Beijing’s stronger presence in Southeast Asia in recent years has seen a rise in the popularity of Mandarin. Photo: Reuters Beijing’s stronger presence in Southeast Asia in recent years has seen a rise in the popularity of Mandarin. Photo: Reuters
Beijing’s stronger presence in Southeast Asia in recent years has seen a rise in the popularity of Mandarin. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia
This Week in Asia /  Lifestyle & Culture

Meet the Malaysian on a mission to make Hokkien great again, amid Mandarin’s rising popularity in Southeast Asia

  • Linguist Sim Tze Wei has been accused of trying to divide the Chinese people, as there are those who see the use of other Chinese languages ‘as a sign of disunity and weakness’
  • But he points out that Chinese immigrants to Asia have for generations been speaking their own languages, which are being edged out as more turn to learning Mandarin

Topic |   Malaysia
Randy Mulyanto
Randy Mulyanto

Updated: 9:01pm, 24 Jan, 2021

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Beijing’s stronger presence in Southeast Asia in recent years has seen a rise in the popularity of Mandarin. Photo: Reuters Beijing’s stronger presence in Southeast Asia in recent years has seen a rise in the popularity of Mandarin. Photo: Reuters
Beijing’s stronger presence in Southeast Asia in recent years has seen a rise in the popularity of Mandarin. Photo: Reuters
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