KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 — Over the past 20 years, Sungai Pelek assemblyman Lwi Kian Keong has witnessed the demographics of Chio Chiao Primary Chinese School in his hometown of Sepang undergo a significant change.

In a report by The Straits Times, Lwi, also the chairman of the Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) at Chio Chiao school, said PTA meetings are now conducted in Mandarin and Malay to include non-Mandarin speaking parents.

"Hosted in a school hall, we avoid displaying brewery logos on the advertisement board and our T-shirts,” said Lwi.

"We aim to be considerate of the feelings of Malay parents,” he added.

In 2004, 80 per cent of students at Chio Chiao Primary Chinese School in Sepang were Chinese, but today, 80 per cent are Malays.

This trend is seen across Chinese schools in Malaysia, with increasing non-Chinese enrolments, especially from the Malay community, despite Mandarin being the main medium of instruction.

Figures from the Education Ministry show Bumiputera students in Chinese primary schools have risen to 18.52 per cent in 2024, nearly doubling from 9.5 per cent in 2010.

Ethnic Indians in these schools rose to 2.75 per cent in 2020, from 1.67 per cent a decade ago.

Chinese schools are making adjustments to accommodate the new students while maintaining their ethnic identity, values, and culture.

PTA also requests vendors at school events to offer food that can be enjoyed by all races.

Chinese schools provide halal food options in canteens and have rooms for Muslim students to pray.

These adjustments acknowledge Malaysia’s majority ethnic group and aim to avoid provoking opposition parties.

Maintaining a balance between preserving Chinese customs and respecting Muslim sensitivities is not an easy task.

Vernacular schools rely on private sector funds due to insufficient government funding.

Since the 1980s, Malaysian breweries have teamed up with vernacular newspapers to raise funds for Chinese schools through concerts held at school hall dinners.

For instance, Carlsberg-Nanyang Siang Pau/China Press and Tiger-Sinchew Daily/Guangming Daily have collectively raised RM568 million and RM407 million, respectively, from these events over the years.

"Breweries have been part of the Chinese education fundraising movement for 30 years. They sponsor fun fairs and events,” said United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) chairman Datuk Tan Yew Sing, as quoted by the Straits Times.

He said more Bumiputera students are choosing Chinese schools due to the rising value of Mandarin, strong school ethos, and superior teaching in Science and Mathematics.

"With China’s rise as the world’s second-largest economy, the commercial value of Mandarin has increased.

"Even ordinary rural Malays are sending their children to Chinese schools to learn Mandarin, improve job prospects, and interact better with Chinese Malaysians,” Tan added.

When asked why she placed her children in Chinese schools, Nur Aslinda Mohd Nasir, 33, said: "I want my kids to integrate into a multicultural society and not socialise within a single group.”

Nur Aslinda, who is a journalist, told The Straits Times she has one child in a Chinese primary school and two others in a Chinese kindergarten.

Phoon Wing Keong, head of the Chinese community think tank Huayan Policy Institute, acknowledged the need to address this issue in a multicultural society.

"But we need to respect the rights of choice in a multicultural society. You may not drink, but you must respect others’ right to drink,” he added.

A recent incident involving Tiger Beer — one of the country’s biggest beer brand — at a school event attended by Sepang MP and deputy minister Aiman Athirah Sabu highlighted these tensions.

At a fund-raising dinner on July 14, Aiman was pictured with a mock cheque bearing the Tiger Beer logo.

The move was then criticised by Islamist party PAS for allegedly "normalising” alcohol consumption.

Aiman responded, calling PAS leaders "hypocrites” for their double standards during political campaigns.