National Archives of Library

Release No.: 29/NOV 03B-1/96/l1\09

SPEECH BY BG (NS) GEORGE YEO, MINISTER FOR INFORMATION & THE ARTS AND MINISTER FOR HEALTH, AT THE EXHIBITION AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM ON SATURDAY, 9 NOVEMBER 1996 AT 5.00 PM

Not being of Hakka origin myself, I feel very honoured to have been invited to officiate at this Exhibition on the history of the . As a Teochew, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the mandarin, Han Yu or Han Wen Gong, who made such a great contribution to the Teochew people and is still revered by the Teochews today, was probably of Hakka origin. This Exhibition, jointly organised by the Singapore History Museum of the National Heritage Board and the Khek Community Guild, is held in conjunction with the 13th World-wide Khek Convention. We in Singapore are very honoured to play host to this important Convention.

In recent years, many Chinese clan associations have been organising such world-wide conventions. The Hakkas were one of the first to organise themselves. This, of course, is not surprising given their traditional pioneering spirit. These conventions reflect the emergence of a new world. As the global economy becomes more integrated and as national borders become more porous, transnational networking grow in importance. 2

In and outside , the Hakka people have a strong consciousness of themselves and their history. The origin of the Hakka people in northern China is still unclear and much disputed among scholars. Five great migrations going back over 2000 years have been identified, possibly starting during the when Hakka people fled southwards and eastwards to escape the tyrannical rule of Qin Shihuang.

The Hakka people are well-known for their resilience, resourcefulness and pioneering spirit. Throughout their history, they have thrown up big men. Some like , Sun and have changed the course of Chinese history. Among the Chinese outside China, the Hakka people have also played a big role. It was a Hakka, Yap Ah Loy, who founded in 1873. , the founding father of modem Singapore is, of course, of Hakka origin. In other parts of the world - in the Indian Ocean, in the Pacific Ocean and in the Americas - Hakka leaders have made great contributions to the societies they live in.

Because the Hakkas are often forced by circumstances to be on the move - and this was why their womenfolk never bound their feet - they have developed a certain instinct and ability to work with other people. In this respect, the clannishness of the Hakkas is qualitatively different from the clannishness of other Chinese groups. Hakkas are used to crossing boundaries and interacting with non-Hakkas. Hakkas are multi-lingual, speaking other languages and dialects besides their own. Thus, the culture of the Hakkas is not inward looking but outward looking. This partly explains the remarkable contribution of the Hakka people to Chinese history. They have always been able to see beyond themselves and pursue causes larger than themselves. It is 3 generally true to say that HakKas know much more about other Chinese groups than other Chinese groups know about them.

In the new world we are entering in the next century, this outward orientation of the Hakka people is very important. Writers like Joel Kotkin talk about a new tribalism in the world. Provided it is outward-looking, that new tribalism can help to integrate the world economy and bring about greater understanding among human beings. If not, it can lead to new conflicts and trade wars. Whatever our tribal affiliations, we are all human beings. As Confitcious said, within the four seas, all men are brothers. In this respect, the history and culture of the Hakka people can continue to make a contribution to humanity.

The purpose of this Exhibition is not only to celebrate this 13th world- wide gathering of the Hakka people. In fact that is not the most important reason for holding the Exhibition. The Hakka people know who they are. They do not need an exhibition to tell them who they are. The larger purpose of this Exhibition is to tell the non-Hakkas who the Hakka people are and what makes them such a remarkable Chinese tribe. It is to educate and to inspire the non- Hakkas that such an exhibition should be held.

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