Tamil Malaysians, also known as Malaysian Tamilar, are people of full or partial Tamil descent who were born in or immigrated to Malaysia from Tamil Nadu, India and the Tamil regions of north-east Sri Lanka. The majority of 1.8–2 million people 80% of the Malaysian Indian populations in Malaysia were from Indian Tamil ethnic groups from Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. The bulk of Tamil Malaysian migration began during the British Raj, when Britain facilitated the migration of Indian workers to work in plantations. There are, however, some established Tamil communities from before British colonialism.[2][3]
Relations between Tamils and, what is now, Malaysia have existed for more than 2000 years. The ancient Tamil poetic work Paṭṭiṉappālai refers to the territory of modern Malaysia as Kaalagam (Tamil: காழகம்).[4][5]
Tamil literature from the 10th and 11th centuries refers to the modern Malaysian state of Kedah as Kadaram (Tamil: கடாரம்)
The Malay Peninsula had a strong Tamil culture in the 11th century, and Tamil merchant guilds were established in several locations.[8] By that time, Tamils were among the important trading peoples of maritime Asia. Although the bulk of these immigrants to South East Asia had assimilated with the majority Malay ethnic group, some communities such as the Malacca Chittys are remnants of these earlier Tamil migrants.[9]
During the British colonial era, Britain facilitated the migration of Indian workers to work in plantations. The overwhelming majority of migrants from India were ethnic Tamil and from the Madras Presidency now Tamil Nadu of the British Empire.
Many of those migrants from Tamil Nadu settled permanently in Malaysia and became shopkeepers and entrepreneurs.
Tamil Indian freedom fighters Maruthu Pandiyar relatives and 72 soldiers were deported to Penang in the year 1802 by the Madras Presidency Government (British India Government).[10]
Siam Burma Death RailwayEdit
Malaysian Tamils during the construction of Death railway between June 1942 to October 1943.
During the Second World War, the Japanese army used more than 120,000 Tamils in the construction of a 415km railway between Siam and Burma to transport army supplies. During this project, it was initially believed that half of them (around 60,000) perished.
However, recent research revealed that at least 150,000 Indian Tamils were killed during the duration of the Siam railway project. They fell victim to snake bites and insect bites, diseases like cholera, malaria & beriberi, massacre, torture, rape, committed suicide, etc. as they were unable to bear the burden.[11]
In order to wipe out cholera, Japanese forces launched huge massacres against the Indians, killing massive numbers of the Tamils daily. Handfuls of Tamils also died weekly from overwork.[12][13]
Other methods of executing the Indian Tamils included burning them and their entire families to death. Japanese officers would also invite female Indian coolies to dance naked where they were raped afterward. The Japanese officials who finished gang raping numerous Indian women at a Japanese party was violent that one Indian woman was raped to death as a result. One 19 year old Tamil Indian was raped by a Japanese soldier who later forced other Tamil coolies to rape her as a joke. She later died after being defiled by bamboo strips.[14]
LanguageEdit
Tamil is an educational language in Malaysia, with more than 500 Tamil medium schools. According to Harold Schiffman, an American researcher into Malaysian Tamils, compared to Singapore, language maintenance is favourable in Malaysia. However, he notes some Tamils are shifting to English and Malay.[15] Although most Tamil students still go to publicly funded schools that teach primary subjects in Tamil language there are moves to shift to the Malay language. Tamil groups have objected to this policy.[16]
Economic conditionEdit
Malaysian Tamils had the opportunity to integrate with the expanding economy of Malaysia since 1970 under the New Economic Policy (NEP). Although the bulk of them still remain as workers in the plantation sector in rubber and palm oil estates at those times very many have moved out as blue collar and white collar workers in the expanding industrial sector. They are also found in civil service, professional sector, media and finance. One of Malaysia's wealthiest men Ananda Krishnan is of Malaysian Tamil origin. Overall it is one of the most dynamic Indian communities compared to other Indian diaspora groups such as in Fiji, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.[2]
Political conditionEdit
The Malaysian political process is based on a cooperative political alliance of three major political parties, each representing an ethnic community. Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) represents the interests of the Malaysian Indian community at the federal level. Due to overwhelming natural presence, Malaysian Tamils have come to dominate the MIC since its inception. Samy Vellu, who is the longest serving leader of a mainstream Malaysian political party, having been MIC president since October 12, 1979 is a Malaysian Tamil, as are many of the office bearers of the party. In recent times the underclass of the Indian community have been galvanised by the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) to fight for their rights. HINDRAF was classified as an illegal organisation on 15 October 2008 and most of its top leaders have been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA). In July 2018 Malaysian police launched a probe into P. Ramasamy's, deputy chief minister of Penang, alleged ties to LTTE.[17]
This is a list of notable Tamil Malaysians. Entries on this list have a linked current article which verifies that they identify themselves as Tamil Malaysian, and whose ethnic origins lie in either Tamil Nadu (India), or Sri Lanka.
^Project, Joshua. "Tamil (Hindu traditions) in Malaysia".
^ abCulture and economy:Tamils in the plantation sector 1998-99 2017-03-24 at the Wayback Machine (April 2000)
^ Ethnic identity and News Media preference in Malaysia 2007-08-28 at the Wayback Machine (November 2006)
^திருநாவுக்கரசு, க.த., தென்கிழக்காசிய நாடுகளில் தமிழ்ப்பண்பாடு, p. 294.
^Uruttirangannanar. Pathinenmaelkanakku(PDF). p. 294. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
^Prehistory of the Indo-Malaysian Archipelago by Peter Bellwood p.137
^Studies in Southeast Asian Art: Essays in Honor of Stanley J. O'Connor by Stanley J. O'Connor,Nora A. Taylor p.196
^Southeast Asia: From Prehistory to History by Ian Glover p.247
^Sneddon, James (2003). The Indonesian Language: Its history and role in modern society. Sydney: University of South Wales Press Ltd. p. 73.
^சிவகங்கைச் சரித்திர அம்மானை. Madras Government Oriental Manuscripts Series No: 34
^"The real Kwai killed over 1.50 lakh Tamils". The Hindu. Aug 27, 2016. Retrieved Sep 21, 2016.
^Lomax, Eric (11 April 2014). The Railway Man: A POW's Searing Account of War, Brutality and Forgiveness by Eric Lomax. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 158. ISBN9780393344073.
^Kratoska, Paul H. (2006). The Thailand-Burma Railway, 1942-1946: Asian labour. Taylor & Francis. ISBN9780415309547.
^(PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-01-06. Retrieved 2019-04-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ Schiffman, Harold (1998-12-31). "Malaysian Tamils and Tamil Linguistic Culture". University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 2007-08-27.
^ Tong, YS (2006-12-23). "Tamil groups object to language-switch policy". Malaysiakini. Retrieved 2007-08-27.
^"Malaysian Cops Launch Probe Over Politician's Alleged Ties to Tamil Tigers". Retrieved 16 September 2018.
^"65 Fellows Elected into the American Academy of Microbiology". ASM.org. February 16, 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
External linksEdit
Markers of ethnic identity: focus on the Malaysian Tamil community
Media related to Tamil Malaysians at Wikimedia Commons
October 21, 2023
tamil, malaysians, also, known, malaysian, tamilar, people, full, partial, tamil, descent, were, born, immigrated, malaysia, from, tamil, nadu, india, tamil, regions, north, east, lanka, majority, million, people, malaysian, indian, populations, malaysia, were. Tamil Malaysians also known as Malaysian Tamilar are people of full or partial Tamil descent who were born in or immigrated to Malaysia from Tamil Nadu India and the Tamil regions of north east Sri Lanka The majority of 1 8 2 million people 80 of the Malaysian Indian populations in Malaysia were from Indian Tamil ethnic groups from Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka The bulk of Tamil Malaysian migration began during the British Raj when Britain facilitated the migration of Indian workers to work in plantations There are however some established Tamil communities from before British colonialism 2 3 Malaysians of Tamil originமல ச யத தம ழர கள A group of Tamil people in British Malaya 1898 Total populationApproximately 1 971 000 1 Regions with significant populations Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia SingaporeLanguagesTamil English and MalayReligionHinduism Christianity Buddhism IslamRelated ethnic groupsTamil Tamil Muslim Indian Tamils Indian Singaporeans Sri Lankan Tamil Malaysian Malayali Telugu Malaysians Dravidians Contents 1 Precolonial period 2 Colonial period 3 Siam Burma Death Railway 4 Language 5 Economic condition 6 Political condition 7 Notable people 8 See also 9 References 10 External linksPrecolonial period EditMain articles Malaysian Indians and Tamil and Sanskrit inscriptions in Malaysia nbsp Tamil woman in Malay Peninsula circa 1910 Relations between Tamils and what is now Malaysia have existed for more than 2000 years The ancient Tamil poetic work Paṭṭiṉappalai refers to the territory of modern Malaysia as Kaalagam Tamil க ழகம 4 5 Tamil literature from the 10th and 11th centuries refers to the modern Malaysian state of Kedah as Kadaram Tamil கட ரம Prior to British colonization Tamils had been conspicuous in the archipelago much earlier especially since the period of the powerful South Indian kingdom of the Cholas in the 11th century The Pallava dynasty of Tamil Nadu spread Tamil culture and the Tamil script to Malaysia 6 The Tamil emperor Rajendra Chola I of the Chola dynasty invaded Srivijaya in the 11th century 7 The Malay Peninsula had a strong Tamil culture in the 11th century and Tamil merchant guilds were established in several locations 8 By that time Tamils were among the important trading peoples of maritime Asia Although the bulk of these immigrants to South East Asia had assimilated with the majority Malay ethnic group some communities such as the Malacca Chittys are remnants of these earlier Tamil migrants 9 Colonial period Edit nbsp A Tamil girl in Malay peninsula circa 1910 During the British colonial era Britain facilitated the migration of Indian workers to work in plantations The overwhelming majority of migrants from India were ethnic Tamil and from the Madras Presidency now Tamil Nadu of the British Empire Many of those migrants from Tamil Nadu settled permanently in Malaysia and became shopkeepers and entrepreneurs Tamil Indian freedom fighters Maruthu Pandiyar relatives and 72 soldiers were deported to Penang in the year 1802 by the Madras Presidency Government British India Government 10 Siam Burma Death Railway Edit nbsp Malaysian Tamils during the construction of Death railway between June 1942 to October 1943 Main article Burma Railway During the Second World War the Japanese army used more than 120 000 Tamils in the construction of a 415km railway between Siam and Burma to transport army supplies During this project it was initially believed that half of them around 60 000 perished However recent research revealed that at least 150 000 Indian Tamils were killed during the duration of the Siam railway project They fell victim to snake bites and insect bites diseases like cholera malaria amp beriberi massacre torture rape committed suicide etc as they were unable to bear the burden 11 In order to wipe out cholera Japanese forces launched huge massacres against the Indians killing massive numbers of the Tamils daily Handfuls of Tamils also died weekly from overwork 12 13 Other methods of executing the Indian Tamils included burning them and their entire families to death Japanese officers would also invite female Indian coolies to dance naked where they were raped afterward The Japanese officials who finished gang raping numerous Indian women at a Japanese party was violent that one Indian woman was raped to death as a result One 19 year old Tamil Indian was raped by a Japanese soldier who later forced other Tamil coolies to rape her as a joke She later died after being defiled by bamboo strips 14 Language EditTamil is an educational language in Malaysia with more than 500 Tamil medium schools According to Harold Schiffman an American researcher into Malaysian Tamils compared to Singapore language maintenance is favourable in Malaysia However he notes some Tamils are shifting to English and Malay 15 Although most Tamil students still go to publicly funded schools that teach primary subjects in Tamil language there are moves to shift to the Malay language Tamil groups have objected to this policy 16 Economic condition EditMalaysian Tamils had the opportunity to integrate with the expanding economy of Malaysia since 1970 under the New Economic Policy NEP Although the bulk of them still remain as workers in the plantation sector in rubber and palm oil estates at those times very many have moved out as blue collar and white collar workers in the expanding industrial sector They are also found in civil service professional sector media and finance One of Malaysia s wealthiest men Ananda Krishnan is of Malaysian Tamil origin Overall it is one of the most dynamic Indian communities compared to other Indian diaspora groups such as in Fiji Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago 2 Political condition EditThe Malaysian political process is based on a cooperative political alliance of three major political parties each representing an ethnic community Malaysian Indian Congress MIC represents the interests of the Malaysian Indian community at the federal level Due to overwhelming natural presence Malaysian Tamils have come to dominate the MIC since its inception Samy Vellu who is the longest serving leader of a mainstream Malaysian political party having been MIC president since October 12 1979 is a Malaysian Tamil as are many of the office bearers of the party In recent times the underclass of the Indian community have been galvanised by the Hindu Rights Action Force HINDRAF to fight for their rights HINDRAF was classified as an illegal organisation on 15 October 2008 and most of its top leaders have been detained under the Internal Security Act ISA In July 2018 Malaysian police launched a probe into P Ramasamy s deputy chief minister of Penang alleged ties to LTTE 17 Notable people EditThis is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources This is a list of notable Tamil Malaysians Entries on this list have a linked current article which verifies that they identify themselves as Tamil Malaysian and whose ethnic origins lie in either Tamil Nadu India or Sri Lanka David Arumugam singer Loganathan Arumugam singer R Arumugam Malaysian football player R G Balan Malaya freedom fighter Sabrina Beneett Miss Universe Malaysia 2014 Anbil P Dharmalingam Malaysian football player S A Ganapathy trade unionist and Malaya freedom fighter G Gnanalingam businessman Punch Gunalan Malaysian badminton player Sybil Kathigasu Malaysian freedom fighter Ananda Krishnan businessman Sri Lankan Tamil Kalai Mathee Professor and Research Scientist First Malaysian women to be inducted into as a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology in 2021 18 M Kulasegaran lawyer and the incumbent minister of Human Resources M Magendran first Malaysian to conquer Mount Everest V Manickavasagam former Minister of Telecommunications Ramon Navaratnam economist and former Secretary General of Ministry of Transport Ramasamy Palanisamy deputy chief minister of Penang state G Palanivel former Minister of Natural Resources and Environment K Thamboosamy Pillay businessman founder of Batu Caves and Sri Mahamariamman Temple Waytha Moorthy Ponnusamy lawyer and human rights activist V T Sambanthan one of the founding fathers of Malaysia Vinod Sekhar businessman B C Shekhar scientist modernized Malaysia s natural rubber industry K Rajagopal Malaysian football manager Shan Ratnam scientist obstetrics and gynecology Subramaniam Sathasivam Minister of Health B Sathianathan Malaysian football manager Ambiga Sreenevasan lawyer and human rights advocate K Thanabalasingam Rear Admiral Rtd Royal Malaysian Navy Tun Ali of Malacca ancient ruler of Malacca Tun Fatimah Malaccan politician wife of Mahmud Shah of Malacca Tun Mutahir of Malacca 7th Bendahara of the Sultanate of Malacca P Uthayakumar lawyer and human rights activist S Vanajah finalist of the Malaysian space program Angkasawan program Dhilip Varman musician singer and lyricist Renuga Veeran Australian badminton player Thirumurugan Veeran Malaysian football player P Veerasenan trade unionist and Malaya freedom fighter Samy Vellu former Minister of Works and former Minister of Energy Telecommunications and Posts M Viatilingam Malaysian football player Jaclyn Victor singer actressSee also Edit nbsp Malaysia portal nbsp Tamils portalTamil South Africans Tamil Canadians List of Malaysian Tamils of Ceylonese origin Malaysian MalayaliReferences Edit Project Joshua Tamil Hindu traditions in Malaysia a b Culture and economy Tamils in the plantation sector 1998 99 Archived 2017 03 24 at the Wayback Machine April 2000 Ethnic identity and News Media preference in Malaysia Archived 2007 08 28 at the Wayback Machine November 2006 த ர ந வ க கரச க த த ன க ழக க ச ய ந ட கள ல தம ழ ப பண ப ட p 294 Uruttirangannanar Pathinenmaelkanakku PDF p 294 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a work ignored help Prehistory of the Indo Malaysian Archipelago by Peter Bellwood p 137 Studies in Southeast Asian Art Essays in Honor of Stanley J O Connor by Stanley J O Connor Nora A Taylor p 196 Southeast Asia From Prehistory to History by Ian Glover p 247 Sneddon James 2003 The Indonesian Language Its history and role in modern society Sydney University of South Wales Press Ltd p 73 ச வகங க ச சர த த ர அம ம ன Madras Government Oriental Manuscripts Series No 34 The real Kwai killed over 1 50 lakh Tamils The Hindu Aug 27 2016 Retrieved Sep 21 2016 Lomax Eric 11 April 2014 The Railway Man A POW s Searing Account of War Brutality and Forgiveness by Eric Lomax W W Norton amp Company p 158 ISBN 9780393344073 Kratoska Paul H 2006 The Thailand Burma Railway 1942 1946 Asian labour Taylor amp Francis ISBN 9780415309547 Archived copy PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2021 01 06 Retrieved 2019 04 09 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link Schiffman Harold 1998 12 31 Malaysian Tamils and Tamil Linguistic Culture University of Pennsylvania Retrieved 2007 08 27 Tong YS 2006 12 23 Tamil groups object to language switch policy Malaysiakini Retrieved 2007 08 27 Malaysian Cops Launch Probe Over Politician s Alleged Ties to Tamil Tigers Retrieved 16 September 2018 65 Fellows Elected into the American Academy of Microbiology ASM org February 16 2021 Retrieved 2021 12 14 External links EditMarkers of ethnic identity focus on the Malaysian Tamil community nbsp Media related to Tamil Malaysians at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tamil Malaysians amp oldid 1177321070, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
