Shellfish is a culinary and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environments, some kinds are found only in freshwater. In addition a few species of land crabs are eaten, for example ''Cardisoma guanhumi'' in the Caribbean.

Shellfish are not related to fish in any way other than simply being animals that live in water. Many varieties of shellfish (crustaceans in particular) are actually closely related to insects and arachnids, making up one of the main classes of the phylum Arthropoda. Cephalopods (squid, octopus, cuttlefish) and bivalves (clams, oysters) are molluscs, as are snails and slugs.

Familiar marine molluscs enjoyed as a food source by humans include many species of clams, mussels, oysters, winkles, and scallops. Some crustaceans commonly eaten are shrimp, prawn, lobster, crayfish, and crabs. Echinoderms are not as frequently harvested for food as molluscs and crustaceans, however sea urchin roe is quite popular in many parts of the world.

Most shellfish eat a diet composed primarily of phytoplankton and zooplankton.

Shellfish are among the most common food allergens.

Terminology

thumb|180px|right|Cooked musselsThe term ''shellfish'' is used both broadly and specifically. In common parlance, as in having "shellfish" for dinner, it can refer to anything from clams and oysters to lobster and shrimp. For regulatory purposes it is often narrowly defined as ''filter-feeding molluscs'' such as clams, mussels, and oyster to the exclusion of crustaceans and all else.

Although the term is primarily applied to marine species, edible freshwater invertebrates such as crayfish and river mussels are also sometimes grouped under the umbrella of "shellfish".

Although their shells may differ, all shellfish are invertebrates. As non-mammalian animals that spend their entire lives in water they are "fish" in the logical sense; however the denotion ''finfish'' (or ''finnicle fish'') has been developed to distinguish fish as animals ''defined by having vertebrae'' from shellfish in modern terminology.

The word "shellfish" is both singular and plural; the rarely used "shellfishes" is sometimes employed to distinguish among various types of shellfish.

Shellfish in various cuisines

Archaeological finds has shown that humans have been making use of shellfish as a food item for hundreds of thousands of years. In the present, shellfish dishes are a feature of almost all the cuisines of the world, providing an important source of protein in many cuisines around the world, especially in the countries with coastal areas.

In Japan

In the Japanese cuisine, chefs often use shellfish and their roe in different dishes. Sushi (vinegared rice, topped with other ingredients, including shellfish, fish, meat and vegetables), feature both raw and cooked shellfish. Sashimi primarily consists of very fresh raw seafood, sliced into thin pieces. Both sushi and sashimi are served with soy sauce and wasabi paste (a Japanese horseradish root, a spice with extremely strong hot flavor), thinly-sliced pickled ginger root, and a simple garnish such as shiso (a kitchen herb, member of the mint family) or finely shredded daikon radish, or both.

In the United States

Lobster in particular is a great delicacy in the United States, where families in the Northeast region make them into the centerpiece of a clam bake, usually for special occasions. Lobsters are eaten on much of the East Coast; the American lobster ranges from Newfoundland down to about the Carolinas, but is most often associated with Maine. A typical meal involves boiling the lobster with some slight seasoning and then serving it with drawn butter, baked potato, and corn on the cob.

Clamming is done both commercially and recreationally along the Northeast coastline of the US. Various type of clams are incorporated into the cuisine of New England. The soft-shelled clam is eaten either fried or steamed (and then called "steamers"). Many types of clams can be used for clam chowder, but the quahog, a hard shelled clam also known as a chowder clam, is often used because the long cooking time softens its tougher meat.

The Chesapeake Bay and Maryland region has generally been associated more with crabs, but in recent years the area has been trying to reduce its catch of blue crabs, as wild populations have been depleted. This has not, however, stemmed the demand: Maryland-style crabcakes are still a well known treat in crabhouses all over the bay, though the catch now comes from points farther south.

In the Southeast, and particularly the gulf states, shrimping is an important industry. Copious amounts of shrimp are harvested each year in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean to satisfy a national demand for shrimp. Locally, prawns and shrimp are often deep fried; in the Cajun and Creole kitchens of Louisiana, shrimp and prawns are a common addition to traditional recipes like jambalaya and certain stews. Crayfish are a well known and much eaten delicacy here, often boiled in huge pots and heavily spiced.

In many major cities with active fishing ports, raw oyster bars are also a feature of shellfish consumption. When served freshly shucked (opened) and iced, one may find a liquid inside the shell, called the liqueur. Some believe that oysters have the properties of an aphrodisiac.

Inter-tidal herbivorous shellfish such as mussels and clams can help people reach a healthy balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats in their diets, instead of the current Western diets. For this reason, the eating of shellfish is often encouraged by dietitians.

Around the world

Shellfish is a common part of indigenous cuisines throughout the globe.

Some popular dishes using shellfish:

Fried calamari

Ceviche

Cioppino

Callaloo

Clam chowder

Curanto

Fruits de mer

Paella

Sashimi

Shrimp cocktail

Lobster bisque

She-crab soup

Sliced fish soup

Sushi

Religious dietary restrictions

Jewish Kosher Law traditions forbid the eating of shellfish. The book of Leviticus prohibits the consumption of shellfish. In Islam, one Sunni school of thought (Hanafi) forbids eating shellfish, while the other three Sunni schools allow it. The Shi'ite school (Ja'fari) does not allow it. Seventh-day Adventists eat no shellfish.

See also

Seafood

Seashell

Shellfish Association of Great Britain (SAGB)

References

External links

BBC Guide to Preparing and Eating Shellfish

Shellfish News

Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory at Rutgers University

Shellfish Gallery

Shellfish Facts

Freshwater and Marine Image Bank—Shellfish at the University of Washington Libraries, Digital Collection

Nutrition Facts for Various Shellfish

Category:Seafood Category:Fish products Category:Edible molluscs

de:Schalentiere fr:Fruits de mer gv:Eeast shliggagh gd:Maorach ko:조개 ja:貝類 no:Skalldyr nn:Skaldyr sv:Skaldjur zh:貝類

name	Raymond Blanc
birth date	November 19, 1949
birth place	Besançon, France
style	French
ratings	Michelin stars Good Food Guide
restaurants	Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons
website	http://www.manoir.com/ }}

Raymond Blanc OBE (born 19 November 1949) is a French chef, born in Besançon, France. He is a self-taught chef. Today he is one of the country's most respected chefs. Blanc is the owner and chef at Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, a hotel-restaurant in Great Milton, Oxfordshire, England. The restaurant has two Michelin stars and scored 9/10 in the ''Good Food Guide''. Born in Besançon, the capital of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France, between Burgundy and the Jura mountains, Raymond was inspired by the local terroir, and most of all by his mother, the formidable Maman Blanc who used fresh, local and seasonal produce to produce meals for her family.

Life and career

Beginning as a waiter, Blanc became a chef at The Rose Revived in Oxfordshire before opening his first restaurant called Les Quat'Saisons in Summertown, Oxford. He is entirely self-taught.

In 1977 Raymond and his wife Jenny opened their first restaurant, Les Quat' Saisons in Oxford. They put together all their meagre savings and mortgaged their house to raise the cash. Les Quat' Saisons was an overnight success, winning him Egon Ronay Restaurant of the Year, prestigious Michelin stars and a host of other distinctions.

In 1981, Blanc opened a chain of boulangeries and pâtisseries called Maison Blanc that also contain cafès. There are currently 15 branches of Maison Blanc across the country, including several in London and one in Oxford. Maison Blanc cakes are now available nationwide in Waitrose.

Blanc opened the first of a chain of smaller restaurants, Le Petit Blanc restaurants in Oxford in June 1996. Blanc's stated aim with these was to bring the French philosophy of "good food being central to good living" to the United Kingdom. His desire was to create and serve food that can be enjoyed by everyone – "from the time-conscious business person to those looking for a welcoming family restaurant". Raymond was a featured chef on ''Great Chefs'' television, appearing in ''Great Chefs of the World''.

In June 2003, the four Le Petit Blanc Brasseries (now known as Brasserie Blanc) in Birmingham, Cheltenham, Manchester and Oxford became part of the Loch Fyne Restaurant Group portfolio. Since then a fifth restaurant has opened in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, another in Winchester, and one in Milton Keynes. Blanc maintains a share in the business and continues to be actively involved creating new menus, developing the chef and kitchen teams and participating in the promotion of the restaurants.

The Tunbridge Wells Brasserie recently closed and Mr Blanc has opened a new Brasserie in the prestigious lipstick tower in Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth.

On 13 January 2007, he appeared on ''Saturday Kitchen''. In the Omelette Challenge, he came out last because he took the longest to cook an omelette. However, he was nudged up a few places by James Martin, right above Ken Hom, as Blanc produced a black truffle out of his pocket and garnished the finished omelette with truffle shavings.

Summer 2007 saw the BBC promotion for his new reality TV programme ''The Restaurant'' airing on UK television. (The show is known to BBC America viewers in the US as ''Last Restaurant Standing''). The promo showed a group of well-dressed diners in a slow-motion food fight, to a Gonzales backing track. The show was aired as part of BBC Two's autumn season in 2007 and returned, with minor changes to the format, in 2008. In 2009, ''The Restaurant'' returned to BBC Two in a low-budget format. This season has been much criticised for the poor standard of contestants, for neglecting the successful elements of previous series, and for Blanc choosing as the winner a team without any discernible culinary ability outside of making cocktails.

Blanc is the author of several books, including ''Cooking for Friends'' and ''Foolproof French Cookery''. He is also one of the patrons on the Children's Food Festival, which was held on the Northmoor Trust Estate in south Oxfordshire in June 2009.

His son, Olivier Blanc, works as an assistant director on Talkback Thames's ''The Bill''.

Controversy

In the 2009 series of ''The Restaurant'' viewers made allegations that the BBC had breached its guidelines governing competitions after uproar concerning Raymond's choice of winner. The BBC repudiated this arguing that the competition required contestants who had potential for development, not just ability.

External links

Raymond Blanc official website

Great Chefs

Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons Great Milton, Oxfordshire. RB's 2 star Michelin restaurant

Hub UK biography

Social Issues Research Centre article on Blanc's war on sugar

Who´s Who of Chefs information

Map of 'Brasserie Blanc' Restaurants in the UK

References

Category:1949 births Category:Living people Category:People from Besançon Category:French chefs Category:British chefs Category:French expatriates in the United Kingdom Category:British food writers Category:Michelin Guide starred chefs Category:The Restaurant (UK TV series) Category:French restaurateurs Category:British restaurateurs

fr:Raymond Blanc he:רימון בלאן

{{ethnic group| |group=Ethnic Chinese of Malaysia
|image= |caption= Alex Yoong • Nicholas Teo • Michelle Yeoh |poptime=c.7,150,000 (as of June 2008) |popplace= |rels=Predominantly Buddhism and Christianity , Chinese folk religion, Confucianism, and Taoism; Yi Guan Dao; relatively small numbers of Muslims |langs= Chinese languages, Malaysian Mandarin, Cantonese, Foochow , Hakka, Hokkiens, Teochew, Malaysian English and Malay |related=Southern Chinese, Chinese Singaporean, Peranakan, Chindian }}

Malaysian Chinese () is a Malaysian of Chinese origin. Most are descendants of Chinese who arrived between the fifteenth and the mid-twentieth centuries. Within Malaysia, they are usually simply referred to as "Chinese" in all languages. The term Chinese Malaysian is also sometimes used to refer to this community.

History

First Wave

The first wave of Chinese settlers came during the Malacca Empire in the early 15th century. The friendly diplomatic relations between China and Melaka culminated during the reign of Sultan Mansur Syah who married Hang Li Po from China. A senior minister of state and five hundred youth of noble births and handmaidens in waiting accompanied the princess to Malacca. The descendants of these people are called Baba (men) and Nyonya (women).

Second Wave

The second and much bigger wave of Chinese immigrants came during the 19th century and early 20th century as coolies. These immigrants were running away from China due to the fighting of the Opium War in 1840. Their immigration to Malaya was encouraged by the British who needed Chinese coolies to work on their rubber plantations and tin mines. The immigrants came as free labour or indentured labour on a credit ticket system. Free labour meant they financed their own journey with savings or loans from their kinsman. These groups of early Chinese coolies are not surprisingly the most exploited by their employers. They worked long hours to pay off the high interest rates on credit ticket system.

Origins

The Min Chinese form the largest Chinese group in Malaysia and they came from Fujian, eastern Guangdong and Hainan provinces.

Min Nan people

Hokkien

Chinese settlers from the southern regions of Fujian constitute the largest group, and generally identified as Hokkien. The bulk of Chinese settlers in Malaya before the 18th century came from Amoy and Zhangzhou and settled primarily in Penang and Malacca, where they formed the bulk of the local Chinese populace. More Hokkiens settled in Malaya from the 19th century onwards, and dominated the rubber plantation and financial sectors of the Malayan economy. The bulk of Hokkien-speaking Chinese settled in the Malay Peninsula and formed the largest dialect group in many states, specifically in Penang, Malacca, Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis. In Malaysian Borneo, the Hokkiens make up a sizeable proportion within the Chinese community, and are primarily found in larger towns, notably Kuching and Sibu.

Teochew

Immigrants from the Chaoshan region began to settle in Malaya in large numbers from the 18th century onwards, mainly in Province Wellesley and Kedah (mainly around Kuala Muda). These immigrants established were chiefly responsible for setting up gambier and pepper plantation industries in Malaya. More Teochews immigrated to Johor at the encouragement of Temenggong Ibrahim in the 19th century, and many new towns were established and populated by plantation workers from the Chaoshan region. The Teochews constitute a substantial percentage within the Chinese communities in Johor Bahru and principal towns along the coasts of Western Johor (notably Pontian, Muar and to a smaller extent, Batu Pahat) as well as selected hinterland towns in the central regions of the state. Many rural communes in Sarawak and Sabah were also populated by the Teochews, many of them being descendants of plantation workers which came to set up gambier and pepper plantations, following the administrative pattern of their countrymen in Johor. Smaller communities of Teochews can also be found in other states, notably in Sabak Bernam in Selangor, where many Teochews settled down as rice agriculturalists, as well as in the hinterlands of Malacca.

Hainanese

Chinese immigrants from Hainan began to migrate to Malaya and North Borneo from the 19th century onwards, albeit in much smaller numbers than the aforementioned speech groups. The Hainanese were employed as cooks by wealthy Straits Chinese families, while others were engaged in food catering business or the fishery business and formed the largest dialect group in Kemaman district of Terengganu and Pulau Ketam (Selangor) as well as sizeable communities in Penang and Johor Bahru. Smaller communities of Hainanese are also found in Sarawak and Sabah, where they work as coffee shop owners and are mainly found in large towns and cities.

Hing Hua

The Henghua came from Putian. Their numbers were much smaller than the other Min Chinese from Fujian and they were mostly involved in the bicycle, motorcycle and automobile spare parts industry.

Min Dong people

Settlers from Fuzhou 福州 (also known as ''Hokchew'' or ''Foochow'' among the Hokkiens and Cantonese respectively) and Fuqing 福清 also came in sizeable numbers during the 19th centuries and dominated the corporate industry in the 20th century. They speak a distinct dialect and are classified separately from the Hokkiens and a large number are Christians. The Foochow formed the largest dialect group in Sarawak–specifically in areas around the Rajang River, namely in the towns of Sibu, Sarikei and Bintangor. The Foochow also settled in large numbers in a few towns in Peninsular Malaya, notably Sitiawan in Perak and Yong Peng in Johor.

Hakka people

The Hakkas came from both Guangdong and Fujian provinces. They form the second largest group of people after the Hokkiens. Large numbers of Hakka settled in the western parts of Malaya and North Borneo and worked as miners in the 19th century as valuable metals such as gold and tin were discovered. Descendants of these miners formed the largest community among the Chinese in Selangor and very large communities in Perak (specifically Taiping and Ipoh), Sarawak , Sabah and Negeri Sembilan. As the gold and tin mining industries declined in economic importance in the 20th century, many turned to the rubber industry, and large numbers of Hakka settled in Kedah and Johor (principally in Kulai and Kluang). In Sabah, many Hakkas were involved in agriculture. They cut down the forests to make way for tobacco, rubber and coconut plantations. In time, the Hakka community also dominated the state's industry and economy. However, even today, many Sabahan Hakkas are still involved in agriculture, especially those living in rural towns such as Tenom and Kudat where they are often the backbone of the local industry.

Cantonese people

The Cantonese mostly came from Guangdong province and a minority from Guangxi province. They form the third largest group of people after the Hakkas. They settled down in Kuala Lumpur of the Klang Valley, Ipoh of the Kinta Valley in Perak, Pahang as well as Seremban in Negeri Sembilan and Sandakan of Sabah. They started the development and turn these early settlement into principal towns. Most of the early Cantonese worked as coolie laborers, engaged in tin mining and rubber plantation. From the late 19th century onwards as the tin mining industry declined in economic importance, the Cantonese as well as other Malaysian Chinese gradually shifted their focus to business and contribute much to the social and economic development in Malaya.

Demographics

An early census of ethnic groups in the British Malay states, conducted by the British in 1835, showed that ethnic Chinese constituted 8 percent of the population and were mainly found in the Straits Settlements, while the Malays and Indians made up 88 percent and 4 percent of the population respectively. Malaya's population quickly increased during the 19th and 20th centuries, although the majority of Chinese immigrants were males rather than females. By 1921, Malaya's population had swelled to nearly three million, and the Chinese constituted 30 percent of Malaya's population while the Malays constituted 54.7% of Malaya's population, whose growth was fueled by immigrants from neighboring Indonesia (the Indians made up most of the remainder). While the Chinese population was largely transient, and many coolies returned to China on a frequent basis, 29 percent of the Chinese population were local born, most of whom were the offspring of first-generation Chinese immigrants. The British government began to impose restrictions on migration during the 1930s, but the difference between the number of Chinese and Malays continued to close up even after World War II. The 1947 census indicated that the Malays constituted 49.5% of the population, compared to the Chinese at 38.4%, out of a total population of 4.9 million.

By state & territory

The 2000 Population and Housing Census Report gives the following statistics (excluding non citizens) :

State	Population	% of Population
Federal Territory	Population	% of Population

States with large Chinese population

As of 2008, the majority of Chinese people are mainly concentrated in the west coast states of west Malaysia with significant percentage of Chinese (30% and above) such as Penang, Perak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor.

Areas with significant Chinese populations(40% and above) for each state are:

Kuala Lumpur Kepong, Cheras, Bukit Bintang, Old Klang Road, Sri Petaling, Pudu, Segambut.

Selangor Subang Jaya/USJ, Puchong, SS2, Petaling Jaya, Damansara Jaya/Utama, Bandar Utama, Serdang, Port Klang.

{|class="wikitable" !Year !Total population !Malay !Percentage !Chinese !Percentage |- |1891 |81,592 |23,750 | |50,844 | |- |2011 |5.46 Million | | |1.45 Million |29 % |- |- |}

Penang Penang island, Bukit Mertajam

{|class="wikitable" !Year !Total population !Malay !Percentage !Chinese !Percentage |- |1812 |26,107 |9,854 |37.7% |7,558 |28.9% |- |1820 |35,035 |14,080 |40.2% |8,595 |24.5% |- |1860 |124,772 |71,723 |57.4% |36,222 |29.0% |- |1891 |232,003 |92,681 |39.9% |86.988 |37.5% |- |1970 |775,000 |247,000 |30.6% |436,000 |56.3% |- |1990 |1,150,000 |399,200 |34.5% |607,400 |52.9% |- |2005 |1,511,000 |624,000 |41.3% |650,000 |43% |- |}

Perak Ipoh, Taiping, Batu Gajah, Sitiawan

{|class="wikitable" !Year !Total population !Malay !Percentage !Chinese !Percentage |- |1891 | | | |94,345 |44.0% |- |1901 |329,665 | | |150,239 |45.6% |- |- |}

Johor Johor Bahru, Kluang, Batu Pahat, Muar, Segamat

States with medium Chinese population

These are states where the Chinese are a significant minority (10% - 29.9%) such as Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Sarawak and Sabah.

The major Chinese population areas (40% and above) for each state are

Malacca Malacca City

Negeri Sembilan Seremban, Rasah

Pahang Bentong, Raub, Mentakab, Kuantan

Sarawak Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu, Miri, Sarikei, Sri Aman, Marudi, Lawas, Mukah, Limbang, Kapit, Serian, Bau

Sabah Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. Tawau, Kudat and scattered regions in the south (most notably Beaufort and Keningau) also have small but significant Chinese communities

Languages

A governmental statistic in 2000 classifies the dialect affiliation of the ethnic Chinese in Malaysia:

{|class="wikitable sortable" !Dialect !Population |- |Southern Hokkien (Minnan) |1,848,211 |- |Hakka |1,679,027 |- |Cantonese |1,355,541 |- |Teochew |974,573 |- |Mandarin |958,467 |- |Hainanese |380,781 |- |Min Bei |373,337 |- |Foochow |249,413 |- |}

Although their ancestral origin are different but due to intermarriages between the different linguistic groups and also due to regional influences, different regions are formed each with its own defacto lingua franca to facilitate communication between the different Chinese dialects in the same region.

Furthermore, the younger generations have generally lost command of their own subdialect (e.g. Hainanese, Hing Hua) and prefer to speak the lingua franca in each region.

Hokkien

Northern Peninsular Malaysia Penang, Kedah, Perlis, East Coast, Taiping are predominantly Penang Hokkien speaking.

Klang and Malacca groups are also predominantly Hokkien speaking but the variant spoken is Southern Malaysian Hokkien which has a similar accent to Singaporean Hokkien. Thus, Sarawak chinese speak their own accent of Hokkien in various places in Kuching.

In Sibu and Sitiawan, Fuzhou is widely spoken but it is not a lingua franca.

Hakka

Hakka, specifically the Huiyang (惠陽, Hakka: Fui Yong) variant, is the main Chinese dialect in the East Malaysian state of Sabah. According to a census in 1991, 113000 Sabahans identified themselves as being of Hakka descent. This is a clear majority over the Cantonese, of whom there were 28000, making them a distant second. This makes Sabah the only state in Malaysia where Hakka is clearly the predominant dialect among the local Chinese.

In other regions of Malaysia, there are significant numbers of Hakka people, for example in the town of Miri in Sarawak and in major cities in Peninsular Malaysia. However, many do not speak Hakka due to the stronger influence of Hokkien and Cantonese in Peninsular Malaysia. The variants of Hakka most widely spoken in Malaysian states other than Sabah are the Ho Poh and Moiyan (Meixian) variants, which are very seldom spoken in Sabah itself.

Cantonese

Central Peninsular Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Subang Jaya, Seremban, Ipoh & Kuantan are predominantly Cantonese speaking.

Cantonese is also the main dialect in Sandakan. The only district dominated by Cantonese dialect in Johor is Mersing.

Many Chinese of other dialect subgroups are able to understand and/or speak Cantonese at various levels due to the influence of movies and television programs from Hong Kong, which are aired on the TVB channel through the Astro pay television service. The Hakkas, especially, are able to pick up Cantonese with ease due to the similarities between the Hakka and Cantonese dialects.

Mandarin

Southern Peninsular Malaysia especially Johor are predominantly Mandarin speaking.

This is a result of influence from the Mandarin dominant media from Singapore and proximity of Johor to Singapore. Johor and parts of Malacca are able to receive Singapore's free-to-air TV.

Many Chinese educated Malaysian Chinese families have taken to speaking Mandarin with their children due to the notion that other Chinese dialects are growing increasingly redundant in an era where Mandarin is increasing in importance. This has led to the emergence of a community of young Chinese who are fluent in Mandarin but unable to speak their native Chinese dialect, understand but do not speak it, or prefer not to speak it in public.

Unlike Singapore which has a single medium of instruction, not all families send their children to Chinese medium schools so there still exists Malay or English educated Chinese who don't know how to speak Mandarin. Morever, a significant percentage of older generation regardless of education are more comfortable speaking non Mandarin dialects.

Education of Malaysian Chinese

Malaysian Chinese can be categorised to be educated in 3 different streams of education i.e. English educated, Chinese educated and Malay educated. This is due to the different era and type of education offered mentioned below.

Public education in Malaysia is free. There are two types of pre-tertiary schools in Malaysia—National schools (the medium of instruction is the National language Malay) and National-type schools (the medium of instruction is in either Chinese or Tamil). In all schools, the National language is a compulsory subject and English is taught as a second language.) Malaysian Chinese citizens can therefore choose to attend either Chinese or Malay medium schools.

Most Bachelor's degree courses offered at public universities are taught in the national language, that is, Bahasa Malaysia, while post-graduates studies are usually conducted in English. English is used as the primary medium of instruction at most private higher educational institutions.

About 90% of Malaysian Chinese children in Malaysia today go to Mandarin-medium primary schools, while only a small group of 10% or so attend Malay medium primary schools. However, most Malaysian Chinese (more than 95%) switch to Malay medium schools for their secondary education. The rationale behind this is because Malay-medium secondary schools are free while Mandarin-medium secondary schools are fee paying.

The switch from Mandarin medium primary school to Malay medium secondary school for the majority of Malaysian Chinese has resulted in many school dropouts as students are unable to cope with the difference in the medium of instruction. The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) pointed out an estimated 25% of Chinese students dropout before reaching the age of 18; the annual dropout rate is estimated to be over 100,000 and worsening. Certain dropouts become apprentices in workshops, picking up skills like plumbing or motor-repair. Others eager to make a quick buck find themselves involved in illicit trades, such as peddling pirated DVDs or collecting debts for loan sharks.

An older group of Malaysian Chinese who attended school before the 1970s when Malaysia was still a British colony are English educated as national schools in Malaysia then used English as the medium of instruction. English-medium teaching was phased out of Malaysian schools by the 1970s and all national schools used Malay as the medium of instruction.

In 2003 to 2011, the Malaysian government introduced an experimental policy of using English as the language of instruction for Science and Mathematics. The policy did not turn out well as only 8% of teachers were using English exclusively in classes while the use of Bahasa Melayu was still common and schools could not find enough staff who could teach in English. In March 2009, 5,000 ethnic Malays who took to the streets to voice their opposition to the policy and in July, the education minister announced that the medium of instruction for Science and Mathematics would revert back to Bahasa Melayu starting from 2012.

Name Format

Non Mandarin

Before Mandarin gained popularity among Malaysian Chinese in the late 20th century, Malaysian Chinese romanised their names according to the pronunciation of their Chinese names in their respective original dialect. E.g.:

Male: Yap Ah Loy 葉亞來 (Hakka)

Mandarin

The younger generations tend to retain the original dialect for the surname while using Mandarin pronunciation and romanisation for the given name. E.g.:

Male: Chan Yung Choong 陈永聪 (Surname: Cantonese, Given name: Mandarin)

In recent years, it has become increasingly common for given names to be romanised according to the Pinyin system. E.g.:

Female: Wee Xiao Wen 黄小雯 (Surname: Hokkien/Hokchiu, Given name: Mandarin, according to Pinyin romanisation)

English Some Chinese will adopt an English nickname for the convenience of Westerners e.g.

Yeoh Choo Kheng 楊紫瓊, Michelle commonly written as Michelle Yeoh

Muslim Those who marry Muslims and converted into Muslim will have a Muslim name in front e.g.

Tan Yew Leong, Abdullah commonly written as Abdullah Tan

Religion

{{bar box |title=Religions of Chinese Malaysians |titlebar=#ddd |left1=Religion |right1=Percent |float=right |bars= }} A majority of the Chinese in Malaysia claim to be Buddhist or Taoist, though the lines between them are often blurred and, typically, a syncretic Chinese religion incorporating elements of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and traditional ancestor-worship is practised, with the fact that each individual follows it in varying degrees. Thus, Chinese Buddhism is traditionally embraced by the Chinese which is brought over from China and handed down over the generations of Malaysian Chinese born in Malaysia.

About 9.6% are Christian (Mainstream Protestants, Catholics and other denominations including a fast-growing number of Evangelicals and Charismatics). This is largely due to the influences of Western educated Malaysian Chinese who went overseas either for studies or work.

A small number (0.7%) profess Islam as their faith due mostly to the compulsory conversion to Islam should a Chinese marry a Muslim in Malaysia.

Intermarriage

The Chinese in Malaysia maintain a distinct communal identity and rarely intermarry with native Muslim Malays for religious and cultural reasons. According to Muslim Laws, the Chinese partner would be required by law to renounce their religion and adopt the Muslim religion. Most Malaysian Chinese consider their being "Chinese" at once an ethnic, cultural and political identity.

However, there are many who have intermarried with Malaysian Indians, who are predominantly Hindu. The children of such marriages are known as Chindians. Chindians tend to speak English as their mother tongue.

In the Bornean states of Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysians of mixed Chinese-Native parentage ('native' referring to the indigenous tribes in those states, e.g. Iban and Melanau in Sarawak as well as Kadazan and Murut in Sabah) are referred to as "'Sino'" (e.g. Sino-Iban, Sino-Kadazan). Depending entirely on their upbringing, they are either brought up to follow native customs or Chinese traditions. A small minority forgo both native and Chinese traditions, instead opting for a sort of cultural anonymity by speaking only English and/or Malay and not practicing both Chinese and tribal customs.

Food

Malaysian Chinese eat all types of food which includes Chinese, Indian, Malay and Western cuisines. Some Malaysian Chinese are vegetarians, as they may be devoted followers of Buddhism, while others do not consume beef, especially those worshipping the Goddess of Mercy (Guan Yin). Malaysian Chinese food contains similarities and differences with the Chinese food in China.

China

The cuisine of Malaysian Chinese food are similar to the food in Southern China as they are primarily from the Fujian cuisine, Cantonese cuisine and Hakka cuisine.

Local

However, there are local inventions such as Loh Mee 滷麵, thick noodle in clear gravy found only in the Klang Valley. Bak Kut Teh 肉骨茶 originated from Klang and not China. Influences from the spicy Malay cuisine can be found in local inventions such as Curry Mee, Curry Chicken and Chili Crab. The influence from the Peranakan cuisine can be found in dishes such as Laksa and Mee Siam.

Culture

There exist some degrees of differences in the Malaysian Chinese culture compared to that of China. Some traditional festivals celebrated by the Chinese community in Malaysia are no longer celebrated in China after the Chinese Cultural Revolution. This is especially true of regional rites and rituals that are still celebrated by the Malaysian descendants of the peasant migrants from China. Some have attributed the traditional practices of Malaysian Chinese to ''"a little backwater of Chinese culture as it was in China 80 years ago"''.

Socio-economic position within Malaysia

Economic status

Malaysian Chinese have the highest household income among the 3 ethnic groups in Malaysia. According to Sulaiman Mahbob, as of December 2007, the monthly average household income was at 4,437 ringgit

Malaysian Chinese are dominant in both business and commerce sectors in Malaysia. As a result, they are the biggest taxpayers among all ethnic groups in the country. They contribute almost 90 percent of the country's income tax.

Non bumiputera

Article 153 of the Constitution of Malaysia grants the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia) responsibility for “safeguard[ing] the special position of the ‘Malays’and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other communities” and goes on to specify ways to do this, such as establishing quotas for entry into the civil service, public scholarships and public education.

Partly in line with the constitution, Malaysia has devised a long-standing policy of providing affirmative action to Bumiputeras (the ethnic Malays) which spans over four decades. Affirmative action is provided in the form of the Malaysian New Economic Policy or what is now known as the National Development Policy Under such affirmative action, various concessions are made to Bumiputeras. Amongst many other concessions, 70% of seats in public universities are to be allocated to Bumiputeras, all initial public offerings (IPOs) must set aside a 30% share for Bumiputera investors and monetary support were provided to Bumiputeras for entrepreneurial development.

Malaysian Chinese along with Malaysian Indians are considered "non bumiputera" and hence do not enjoy these concessions.

Prominent Malaysian Chinese

Miscellaneous

Emigration

Among emigrants, Chinese Malaysians form the largest outflow amongst all ethnic groups in Malaysia. It is forecasted that the proportion of Malaysian Chinese in Malaysia's total population will fall from 45% in 1957 to 18.6% in 2035 if current trends continue.

See also

Chinese Singaporean

Peranakan

Overseas Chinese

Malaysian Chinese religion

Demographics of Malaysia

Islam in China

May 13 Incident

New Village

References

;Notes

;Bibliography

Backman, Michael; Butler, Charlotte, ''Big in Asia: 25 strategies for Business Success'', Palgrave Macmillan, 2003, ISBN 0333985117

Ball, James Dyer, ''Things Chinese: Or Notes Connected With China'', 4th edn., Hong Kong

Butcher, John G., ''The Closing of the Frontier: A History of the Marine Fisheries of Southeast Asia, c. 1850-2000'', Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2004, ISBN 9812302239

Constable, Nicole, ''Chinese Politics in Malaysia: A History of the Malaysian Chinese Association'', Oxford University Press, 1988, ISBN 0195888812

Constable, Nicole, ''Guest People: Hakka Identity in China and Abroad'', University of Washington Press, 2005, ISBN 0295984872

Goh, Beng-Lan, ''Modern Dreams: An Inquiry into Power, Cultural Production, and the Cityscape in Contemporary Urban Penang, Malaysia'', 2002, Cornell Univ Southeast Asia, ISBN 0877277303 (0-87727-730-3)

Hara, Fujio, ''Malayan Chinese and China: Conversion in Identity Consciousness, 1945-1957'', NUS Press, 2003, ISBN 9971692651

In-Won Hwang, ''Personalized politics: The Malaysian state Under Mahathir'', Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2003, ISBN 9812301852

International Conference of South-East Asian Historians, Papers on Malayan History, Journal of South-east Asian History., 1962

Megarry, Jacqueline, ''World Yearbook of Education: Education of Minorities'', Taylor & Francis, 2006, ISBN 0415392977

Ooi, Jin-Bee, ''Land, People, and Economy in Malaya'', Longmans, 1963

Owen, Norman G.; Chandler, David, ''The Emergence of Modern Southeast Asia: A New History, University of Hawaii Press, 2005, ISBN 0824828410

Pan, Lynn, ''The Encyclopedia of the Chinese Overseas'', Harvard University Press, 1999, ISBN 0674252101

Tan, Chee Beng, ''Chinese Minority in a Malay State: The Case of Terengganu in Malaysia'', Eastern Universities Press, 2002, ISBN 9812101888

Tan, Chee Beng; Kam, Hing Lee, ''The Chinese in Malaysia'', Oxford University Press, 2002, ISBN 9835600562

Tan, Sooi Beng, ''Ko-tai, A New Form of Chinese Urban Street Theatre in Malaysia'', Southeast Asian Studies, 1984

Toong, Siong Shih, ''The Foochows of Sitiawan: A Historical Perspective'', Persatuan Kutien Daerah Manjung, ISBN 9834182406

Yamashita, Shinji; Eades, Jeremy Seymour, ''Globalization in Southeast Asia: Local, National and Transnational Perspectives'', Berghahn Books, 2003, ISBN 1571812563

Yan, Qinghuang, ''The Chinese in Southeast Asia and Beyond: Socioeconomic and Political Dimensions'', World Scientific, 2008, ISBN 9812790470

External links

The Malaysian Chinese experience

Chinese Chinese Chinese Malaysia

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