New Villages have no cultural significance, says historian

UKM’s Teo Kok Seong asks whether it is appropriate for Malaysia to claim heritage status that highlights only ‘one ethnicity and one culture’. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: An historian has claimed that the New Villages which were originally established for the Chinese community do not hold any unique cultural significance but are simply part of the community’s conventional culture.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s ethnic studies institute senior fellow Teo Kok Seong said the culture practiced by residents of these New Villages is no different to that which exists in other Chinese settlements.

For that reason, he says, there is no basis for the government to pursue Unesco world heritage status for these villages, he told FMT.

Disputing housing and local government minister Nga Kor Ming’s claim that the Chinese culture lived in the new villages is unique, Teo said:

“(It is) just ordinary Malaysian Chinese culture, and not special like the Baba Nyonya (community) of Melaka where they practice a hybrid Chinese culture.”

Nga had earlier this month said preparations are underway to propose these New Villages in Selangor as Unesco World Heritage Sites, in acknowledgment of their cultural and historical value.

The proposal was rejected by Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki who argued that it would impact the position, constitutional status and rights of the Malays.

Teo said Malaysia should prioritise sites with widespread appeal for Unesco heritage nominations, pointing to George Town and Melaka as key examples.

“George Town and Melaka have consistently displayed a cosmopolitan quality from those days until now. These Chinese New Villages display no cosmopolitan traits. Everything about them is Chinese.

“Does Malaysia wish to make such a submission (to Unesco) when the cultural significance is only about one ethnicity and one culture?” he said.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim Bakar of the Malaysian Historical Society called selecting just one of the many New Villages spread across Malaysia for the accolade a “funny idea”.

“As a neutral historian, I acknowledge that there are cultural elements in these Chinese New Villages, and there are indeed historical aspects. So, they could indeed meet Unesco’s requirements.

“However, such recognition is not suitable for the multicultural society in Malaysia because it might incite racial feelings among different groups,” he told FMT.

Ibrahim said that focusing on these New Villages in Malaysia might raise queries regarding the lack of similar acknowledgment for other new villages housing the Indian community and the settlements of indigenous peoples.

“Hence, it will result in turmoil, which is detrimental to the nation,” he said.