大马客联会署理会长拿督谢诗坚博士 在槟州客属公会69周年宴庆致词

25-10-08

1. 今年会庆的主题是《客家村宏愿之夜》。这是我们立下的一个未来大方向，希望在3年之内，美梦成真。整个构思是这样孕育而成的：

2006年，大马客联会在槟州客属公会四楼设立的“马来西亚客家文物馆”正式开幕，占地4000方尺，为全马客家人首开先河。在会馆内展示了先贤的南来历史与奋斗有成的史迹。由于布局手法新颖，浓缩有序，突出了客家人在马来西亚建国的丰功伟业，予参观者留下深刻的印象。

2. 在这之后前来参观者都对客家文物馆的别出心裁赞不绝口，并从中认识到客家人在历史上的重要地位；尤其是来自海外的学者，也意外地发现原来槟城是客家人的发祥地。正因为这样，当台湾国立中央大学客家学院的数位教授于2007年造访时，我们提出了要求他们协助把客家文物馆打造成研究海外客家人的基地之一；同时也向他们提出在槟岛有一个客家村的存在，但从来没有人研究和发掘，因此只能会意，无法成形。就这样，我们和这批学者建立了双向联系，容他们回去后组织队伍来到槟城浮罗山背做田野调查。

3. 本来这批学者计划在今年春节过后就要到浮罗山背做一个初步调查研究，但碍于我们尚未将浮罗山背客家人组织起来，请他们在今年下半年才来。

为了配合调查研究和查证客家村的真实性，我们在今年初经过数次的会议后，决定组成“槟州客属公会浮罗山背客家村联络委员会”，并在四月在圣心中学举行成立大会，为示隆重，恭请客家部长廖中莱主持开幕仪式。出乎我们意料之外，惊动了浮罗的客家人，以致得以在短时间内成立一个阵容鼎盛的联委会。换句话说，客属公会已从城市走向农村，形成一个令人侧目的客家圈。

4. 今年六月我们终于热烈迎来了中央大学客家学院由5位学者教授带领其它8名研究生组成的13人队伍，分开两组在浮罗山背进行实地调查研究。一个是语言组，另一个是社会组，为期一周至10天不等。

经他们研究确定，在历史上浮罗山背曾经是客家人聚居的地方，起源于太平天国（1851-1868）之前及之后。这个年代正好是槟榔屿开埠后的50年左右（槟榔屿于1786年被英人莱特占领而成为开路先驱）。

这就是说，当年最早移居槟榔屿的，先在乔治市落脚，直到50年后才向山区发展。浮罗山背的得天独厚的天然环境成了海外移民的另一个新起点。由于英国人需要大量的劳工在山区种植荳蔻和丁香，以供应西方市场。于是在移民浪潮中有不少的客家先贤随至而来。他们之所以选择在山区居住是有历史根源的。因为客家人在中国时本来就与世无争，择山峦贫瘠之地而居，过着清苦的农耕生活。客家人的“耕读传家”的美名也在后来传诵一时，原来客家人除勤于劳动外，也热爱读书，一个耕读社会因此与客家人浑成一体。

正因为这样，我们及台湾的学者调查后发现，浮罗山背的客家人有三个特色。其一他们多数来自嘉应，惠州及大埔等，但客家话相通，而且也参杂当地的马来语；其二他们早期也具有太平天国洪秀全的革命精神，卷入当时的马共活动，家庭成员或加入马共或亲共已是公开的秘密；三，也因为洪秀全是基督教徒，南迁的客家人一早就加入天主教会。浮罗山背拥有一座已有150余年历史的天主教会，历久不衰为一明证。这个教会早期还是用客家话传教的。同时浮罗山背早期的华校，也是用客家话教导的。凡此种种，浮罗山背与客家人有了一份难以割舍的情愿结。

5. 正是浮罗山背具备了进一步田调的价值，在下个月又有中央大学客家学院的学者联合本土学者到来取材和取证，他们希望会有更大的收获。目前我们确定的是双溪槟榔及浮罗文丁是名副其实的客家村，其它乡镇也分布不少客家人。

抑有进者，一批高水平的台湾六名学者将在明年正月组成《东南亚工作坊》，准备在槟城，新山及诗巫与当地的学者进行交流，并以客家研究为主轴。届时中大将与本会馆及韩江学院共同合作，以把这个客家村的研究带入较高层次的学术领域。

6. 台湾中央大学客家学院允应为浮罗山背客家村提出一份报告书，然后将根据实况作出客家村设立的计划书。一旦我们有了全盘的计划和完整报告书，我们会向槟州政府提出申请，在适当的地方建立起客家村的地标，当然也欢迎私人界献地和作出献议，包括发展商可将其计纳入客家村的概念，至于规模的大小，尚在探讨中，是要突出马来西亚客家式的建筑风格或是引用中国的土楼模式，还需要从长计议。但基本上我们的初步共识是不失马来西亚的文化色彩。因为浮罗山背的客家人已融入当地社会，有马来人的，印度人的及各种籍贯华人的文化背景。这种独特性又是全世界找不到的。

在这方面，我们准备用3年的时间来打造客家村；也把现成的客家文物馆发展成研究海外客家文化的基地之一。这就是为什么我们今年打出“客家村宏愿”的主题，这是我们未来的一个梦，以便马来西亚建立起第一个客家村，以成为旅游景点和彰显客家人的一个地标。

Speech by Dato’ Dr. Cheah See Kian, the Vice President of the Federation of Malaysia Hakka Associations

1. “Hakka Village Vision” night is the resounding theme of this Year Anniversary celebration. This being the goal we set for the future project which we wished to achieve within period of three years . The whole idea or inspiration resonated when:

In the year 2006, the Malaysian Hakka Heritage Centre with a floor area of 4,000 sq.feet & located at the 4th. Floor of the Penang Khek Association was officially declared open by the Federation of Malaysia Hakka Associations, representing the 1st. lead for the Hakka community of Malaysia. The Centre features the history and account of the endurance and final success stories of the Hakka ancestors who migrated from China to Malaysia. The visitors were greatly impressed by its unique ,orderly & succinct narration and presentation that feature the contribution of the Hakka people in the development of the country of Malaysia.

2. Since then visitors were so impressed with the unique features of the Centre and came to know the historical importance of the Hakka; especially the scholars from overseas also accidentally found out that Penang represents the source area of development for the Hakka.

In the year 2007 when scholars from the Hakka Research Centre of the National Central University of Taiwan came to Penang, we requested them to help up-moulding the Hakka Heritage Centre as one of the overseas base for Hakka Research; also we conveyed to them the existence of a Hakka village in Penang which was still unexplored and which so far no research had been done . Through this , we managed to foster mutual good relationship with these scholars which made way for the formation of a research team for further field -work research on the Hakka settlement of Balik Pulau .

3. Originally , the scholars planned to come to Balik Pulau in early of this year to carry out the preliminary research . However, we preferred them to come during the second half of the year as by then the Hakka communities would be more organized with the setting up of the Balik Pulau Hakka Village joint committe.

To facilitate research and evaluation work on the existence of a Hakka village in Balik Pulau, we went ahead to set up the “Penang Khek Association Balik Pulau Hakka Village Joint Committe” for better coordination with the Hakka peoples in Balik Pulau. We were astonished by the overwhelming support we received which enable the Committee be set up within such a short period. We invited the Minister of Health Datuk Liow Tiong Lai who is also Hakka to officiate the Swearing –in Ceremony which was held on 1st.June 08 at the Hall of SMJK. Sacred Heart . In short, we are heading from urban to rural area and creating a spectacular ring of association with all the Hakka people.

4. In June of this year, we thus set to welcome the arrival of a group of scholars consisting of five professors and eight research personnel from the Hakka Research Unit of the National Central University of Taiwan . This research team was divided into two group to probe on the linguistic aspect and the social sphere of study respectively . This study took about 1 week to 10 days as schedule.

The finding of the research affirmed Balik Pullau was once resided by large number of Hakka people. Many moved to Balik Pulau sometime prior and after the Taiping Rebellion(Year 1851 to 1868 ) viz. about 50 years after Penang island was developed for business (Penang Island was acquired by Captain Francis Light of England in 1786) .This is to say that the immigrants from China first settled in Georgetown then only further shifted to the hill region fifty years later. The favourable natural resources and environment of Balik Pulau soon became another start point of settlement and development for the early immigrants. The great market demand for spices in western countries at the time also created much job opportunity in the nutmeg and clove plantation of the English colonial for the early immigrants.

The Hakka immigrants chose to settle in the hill region for the Hakka people of China had lived in the desolated hilly places for times and were mainly involved in agricultural activities and led a simple and hard living. They were not only hardworking but also education –conscious which resembles the traditional characteristic of the Hakka people at large.

Finding of the scholars from Taiwan revealed three special characteristic of the Hakka people in Balik Pulau; firstly though they are from different origin of Kar Yin , Fooi Chew and Taipu ,they basically using the same dialect with some mixture of local Malay dialect; Secondly,they were influenced by the revolutionary spirit of the Taiping rebellion led by Hong Xiu Quan the Heavenly King for they participated in the Communist activities & movements in those days and thirdly many of them just like Hong Xiu Quan adopted the sam religion .They joined the Protestant Catholic Church in Balik Pulau which has a history of 150 years and remains same today as proof of evidence. In those days, the Church used the Hakka dialect as media of communication, so did the Chinese schools in Balik Pulau in those days.

5.Next month, there will be another group of scholars from the Hakka Research Centre of the National Centre Universtity of Taiwan coming to Balik Pulau to explore the historical evidence of the Hakka in Balik Pulau. The Sungai Pinang and Pulau Bunting area of Balik Pulau being a real Hakka village, though there are Hakka in other area too.

Besides, six scholars of high intellectual also schedule to come to Balik Pulau in Jan, 2009 to hold a workshop on the research work, they will have interaction with the local intellectuals of Penang, Johor and Sibu on the main issue of Hakka study & research. The workshop
Will be held in collaboration with the Penang Khek Association and the Han Chiang College with the purpose of bringing the Hakka Village study into the perspective of the intellectual.

6.The Hakka Research Centre of the National Central Universtity of Taiwan promised to provide a report on Hakka Village of Balik Pulau. We will base on the report to work out a complete plan on the construction of the Hakka Village and will submit our application to the Penang authority for allocation of land for building the Hakka Village landmark. In this respect, we welcome donation of land from private sector or proposal if any; this include adoption of the idea of Hakka village into their housing development plan, will need to review on the area-coverage and type of architecture if as that of the Hakka traditional “Tu Lou” or of Malaysian Hakka . Basically we have come to term that it is better to adopt one which depicts our unique multi culture of Malaysia.

With this we share the same dream of building a Hakka Village which we hope to materialize within period of three years, having the 1st. Hakka Village in Malaysia.