英国殖民当局与马华公会的成立

The British Colonial Authorities and the Establishment of Malayan Chinese Association

针对学术界对马华公会成立过程的不同观点和分歧,在认真研究英国殖民部相关档案的基础上,在马来亚华人社会的分化问题、马华公会领袖们的组织宗旨、英国殖民当局在马华公会成立过程中的作用等方面进行了探讨。得出结论,华社并不总是处于一盘散沙的状态,在某种特定的条件下是能做到团结一致的;马华公会是英国殖民当局发起成立的组织,英国殖民当局在马华公会成立过程中发挥了决定性的作用。英国殖民当局的主要动机是希望马华公会成为协助当局恢复秩序的政治力量;马华公会的华社领袖们则希望与马来族群合作,结束英国殖民统治,建立一个新的民族国家。

Views concerning the formation of MCA are divergent and conflicting in the academic research. Based on a careful study of published British colonial archives, this article examines three key issues pertinent to the topic, i. e. whether the Malayan Chinese community was divided, what the aim pursued by the MCA leaders would be, and what role played by the British colonial authorities in the formation of MCA. The author contends that the Malayan Chinese community was not always divided, and it could be united under certain conditions. It is pointed out that the MCA is an organisation initiated by the British Malayan colonial authorities, the role played by the British colonial authorities in the establishment of MCA was important and decisive. While the British colonial authorities expected the MCA to be a political partner to help the colonial government restore ruling order, elites of MCA aimed at establishing a new nation state and put an end to the British colonial rule by collaborating with the Malay ethnic community.