According to recent statistic released by the Faculty of Human Ecology, only the minority of younger generation of Malaysia Chinese practice filial piety. There is also an obvious increase of current issues implying the loss of filial piety in the Malaysia Chinese society. A news published in November 2013 described the story of a seventy-nine-year-old Malaysia Chinese who was kicked out by his very own family and ended up in a nursing home. Another nursing home resident lau Mariana in the age of 83 hasn't been seeing her daughter for 5 years and suffers in great depression. 

Carmen Ngan, a Chinese who moved to Malaysia in 1994 shared her opinion towards the decline of filial piety and other traditional Chinese virtues in Malaysia society.

“The kids in nowadays Malaysian society are less polite, less hardworking and do not have the concept to treasure what they have. They are disrespectful to their parent, their teacher and superior.”

A local university student Alicia Bong stated that the education in Malaysia contributes the decline of filial piety. 

“Malaysia consists of 3 ethic groups and only 20% of the population are Chinese. The Malaysia education does not put emphasis on teaching the traditional Chinese virtues. Therefore the young generation seldom have the chance to learn about them.”

He also suggested that westernization shook the fundamental virtues of Malaysia Chinese and the government and educational institutions have to act more to reserve  such important cultural heritage.

Lam Chi Ying, reporting from Monash news

Venise Lam Chi Ying

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