二战前马来亚华裔矿家多重身份对马来亚社会的贡献 ——以梁燊南（1877-1940）为例

The Multiple-Roles of a Chinese Tin Miner and His Contributions to Malaya Before World War II – The Case of Leong Sin Nam (1877 – 1940)

Abstract

十九世纪末二十世纪初，马来亚多个州属盛产锡矿。矿业的崛起吸引大批华 工南来，也造就了许多富甲一方的矿家。而这些华裔矿家在当地身兼多重身份， 即锡矿家、华社领袖、英属州议会代表、革命党成员、教育家、慈善家等。他们 不只成为英殖民政府的州议会代表，也基于企业贡献参与英殖民政府在马来亚的 建设发展，设立了会馆、学校、医院等；同时惦记中国政治局势发展，参与革命 活动，也为中国采矿业提供意见，同时也被中国政府委任为马来亚华侨领袖。本 文将以霹雳州怡保矿家、慈善家、教育家、政治家梁燊南为例，尝试梳理二战前 即二十至四十年代初，华裔矿家的多重身份对马来亚社会的贡献与影响。剖解矿 家对英殖民政府、马来亚与中国的态度以及参与建设的目的，本文将针对档案局 文件、早期中文报章和矿家后裔的口述历史，探讨多重身份的华裔矿家如何在当 时的华人社会作出贡献、并同时在中国、英殖民政府、当地华社三方之间协商， 并取得平衡。在他们努力建设下，给马来亚华人社会带来了怎样的发展于影响。

关键词：梁燊南，矿家，多重身份，霹雳州

The raise of tin mining industry in Malaya at the end of the 19th century and the early of the 20th century attracted a large number of Chinese workers to Malaya. The tin mines had also created many wealthy tin miners which included prominent figures such as the late Yap Ah Loy, Foo Choo Choon, Loke Yew and Leong Sin Nam. These including being Chinese tin miners played multiple roles in the local community. These including being towkays or owners of tin mines, leaders of the local Chinese community, representatives in State legislative council, members of the revolutionary party, educators as well as philanthropists and many others. They participated in the establishment and development of the British colonial government in Malaya through their corporate contributions. In addition to that, they were also concerned about China’s political development and even participated in the revolutionary activities in China. This case study examines the contributions of these tin miners and their influences to Malaya before World War II, from the 1920s to the early 1940s. It employs several instruments, namely archival documents, early Chinese newspapers as well as interviews with the descendants of these tin miners. The study also looks into how these Chinese tin miners, with their multiple roles, contributed to the Chinese community in Malaya. Moreover, the study how the leaders negotiated between China, the British colonial administrator and the local Chinese communities, and the need to strike a balance of power. It also examines what kind of influences had been brought to the development of the Malayan Chinese community through their contributions. For this case study, the contributions and influences of the late Leong Sin Nam, one of the most prominent Chinese tin miners in Ipoh, will be looked into. It explores his contributions to the local community through his multiple roles in the community. It also explores the attitude of the tin miners towards the British colonial government, Malaya, and China at that particular era in history.

Keywords: Leong Sin Nam, tin miners, multiple-roles, Perak