Connections and Interactions of Chinese around the Strait of Malacca: Connections and Networks Based on Education

Starting around the 1960s, due to the hard-line policies towards Chinese schools in Indonesia and Thailand, the Chinese pupils from Northern Sumatra and Southern Thailand have been moving to Penang in search of a better educational environment. Such flow is indeed a historical phenomenon rather than a new one.     This study focused on the movement of the Chinese pupils around the Strait of Malacca, with the aim of examining the influence and the subsequent development and consequence of such informal flows of people. The Chinese pupils move around the Strait of Malacca in search of a better educational environment and life by utilizing the historical connections and their extensive networks extended in the region. Such experiences, nevertheless subsequently have had a significant impact on the way of living of the people concerned. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the intra-region informal flows related to Chinese schools, while simultaneously exploring the potential impact of personal experiences and memories.