砂拉越華人社區領袖制度的形成：初探美里市華人領袖的角色

Abstract

本篇論文探討馬來西亞砂拉越州華人社區領袖的制度的形成，以及美里華人領袖的角色以及對當地華社的貢獻。美里市是砂拉越州的第二大城，並且擁有大量的華人人口。由於以往的文獻集中於古晉和拉讓江墾殖區的華人社區領袖，本研究以美里市為研究對象。本研究方法包括對砂拉越州立圖書館檔案檔進行分析以及與一位美里華人社區領袖進行訪談。 在砂拉越，最早期的華人社區領袖都是在1857年由十二公司發起「華人暴動」後崛起並發跡的古晉富商。這一制度於1911年 「華人仲栽庭」 在砂拉越運作時達到巔峰，但在1920年該法庭關閉後開始衰退。1948年，砂殖民政府推動的《地方政府法令》把華人社區領袖拼入地方政府。1956年《砂拉越憲法》在砂拉越引入普選制，使得從1959年到1973年1月為止，華人社區領袖得以通過選舉產生。1963年馬來西亞成立後，砂拉越州政府決定保留這一制度，因此在1973和1980年將所有族群的社區領袖統一成一個機構。2004年《社區領袖與族長條例》加強了砂拉越政府對社區領袖的掌控。2019年，華人社區領袖對「聯邦鄉村社區管理委員會」提出反對，凸顯了社區領袖制度對砂拉越政府的重要性。自布魯克時代以來，砂拉越華人社區領袖履行了多種職責，服務於州政府和人民的需求。最後，他們的貢獻為砂拉越華人社群奠定了基礎。This thesis explores the formation of the institution of Sarawak's Chinese community leader, and the roles and contributions of Chinese leaders in Miri, Sarawak. Miri is the second-largest city in Sarawak, and it has a large Chinese demographic. As past literature concentrated on Chinese community leaders from the Kuching and Rejang settlements, Miri was chosen as the case study for this research. The research methods used include document analysis of archival materials from the Sarawak State Library and an interview with a Miri Chinese community leader. The earliest generation of Sarawak's Chinese community leaders in Sarawak were wealthy Kuching merchants who rose to prominence after the 1857 "Chinese Rebellion". The institution was at its peak when the "Chinese Court" operated in 1911, but declined after the court was closed in 1920. In 1948, the Colonial government passed the Local Authority Ordinance, which incorporated Chinese community leaders into local government. The 1956 Sarawak Constitution introduced universal suffrage to Sarawak, leading to the election of Chinesecommunity leaders from 1959 until January 1973. After the formation of Malaysia in 1963, the Sarawak state government decided to retain the institution and therefore in 1973 and 1980, unified the community leaders of all ethnicities into a single institution. The 2004 Community Chiefs and Headmen Ordinance strengthens the Sarawak government's control over community leaders. In 2019, the opposition of Chinese community leaders to the "Federal Village Committee Management Council" demonstrated that the institution is indispensable to the Sarawak government. Since the Brooke's era, Sarawak's Chinese community leaders have functioned a variety of roles to serve the needs of the state government and the people. Lastly, their contributions laid the foundation of Sarawak's Chinese community.