Sir Frank Swettenham - British Malaya

My friend emailed to me this link to the above book by Sir Frank Swettenham
He referred me to page 231 and 232 that talked about the hard working Chinese tin miners that brought in capital, they cleared the forest, constructed road, etc etc and they produced half the world's tin supply............"Their energy and enterprise have made the Malay States what they are today" .............

I am a Chinese, my father came from China when he was 16, he came here because of the Sino-Japanese war in China. I believe most of the early Chinese that came here (Bolehland) were more because of wars, famines or business rather than they came here with the mission to help the local. I know Chinese businessman very well, when they take out $1 only when there is a chance to double or triple the $1. They cleared forest, they constructed road, etc, were more for business, trade, making money, transporting tin, machinery and food supply, etc. and not so much to meet the local's social needs. They worked hard to make money, to survive and to send money back to China to their families. I don't believe they worked hard to help to develop this 'Bolehland', development was only a byproduct and not as their main mission.

A fact remains that these Chinese did contributed to the development of the Malay States whether intentionally or unintentionally. Before 1957 the Chinese were hand in hand with other races to fight for the Independance of the Malay States. After 35 years of independance it is ridiculous to hear terms such as 'Pendatang' or 'Ketuanan'. All Malaysian are pendatang except the Orang Laut, the Jakun, the Kadazan, the Iban and other natives, the only difference is the place of origin of the pendatang; the Chinese came from the north, others came from the north (Yunan), the west (India) and the south, but we are all Malaysian.