MELAKA: Baba Nyonya is an ethnic category recognized by the government now, said Baba Nyonya Peranakan Association of Malaysia president Datuk Ronald Gan.

Following the official recognition, Melaka-born Peranakans (Baba Nyonya) may now apply to amend the “ethnicity” section on their birth certificates from Chinese to Baba Nyonya.

Gan described this as a historic milestone, marking the formal inclusion of the Straits-born Chinese community within the national identity system.

From Oct 1 to Dec 31, Melaka-born Baba Nyonyas may obtain application forms from the Birth Certificate Division under the National Registration Department (NRD).

He said applicants must first submit their forms to the Baba Nyonya Peranakan Association of Malaysia for verification before forwarding them to the NRD.

Applicants who pass an interview by the NRD will then have their ethnicity officially amended on their birth certificates.

According to Gan, Melaka-born Baba Nyonyas are given priority under phase one, while a nationwide application is expected to be opened in 2026.

To facilitate the process, the association will set up a secretariat to assist applicants.

Gan outlined four basic conditions for declaring oneself as “Baba Nyonya”:

Either parent is a Baba or Nyonya.

The applicant can speak the Baba Nyonya language.

The applicant continues to observe traditional customs, particularly ancestral worship during Chinese New Year’s Eve, Qing Ming Festival, and the Hungry Ghost Festival.

The applicant acknowledges and identifies with Baba Nyonya heritage.

If an applicant’s grandparents’ birth certificates already list “Baba Nyonya” as the ethnicity, their descendants will automatically be recognized as part of the community without having to reapply he said.

Gan shared the news during the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration organized by the association on Friday.

He said the association currently has more than 3,000 members, and at least one parent must be of Baba Nyonya descent to qualify for membership.

“For years, the Baba Nyonya community has longed for formal recognition by the nation. This is the best gift from the government, and it reflects its openness toward cultural diversity,” he said.

The association submitted its proposal to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in May 2024, and approval was granted within just a year and a half—a sign of the government’s appreciation of Malaysia’s multicultural heritage, Gan said.

Prior to independence in 1957, particularly during the British colonial period, Baba Nyonyas were already recognized as a distinct group and listed as Straits-born Chinese.

However, the “Baba Nyonya” category was removed from birth certificates after independence, leading to gradual assimilation of the community’s unique identity.

“Restoring the ethnic designation is a crucial step for future generations to reconnect with their cultural roots. It also helps preserve the Baba Nyonya’s unique language, traditions, and way of life,” he said.

Also known as Peranakans, the Baba Nyonya are descendants of early Chinese settlers who intermarried with local Malays and settled in the region as early as the 15th century.

This intermingling produced a distinctive hybrid culture blending Chinese and Malay traditions, forming what is today known as the Baba Nyonya community.

In contrast, the later waves of Chinese migrants who arrived in Malaya in the 1800s generally did not intermarry with locals and maintained stronger ties to traditional Chinese customs and heritage.