To preserve their national culture and improve the education opportunities of their children, the Malaysian Chinese attempted to found a private university, namely Merdeka University in 1969. As the Malay elite who dominated the political arena intended to build a nation-state with the Malay culture and language as the core values, the government refused to grant the permission. Nonetheless, the establishment of ”Merdeka University” became a dream of many Malaysian Chinese. With some compromises, three Chinese colleges were founded in 1990s. The establishment of these colleges reveals that the pursuit of national culture and identity of the Malaysian Chinese just looks like an active volcano rather then an extinct volcano.