Chinese Malaysian

Chinese Malaysian are overseas Chinese who reside in Malaysia. Most are descendants of Chinese who arrived between the 17th and 19th centuries. Some people also refer to this group as the Malaysian Chinese though the term Malaysian Chinese tends to be grammatically incorrect.

Related Topics:
Overseas Chinese - Malaysia - 17th - 19th centuries

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Chinese Malaysian maintain a distinct communal identity and intermarriage with native Malays is fairly uncommon due to the factor of Islam (such a marriage in Malaysia requires the non-Muslim party to convert in order to be legal). Most of them consider their being "Chinese" both a political and ethnic identity.

Related Topics:
Islam - Muslim

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They have traditionally dominated the Malaysian economy, but with the advent of affirmative action policies by the Malaysian government, their share has eroded somewhat. On most counts however, they still make up the majority of the middle and upper income classes of Malaysia. As of 2004, Chinese in Malaysia accounts for more than 6 million in population.

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