Why are Chinese moving to Malaysia by the thousands?
With an election looming, the country’s often fraught race relations are as complicated as ever, but that hasn’t dented its appeal to a ‘third wave’ of immigrants from China
Paul Ying Qian, 32, first tried durian when he was 10 years old in his home town of Hunan ( 湖南 ), China. A family friend had sent his mother the pungent fruit, which the whole family enjoyed. Paul tried durian again when he was studying in Australia, but it was expensive and didn’t match the taste in his memory.
Now he lives in durian-obsessed Malaysia, but it isn’t the fruit that brought him here. It was the temperate weather, cleaner air and mix of Asian values and Western infrastructure. “It’s easy to join in the culture here, and not feel like a total outsider. The different races get on well, and it’s quite near China – much nearer than Australia. The education is good, and the country maintains its traditional face while also experiencing development. Back home the seasons are very dramatic with extremely hot summers and very cold winters. Malaysians are very friendly. I feel this is a good place for my next generation.”
Paul, who gained his residency through the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme, is one of thousands who have settled under the scheme. He has been here since 2009, and his two children, aged one and three, were born in Malaysia.
“I travel between here and China, spending about four months a year in my home town Wuhan (武漢) to take care of the family business. My wife Sophy stays in Malaysia with the kids,” he said.
He discovered Malaysia thanks to his father, who travelled the region in his youth.
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