No matter which region they came from, all Indians who arrived in Malaya from the late 19th century till the 20th century were referred to as Kling. The word 'kling' comes from the coastal region of Kalinga. In Singapore, the majority of Indian immigrants from the mid-19th century till the early 20th century were males. It was only after 1930 that more Indian women and children arrived. The educated Indian woman typically stayed home, while those in the workforce were mainly teachers, attendants and nurses.
