Chief Minister: Ties go back long before British came into the country

MUAR: The Malays have accepted the Chinese and Indians as family members long before the British came into the country, said Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Mohd Ali Rustam.

Mohd Ali said the ties between the Malays and the Chinese was documented in history.

He said Sultan Mansur Shah (1456-1477) of Malacca married a Chinese princess called Hang Li Po and the sultanate developed close relations with the Chinese emperor through Admiral Cheng Ho.

MUAR: The Malays have accepted the Chinese and Indians as family members long before the British came into the country, said Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Mohd Ali Rustam.

Mohd Ali said the ties between the Malays and the Chinese was documented in history.

He said Sultan Mansur Shah (1456-1477) of Malacca married a Chinese princess called Hang Li Po and the sultanate developed close relations with the Chinese emperor through Admiral Cheng Ho.

Kind gesture: Ali Rustam(second from left) presenting a certificate, a plaque and some cash to Eng Kea Bai (second from right) while Mohd Ismail (left), Muar Wanita Umno chief Ramlah Ismail (centre) and Muar MCA division chief Tay Puay Chuan (right) look on.

The ties were so strong that the early people of Malacca even named the hill in the Malacca town Bukit Cina, he said.

Many other places also reflected the importance of the Chinese including Kampung Lubuk Cina and Ramian Cina, he said when launching the Maharani constituencys Juara Rakyat programme on Sunday.

Mohd Ali said since the names were given a long time ago, it showed the Malays had accepted the Chinese a long time ago.

He said it was a similar case with the Indians because the early people of Malacca respected and a! ccepted the community and had named a cape known as Malacca Tanjung Keling.

However, he added, the work keling was now regarded as offensive.

He said the bond developed by the different races in the country had helped to make Malaysia peaceful and progressive over the years.

Earlier, Muar Umno division chief Datuk Mohd Ismail Mohd Shah said the Juara Rakyat programme was aimed at fostering greater understanding among the people.

He said the programme, organised by Wanita Umno Muar, was held in Taman Aman, which had about 80% Chinese residents.

Although most of the residents here are Chinese and 20% Malays and Indians, their communal commitment towards one another is very strong.

They also have good Rukun Tetangga and Rela teams which look after the safety and security of the scheme together, he added.

-The Star-