MELAKA, Oct 14 — The Baba Nyonya community in Melaka are reportedly now able to amend their race on birth certificates to reflect their identity as “Baba Nyonya”, with other states expected to follow soon.
According to The Star, the initiative allows Peranakan Chinese in Melaka to register the change from this month until the end of the year, before it is extended nationwide by January 2026.
Baba and Nyonya Association of Malaysia chairman Datuk Ronald Gan reportedly said the community is grateful to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Deputy National Unity Minister K Saraswathy for approving the application.
“We will now be known as Baba Nyonya, a sub-ethnic group among the local Chinese population,” he was quoted as saying.
Gan reportedly said applicants must first obtain approval from the association before submitting their requests to the National Registration Department (NRD), which will conduct interviews to verify their authenticity.
He added that once a principal applicant’s status is approved, their family members will automatically qualify for the same recognition.
Gan said the change will allow the Baba Nyonya community to be formally recognised as a sub-ethnic group within Malaysia’s Chinese population, helping to preserve their unique cultural identity and traditions.
