The pioneer band of brothers and sisters
TO escape poverty and seek greener pastures, a large group of Cantonese left Guangdong province in China and arrived on the shores of Malacca in the 1800s with nothing more than the shirts on their backs.
They were young and penniless and earned a living by working for British companies in the state for meagre wages. Most received their wages on a piecemeal basis.
Realising the need to protect their people from exploitation and to provide for their welfare, a group of them banded together and formed an association.
Thus, the Ng Yap Wui Kun Association was born in 1898.
The mission was to offer assistance to new arrivals from Guandong, particularly in helping them find employment.
It later became involved in efforts to preserve the distinct culture of its people, besides preserving integral aspects of the community, including instilling values of solidarity, discipline and hard work.
The current chairman of the association, Mak Chee Kin, said the early Cantonese performed every type of menial job that was available before the association opened a window of opportunity for business.
“Over the years, many set up their own businesses and, within a few decades, started employing the natives who were mostly poor fishermen.
“Their contribution in building Malacca into a commercial hub and providing employment to thousands of locals won praise from the British Government,” he said in an interview.
Small businesses like grocery stores and restaurants owned by Cantonese helped boost the economy in Malacca.
The association later realised that there was a need for its members to identify themselves as Malaccans and a constitution was passed to focus on developing the state as a new homeland and emphasising proficiency in English and Malay.
“Many non- members were keen to join the association when the new policy of emphasising English and Malay was made a priority.”
Mak said the admission fee in the early days was RM1 with an annual subscription fee of 20sen.
It was properly registered with the Registrar of Societies in 1949.
The association currently has 90 active members and is involved in organising programmes and education seminars.
Mak said the association has its own brass band that has performed in many special events, including the historic welcome given to Tunku Abdul Rahman when he visited in 1956.
Recently, Mak said the association played host to a Hong Kong researcher.
He said the Hong Kong Government was keen to research the history of macheh, a group of domestic helpers who were brought to Malacca long before maids from Indonesia and Cambodia made their way here.
Mak said the macheh from southern China were female maids hired by affluent Chinese households in Malaya.
“As the macheh were of Cantonese origin, they are an integral part of our ancestry,” Mak said.