Malaysia’s Chinese Primary Schools: Saved Yet Threatened by Rising Inflows of Malay Students
James Chai
Non-Chinese pupil enrolment in Malaysia’s vernacular Chinese primary schools (SJKC) has grown significantly over the past decades, from just 3-6 per cent in the 1990s to approximately 20 per cent by 2020, primarily driven by Malay pupils. These demographic shifts in SJKCs present a profound existential challenge to the Chinese community in Malaysia on whether they should preserve the cultural purity of SJKC or adapt to these demographic realities.
