Philip Li Ching Hum: “Chinese community facing depopulation crisis”

Philip Li Ching Hum is a political and social analyst. He spent 40 years teaching English language and literature in secondary schools. He is also a prominent member of Mauritians from Chinese descent. As the country prepares to celebrate Spring Festival on Saturday, we asked him about the current situation of the community.

What is your assessment of the Chinese community living in Mauritius?

The Chinese New Year is a day of rejoicing, joy and mirth and it is also an occasion for an analytical in-depth retrospection from where our ancestors come from and how they settled on this tiny island and in the time-lapse of three generations where are we heading. Our ascent on the social ladder and of our success was strewn with difficulties and sacrifices. At the same time, this festive day is an occasion for us to express our appreciation, fear, apprehension, frustration, hope and expectation. Government in, government out, the plight of the Sino-Mauritians has not improved in terms of protection and security.

On this auspicious occasion, honeyed speeches on the contribution of Chinese in the edification of modern Mauritius will indubitably be delivered here and there, as is the tradition. These speeches are made to anaesthetise them into passivity and inertia. Meanwhile, China Town is in decrepitude. We are witnessing helplessly the slow but painful death of this glorious part of Port Louis. Many businesses have pulled down their shutters because of exorbitant rents, unfair competition or with the younger generation no longer interested in taking over the family business. Many are settling abroad. Only the name China Town has remained as a legacy of the past but all have emigrated elsewhere to foreign lands or in other parts of the island like Baie du Tombeau and Plaines Wilhems. Chinatown has lost its soul and vitality.

You’ve talked about youngsters leaving. How acute is the problem?

Most of our youngsters are going abroad to study. Once they have adapted to the new way of life, they pull along their parents and the whole family with them. There is an acute brain drain in our community but no brain gain, as is the case with the Indian Diaspora. The number of Mauritians of Chinese descent has shrunk to 15 000 souls. Is it loss of faith or abnegation that spurs our young compatriots to leave Mauritius or is it through spirit of adventure? In every Chinese home, there is “la grande dechirure” even if we say that we are living in a global village. Maybe it is in the genes of the Hakka people to always search for greener pastures.

After all, the name “Hakka” means “guest people.” But what saddens us is that successive governments have no scheme for re-emigration just like Hong Kong where there is a constructive welcoming plan to re-absorb emigrants. Then comes the question of meritocracy. This is a meaningless word for the country and it is ridiculous to flex our muscles and brag of being the Singapore of the Indian Ocean. We can only guffaw at such pretention. Nowadays, it is the family name which defines whether one would receive the manna. We can even be posted to sinecures if we are blessed with such names. Can we ask our young to stay to suffer such gross injustice and humiliation? As parents, it is heart-aching to find our youngsters undergo such degrading trial. On my last visit to Canada, I was stunned to find the increasing number of Mauritians of other ethnic origins who had left everything behind to start a new life from scratch. Mauritian Diaspora under new perspectives could be a fascinating topic to write.

“ This government has had the temerity and audacity to deal with the long overdue problem of hawkers. At least we can say that it has brought an end to lawlessness and anarchy. Port Louis has regained its serenity and quietude of its old days."

What bothers you so much about China Town?

Do you think that the Chinese Food Festival or Port Louis by Light, organised annually, can bring back to life the China Town of bygone years? Chinatown has already lost its soul. It cannot be resuscitated. There is no plan in terms of urbanisation and land management. In a comparative outlook, just visit the town of St Denis in Reunion Island. You will be agreeably surprised to find the laudable efforts of the French authorities to preserve historical buildings and touristic sites in Reunion island. Our neighbours value most historical buildings and monuments and they preserve well all their historical and cultural heritage. But with us in China Town, to our dismay, every empty space is converted into parking lots. We are living in a jungle of high-rise buildings. There is no green belt area as in Singapore. We have become plunderers of green space and of the environment. The Changi Airport in Singapore offers a glaring example.

You mentioned security. Why?

The situation has not altered an iota over the past two decades. If not, it has become worse. Peace-loving and law-abiding citizens are assaulted in broad daylight. Armed robberies have become a normal occurrence. The police takes too much time to intervene, as it is overburdened. In the same vein, we would like to give the devil his due: this government has had the temerity and audacity to deal with the long overdue problem of hawkers. At least we can say that it has brought an end to lawlessness and anarchy. Port Louis has regained its serenity and quietude of its old days. It has taken the bull by the horns. No previous government dared to walk where angels fear to tread.

Is the issue one of inclusion of the community?

Nowadays, qualifications are futile. Meritocracy has given place to mediocrity. It is political contact that is most important. Most nominations have political overtones. No regime can say that it has a clear conscience on this issue. Job interviews are mere eyewash. It is now openly done in the most provocative manner. Chinese are known for their hard work, discretion, perspicacity and assiduity. As true Confucians they profess their allegiance to any government in power. They (with some exceptions) will never beg for favours. Most of the time they do the donkey’s work but when the time for promotion comes, their name is nowhere to be found. Under such circumstances is it worthwhile for our youth to stay? We hardly have any Chinese left in the Civil Service. The Chinese community is known to be hermetically closed. They will not clamour on all rooftops to vent out their feelings but there is a limit to a pressure cooker. It can explode at times. This is their strength and weakness both at the same time.

What is the sentiment prevailing in the Chinese community with Alain Wong crossing the floor to be Minister again in the Cabinet?

The Chinese have always been victims of ethnic politics. In the days of Jean Ah Chuen, it was an established convention to have two Chinese representatives in Parliament but with the advent of what they called “MMM territory”, they have reduced it to one by a Machiavellian plan. The arithmetic of communal dichotomy has come into play. Some call it the theory of scientific communalism. During the last elections one leader has played yo-yo with the candidature of one Chinese fellow. Is it because we are only 2% of the electorate that we are treated this way? We in the Chinese Community are amorphous as in the past, a few Chinese representatives have feathered their own nests and they have not done anything constructive for the community. To have or not to have a Chinese representative in the Cabinet, that is the question!

Ho Ng: “Chinese shops might disappear in the near future”

Owner of Dazzling Star retail shop in Chinatown, Ho Ng reveals how he succeeded his father. Dazzling Star is a specialist in Chinese foodstuff, traditional Chinese medicine, and Chinese cuisine set up in the 1950s by his father. “My father was working in this shop and would sell more or less the same products. However, at that time, the shops were made with corrugated iron sheets and today, it is a concrete building. It is bigger than it was at that time. The market is still the same. Most of our clients remain the Chinese community,” he reveals.

Ho Ng is a teacher by profession who took over his father’s business after his retirement but is afraid who will be his successor. “Succession today has become a real issue. It is a problem affecting most of us. We have a business but no one is ready to take over after us. The reason for this is that our children do not want to return back after their studies, as they are over qualified and do find a suitable job when they return. Many of them did return but seeing there is no opportunity here, they went back. There is a high possibility for small Chinese shops to disappear in the near future,” he says.

According to him, the young professionals are looking for better opportunities when they are still young and as soon as they retire, they are willing to take over family business. “I was a professional working in a well known college and took over the business of my dad when I retired. I wish my children could do that and keep the tradition alive. But I see very dim prospects. They prefer to remain where they are and work there.” 

Ignace Lam: A successful transformation into a retail giant

Ignace Lam, director of supermarket chain Intermart Mauritius, has an interesting success story. He has tried to evolve in the fast-moving consumer goods sector by bringing a new venture in Mauritius. He has been inspired by his parents who are the owners of Central Supermarket in Quatre Bornes, one of the oldest supermarkets of the country. “Business and purchasing power in Mauritius has witnessed great revolution over the years. It was impossible to remain stagnant and adopt the same business model like my parents. Central Supermarket has already made its place in the region and is well known. It has its own identity. I wanted to do something different which reflects today’s world and need. We have to cope with time and walk with time. A business that stays stagnant will always lag behind,” he explains.

An accountant by profession, he decided to set up Intermart Ebene in 2004, before the advent of the sprawling Cybercity, despite the harsh criticism of some quarters. “Many people did not believe in Ebene. Today, more than 20,000 people work in Ebene. At the start, it was difficult. In 2012, I opened another outlet in Grand Baie La Croisette. There also the start was not easy. In 2016, I opened another one in Beau Bassin. All the outlets were opened after a proper market study. People have always welcomed Intermart,” he says.

Ignace Lam argues that in the near future, small Chinese shops might face succession issues, as emerging young generations are keen to venture in other fields of activity. “The life of a shopkeeper is not easy. One has to get up early, work the whole day and sometimes miss lunch or dinner due to work. The young professionals today have other visions. They want to work in a new structure and develop new business models.” 

He wishes he has his succession, as he has built an empire which consists of young professionals. “I have along young professionals working with me. We are expanding in a more professional manner. Despite the harsh competition, Intermart has made a name for itself. Intermart caters for the requirements and needs of its clients. If there is an area developing and there is need for a hypermarket, we go there. There are many regions where people are asking for an Intermart outlet.”

History of Chinese immigration in Mauritius

The number of Mauritians from Chinese descent comprises of about 80% Hakkas and the remaining are Cantonese, including a few dozen descendants of Fukinese immigrants who were the first to set foot on the island during French colonisation.

Following archives searches undertaken recently by reputed Dutch historian Peter Moree, he confirmed to the former minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Joseph Tsang Mang Kin, of the necessity to correct an error in our historical textbooks. In fact, the first Chinese presence in Mauritius goes back to 1st May 1654, that is some 363 years ago, a century before the French colonisation. Mr Moree was the guest speaker during the 1998 celebration commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Dutch landing in Mauritius at Ferney.

Chinese immigration started sometimes after the abolition of slavery in 1835. The big slave proprietors, amongst them De Labauve d'Arifat, imported some 3,000 Chinese indentured labourers from the islands of Penang and Singapore. Because of their ill-treatment by the French planters, they put fire to the sugarcane and asked to be returned to their places of origin. On and before 1843, the Chineses constituted the bulk of the labourers working in the sugarcane plantations.

Under French governor Mahé de Labourdonnais, there was some contractual Chinese labourers in Isle de France. In fact the Chinese presence in Mauritius started with the arrival of some 300 agricultural labourers who did the trip onboard the ship "Bencoulen" which was freighted by the comte d'Estaing. It was under the governorship of Townsend Farquhar, the first English governor, that free Chinese came to Mauritius to do business. Each Chinese immigrant had to find a guarantor and to pay a deposit of 1,500 dollars. 

Log Choi Sin (Hahime Choïsanne) obtained a licence from the authorities to bring to Mauritius five of his compatriots from Fukien province. On 3 December, they disembarked from the ship Belle Alliance. They were Whangpoo, Hankee, Nghien, Hakhim and Ahim. On 14 March 1831, Hahime Choïsanne made the necessary arrangement for the recruitment of some Chinese immigrants from Penang including Aquaan, a ship constructor. It was Hahime Choïsanne who erected the first pagoda dedicated to the divinity Guand Di à Les Salines in January 1842. This pagoda has recently celebrated its 175 birthday. 

After Hahime Choïsanne returned to China, it was Affan Tank Wen, another Chinese leader from Fukien province who played a crucial role leading to the integration of Chinese immigrants. With the unflinching support of Mere Barhelmy, the latter catered for the wellbeing of his Chinese brethren. According to recorded history, between 1895 and 1900 some 7,000 Chinese immigrants settled on the island.

Roland Tsang Kwai Kew