
English-educated leaders and
Chinese leaders and more
more Sinocentric, Chinese-educated leaders
Sinocentric, Chinese-educated leaders pro-
pro-
important theme of this study.
vides one important study. The most interesting chapter details the
interesting chapter
backgrounds of MCA
different backgrounds
different leaders at various
MCA leaders levels. Heng Pek
various levels. argues that
Pek Koon argues
cosmopolitan backgrounds
the cosmopolitan English-educated Chinese
national-level, English-educated
backgrounds of national-level, leaders en-
Chinese leaders
abled them to work
abled successfully with Malay
work successfully leaders of similar
Malay leaders background, while
similar background,
Chinese-educated leaders
Chinese-educated leaders with different backgrounds at the state
different backgrounds state and local levels
and local levels pro-
pro-
vided Chinese masses.
crucial links to the Chinese
vided crucial masses. Her
Her further
further suggestion that economic
economic con-
leaders at these different
among leaders
nections among
nections different levels reinforced and
levels reinforced and sometimes underwrote
underwrote
provocative and
their political ties, although provocative plausible, unfortunately not supported
and plausible, is unfortunately supported
any evidence.
by any evidence.
Heng PekPek Koon alsoalso draws
draws interesting
interesting parallels between traditional
parallels between Chinese mid-
traditional Chinese
dlemen leadership
dlemen leadership roles
roles during
during the colonial
colonial period and
period and the current patronage system
current patronage system
whereby the power
whereby Chinese leaders
power of Chinese leaders is measured
measured by their
by their ability to obtain favors for
favors for
their followers from the politically dominant
followers from dominant Malays. She frequently
Malays. She frequently alludesalludes to class-
class-
divisions within the Chinese
based divisions
based Chinese community
community (she identifiesMCA
consistently identifies
(she consistently MCA leaders
leaders
with capitalist interests), but the actual
capitalist interests), effect of class
actual effect background on political behavior
class background behavior
never systematically
is never systematically explored.
explored.
This book offers sound and
unusually sound
offersunusually and insightful perspectives Chinese Malaysian
perspectives on Chinese Malaysian
politics . Particularly
politics. impressive is the way
Particularlyimpressive way national themes identified
nationalpolitical themes identified byby Heng
Pek Koon
Pek Koon across
across time resonate
resonate with personal observationsof recent
personal observations recent political activities
political activities
and
and attitudes in local Chinese Malaysian
local Chinese communities.
Malaysian communities.
SHARON A.
SHARON A. CARSTENS
CARSTENS
PortlandState
Portland University
State University

Intellectuals Nationalismin
Intellectualsand Nationalism Indonesia.A Study
in Indonesia: the Following
Study of the FollowingRecruited by
Recruitedby
Sutan
Sutan Sjahrir
Sjahrir in Occupation
Occupation Jakarta.
Jakarta. By By J. D. LEGGE. CornellCornell Modern
Modern
Indonesia ProjectMonograph
Indonesia Project MonographSeries. Ithaca:Cornell
Series. Ithaca: Cornell University, ModernIn-
University, Modern
donesia Project,
donesia Project, 1988. x, 159 pp.

After aa long
After pause J. D. Legge
long pause has published
Legge has published another monograph on Indonesian
another monograph Indonesian
history-certainly aa feat
history-certainly feat to be
be acclaimed. turns his
acclaimed. He turns his attention to the
attention to the group young
group of young
intellectuals recruited
intellectuals recruited byby Sjahrir
Sjahrirduring the Japanese
during the Japaneseoccupation Indonesia 0942-
occupation of Indonesia (1942-
45).
was exiled
who was
Sjahrir,who
Sjahrir, exiled by the Dutch colonial
by the colonial government because of radical
government because radicalpo-
the early
activities in the
litical activities early 1930s, waswas released
releasedby the Japanese.
by the Unlike the
Japanese. Unlike the prominent
prominent
Sukarnoand
nationalists Sukarno
nationalists and Hatta, however,Sjahrir
Hatta, however, declined to
Sjahrirdeclined to cooperate
cooperatewith the the Jap-
Jap-
anese and
anese set about
and set organizing aa loose
about organizing networkof young
loose network young people who sympathized
people who sympathizedwith
his political
his idealsand
political ideals and admired
admiredhis his personality. Their discussions
personality.Their discussionsfocused
focusedon on Indonesia's
Indonesia's
postwar political
postwar future. Sjahrir
political future. stressed rationalism
Sjahrirstressed rationalismand
and democracy
democracyat at the
the expense
expense of
doctrine. In
doctrine. In his
his acceptance Westernconcepts
acceptanceof Western and ideals,
concepts and he surpassed
ideals, he other prom-
surpassedother prom-
inent Indonesian
inent leaders;likewise,
Indonesian leaders; likewise, his negative view
his negative traditional society
view of traditional society was more
was more
extreme.
extreme.

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