Sin Chew Daily was established in 1929. From the time when Malaysia was still a British colony, throughout the time of the anti-Japanese struggle and the independence movement, Sin Chew has played the role of witness to history as well as being a participant. During this period, Sin Chew was twice suspended : first between 1942 to 1945, when it could not be published due to the Japanese occupation, and the second time in 1987, when its publishing license was suspended by the Malaysian government under the Printing Presses and Publications Act.

On 8 April 1988, after strenuous efforts by the present Chairman, Tan Sri Datuk Sir Tiong Hiew King, and senior management, Sin Chew was allowed to resume publication. Since then, its circulation has increased continuously to reach almost 400,000 copies per day and become a highly influential part of the media landscape in Malaysia after 1992.

Today, more than 1.18 million Malaysians read Sin Chew Daily, making it not only the largest circulating Chinese newspaper in Southeast Asia, but also the largest Chinese daily outside mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.