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