Who are they?
The Baba Chinese are the descendants of Chinese immigrants that
settled in Peninsula Malaysia, primarily in and around the state of
Malacca as
early as the 17th century. Intermarriage with the native
peoples of the region was common and engendered a unique culture
that combined various customs and traditions. Baba Chinese
identity and culture became distinct in the 19th century before
the British rule, when large numbers of Chinese immigrated to
Malaysia. Local Malay people first used honorific terms like
Baba to address the men, Nyonya for women, and Bibik for
elderly ladies. The most distinct aspect of Baba culture today is
their language called Baba Malay. It is a song-like language
influenced by Hokkien accents and contains loanwords from
Malay, Indonesian, and English. The majority of the Baba Chinese
live in the state of Malacca but some are also found in Penang and
Singapore. They settled in both urban and rural areas but are
concentrated in the Central Malacca District.
What
are their lives like?
The Baba Chinese had their time of greatest success,
prosperity, and power during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
They were the dominant Chinese businessmen and leaders of the
Chinese communities. Baba businessmen and leaders could speak
English and enjoy cordial relationships with the European rulers.
They, therefore, led very illustrious careers and commanded a lot of
respect in the fi eld of business, the art, and government. Many
are still middle-income salaried bureaucrats because of their
close association with current Malaysian culture. The
architectural style of Baba homes is very unique— being a fusion
of Eastern and Western designs. There are still some Baba homes and
buildings in Penang and Malacca.
A typical Baba house has a first living hall
for visitors and an adjacent area for the unmarried Nyonya to
congregate, one or two courtyards, bedrooms, bridal chamber, and
kitchen.
What
do they believe?
Most of the Baba adhere to ancestral Chinese religion but a quarter
of them are Roman Catholics. They,
especially the older generation, observe traditional Chinese
religious beliefs and rituals. They worship ancestors and pray to
Chinese deities. They celebrate Chinese festivals like the Lunar
Chinese New Year and Moon Cake festival on a large scale. In
general, their religious beliefs and practices are similar to other
Malaysian Chinese, although there are relatively more Baba who
worship at the graves of Muslim saints called Keramat. In Singapore
a significant numbers of Baba Chinese are Christians.
What are their needs?
Although there are many middle-income salaried Baba, this
does not mean that the entire Baba society is rich. There
are those who are striving in business and others are trying to get
out of the poverty cycle—they need any help possible. Pray that
these will be successful in their quest to meet financial needs.
Pray also that God will call committed followers who are able to
relate and respond to the needs of the Baba Chinese
