Explore the Traditional Malaysian Chinese Values behind “Kuih Bakul Limau Mandarin”

“Kuih Bakul Limau Mandarin” is a short story by Mohd. Helmi Ahmad and is included in the Malay literature selection for Form 1 of National Secondary Schools in Malaysia “KUINGIN Berterima Kasih” (2024). The story focuses on the Lim family, a Chinese family: daughter Lim Meng, long branded a “jinx,” is blamed by her father, Lim Pooi, for the death of her eldest son, Lim Foong, and the family's decline. She endures her father's misunderstanding and rejection. It's not until her mother, Sim Pau, steps forward and reveals the truth: her eldest son drowned to avoid gambling debts, and the family's decline stems from their father's mismanagement. Lim Pooi repents, and the family reunites before Chinese New Year, rediscovering their family's warmth.

Traditional Chinese Values; Cross-Cultural Literature; Malaysian Chinese Culture

1. Chen Li. (1994). Baihutong Annotations. Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company. p.393. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Ferdinand de Saussure. Translated by Gao Mingkai (1980). A Course in General Linguistics. Beijing: The Commercial Press. pp. 37-38. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Gao Bingzhong. (1994). Folk Culture and Folk Life. China Social Sciences Press. Page 78. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Qu Yunjing. (2001). The image of the eldest son and the cultural choice of writers. Journal of Zhenjiang Teachers College. 2001(3). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Rosmani binti Omar. (2024). KUINGIN Berterima Kasih. Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Kuala Lumpur. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Shi Xue (ed.). Folk Customs and Superstitions (2002). Chongqing Publishing House. Page 74. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Wang Wenjin’s translation and interpretation. (2016). The Book of Rites. Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Wang, X., Zainudin, SSS, & Yaakup, HS (2024). Nyonya Culture Expression in Malaysian Chinese Media Based on Facebook. Studies in Media and Communication, 12 (1), 382-389. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Wu Hengcan. (2001). Water Margin (Malay edition). Kuala Lumpur: National Language and Literature Department, Ministry of Education, Malaysia, Malaysian Translators and Creative Writing Association. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Wu Hengcan Team. (2012). Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Malay Edition). Kuala Lumpur: National Language and Literature Department, Ministry of Education, Malaysia, Malaysian Translation and Creative Writing Association. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Wu Hengcan and his team. (2015). Journey to the West (Malay edition). Kuala Lumpur: National Language and Literature Bureau, Ministry of Education, Malaysia, Zhejiang Publishing Group, Zhejiang Ancient Books Publishing House, and Chinese Culture Center of Malaysia. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Wu Hengcan Team. (2019). Dream of the Red Chamber (Malay Edition). Kuala Lumpur: National Language and Literature Bureau, Ministry of Education, Malaysia, Zhejiang Publishing Group, Zhejiang Ancient Books Publishing House, and Chinese Culture Center of Malaysia. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Influence of Korean Popular Culture on Filipino Millennials: An Assessment Across Food, Fashion, Entertainment, and Beauty Products
• Narrating the Self and Constructing History: A Biography Appreciation Theory Analysis of Gandhi, Chaplin, and Hitler
• Food and Culture in Kashmiri Writings
• When East Meets West: Cross-Cultural Challenges in a Tourist’s Guide to Love
• Cultural Mapping of Movable and Immovable Tangible Cultural Properties of Morong, Bataan: Basis for the Development of Information, Education, and Communication Materials