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by

Raymond Kwok
 

I doubt if Babas and Nonyas are descendants of marriages between male Chinese immigrants and local Malay women.  Nor do I believe that their origins began when the so-called Princess Hang Li Po arrived at the court of Sultan Mansor Shah. The Ming (1368 - 1644) records report no such thing. 

It may be that early portraits of the Bibik depicted a woman of dark complexion, with her  hair carefully combed back in apparent Malay fashion, which could not be described as typical.  Her formal attire comprised a sarong and baju panjang, fastened by three keronsang. The preferred material was chintz, organdie, silk or batik. These factors may have contributed to the myth.

But consider the slogan of the rich: "Leong kau Leong, Hong kau Hong,  Unku kau Tommong" (The Phonenix goes with the Phoenix, the Hunch back with the Coconut Shoot)  It is likely that the well-to-do arranged marriages only with the rich, even if they were newly arrived immigrants. There is nothing in this culture of "face" to suggest marriages with Malays with the accompanying conversion to Islam. The chin choey system whereby a "sinkeh" bridegroom moves in to live with his in-laws would discourage inter faith marriages
 

References:

The Ming Records: see article,  Melaka in Ming Dynasty Texts by Dr Geoff Wade, June 1997, Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society

Bibiks: older generation nonyas, mistress of the house

Keronsang: an ornamental brooch

Sinkeh: newly arrived immigrant

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100 CINTRA STREET

100 Cintra Street, a conservation project and brainchild of the prize winning architect Jimmy C S Lim, is now operational. Originally a communal home for housemaids from China (the "tung-koong" or  the "black and white") it became a hotel in 1936, a supermart in 1976. The present structure rises from the ashes of the old building destroyed by a fire in 1986. It restores things as closely as possible to their original design. Much of the material is recycled stuff. The ground floor amd first floor are occupied with stalls selling antiques and handicraft and a pocket museum for Baba and Nonya Heritage occupies the top floor. A meeting room is also provided and already lectures have been held by the Penang Heritage Trust