Lim Hui Ying: Partner with young people to save Hokkien

Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying said that the Penang Hokkien Association should work with young people to preserve Hokkien.

“There was once concern within the Chinese community as young people gradually abandoned learning their dialects.

“Fortunately, with the rise of social media, more young people are now promoting their dialects through short videos, songs, and live streaming, offering new hope for the preservation of language and culture.

“Perhaps the association could consider collaborating more with these young people, using new technology to help preserve our traditional culture in new ways,” she said via a Facebook post.

She raised the issue after attending the 29th inauguration ceremony of the Penang Hokkien Association on 14 July.

Approximately 1.9 million people speak Hokkien in Malaysia, with 63.9% of Penang’s Chinese community using it as their native language.