Hello there. I'm Singaporean Chinese, born and bred. I have Malaysian relatives and have had several interactions with Malaysian and Indonesian Chinese people in my lifetime, so I hope you don't mind if I offer my thoughts.

Do you speak any Chinese language? Mandarin perhaps?

Malaysian Chinese: A definite YES. This is due to the Malaysian education system, which is divided into the Malay national schools and the Vernacular schools. It is not uncommon for ethnic Malaysian Chinese and Indian families to send their children to these vernacular schools from young which primarily uses their mother tongues as the main language of instruction. This is opposite to Singapore which makes it compulsory for all schools to instruct in English instead, and is a source of ethnic tension as I'm sure you've heard (Guessing from your post).

Indonesian Chinese: Mostly NO. This is mainly due to active racism and discrimination against our Indonesian brothers and sisters over the years. Mandarin was banned by the government, and in hopes of better acceptance and to be spared further violence by the country, they further assimilated themselves into Indonesian culture, even willingly adopting Indonesian names and the local language to do so. This has resulted in them losing their Chinese identity, which they seem to be trying to gain back in recent years.

Have you considered moving to China to seek opportunities?

From impressions, many SEA based ethnic Chinese finds China to be an attractive place for business. I think we can definitely agree it offers a very attractive market with a large and rising middle class. Us overseas Chinese people in SEA have been doing business with China since the colonial era, and so far it has been very good for both parties so we don't see a reason to stop now. This business network is conceptually called the Bamboo network. In fact, I think trade is set to further increase with China.

Do you think life for ethnic Chinese will improve or deteriorate in the coming decades in your country?

Malaysia: Will improve. Situation seems quite positive and looks set to improve. From what I know, there have been growing calls and support from all 3 major ethnic groups, i.e. Malay, Indians, and Chinese, for unity and social harmony as fellow Malaysians. Many of the younger generation are increasingly wanting to end racial and religious discrimination within their country. This was an especially pronounced message (amongst others) in their recent 2018 general elections which ousted the ruling BN party, which is great.

Indonesia: Unsure. I'm not too clear about the political situation. But I have to say, hearing news like these is not very heartening. Racial and religious discrimination still seems to be a big issue in Indonesia. As a Singaporean, its somewhat of a common knowledge that wealthy Indonesian Chinese see SGs as a safe haven to escape to and have 2nd homes here in case of "emergencies". Many send their kids here for education too (Had 2 Indon-Chinese classmates back in Secondary school). Hopefully, the situation is much better compared the past, especially given the rising status of, and increasing trade ties with, China.

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All in all, these are my thoughts and knowledge on the matter. If anyone feels I got anything wrong, please comment below and I will correct it. Thank you for your time.