In the early 20th century, Hakka struck out into the interior of the state of Johor, located at the southern end of the Malay peninsula, where they cleared land to raise pigs and grow pineapples, rubber trees, and vegetables. In the process, they turned unproductive forest and into fertile farmland, and in some cases even formed Hakka villages.
20 世紀初，一部份客家人往馬來半島南部的柔佛內陸地區扎根，務農為生。他們不斷地冒險深入內地拓墾、開芭（馬來西亞稱森林為「芭」），並以種植鳳梨、橡膠、蔬菜、養豬為業，把荒林澤芭變成沃土農莊，有的甚至形成「客家村」。