| Preserving Baba Nyonya Culture, Dialect Among Descendants |
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By Mohd Bakri Darus
MELAKA, Aug 1 (Bernama) -- Pretty women clad in beautifully-embroidered kebaya and batik sarung greet you when you pay a visit to the Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum in Jalan Tun Cheng Lock, Bandar Hilir, here.
The museum, a heritage house belonging to Melaka Chinese Peranakan Association vice-president Chan Kim Lay, had been converted years ago in an effort to showcase the rich culture and traditions of the Baba Nyonya community.
Chan, 80, is worried that the community's socio-cultural heritage could be lost in the midst of rapid modernisation and use of its peculiar dialect dissipated due to the lack of practice among the younger generation.
The Babas and Nyonyas who are usually identified with Melaka are the descendants of the early Chinese immigrants who settled in Melaka, Singapore, Penang and Java. They are also called "peranakan", an Indonesian word for descendant.
"Baba" is a Hindi/Sanskrit word which means reverence and affection for elderly gentlemen while Nyonya is derived from a Portuguese word which means lady.
Although the community's ancestry is largely Hokkien, it has a fair sprinkling of Teochew or Cantonese.
The Baba Nyonya ancestors hailed from Fujien province in China. They set sail to Melaka which was a trading centre some 600 years ago.
"They came to Melaka to trade and look for work, then married local women. Their sons were called Babas, while the daughters were known as Nyonyas. Our mothers are of Melaka or Indonesian descent," said Chan.
Besides its unique culture which has traces of Portuguese, Dutch, British, Indonesian and Malay influences, the community's cuisine, however, has distinct Malay culinary influences.
BABA NYONYA DIALECT
Assimilation and intermarriage with the local community produced the Baba Malay dialect which is Malay interspersed with Hokkien words.
He cited some of the common Baba words and expressions such as "ranjang" for bed, "mana lu mau pergi?" (where are you going?), "ini gua punya" (this is mine), "mak ada loteng tidur" (mother is asleep in the attic), "hai yaa...hujan lebat, tak pi tutup jendela" (hai yaa...what a heavy downpour, why don't you shut the windows).
"When I was small, when my younger siblings became ill, my mother took us to see a 'pawang' (Malay traditional healer) who nursed us to recovery. We never visited a doctor then. Mother and grandmother chewed betel leaves and tobacco like the Malays did," he reminisced.
Chan too had summoned a pawang to his rubber estate to drive away a "white tiger" which had been disturbing the tappers. There was no more disturbance after the pawang's visit.
Chan said his late mother, Ho Joo Chuan who passed away in 1986, believed strongly in the mystical powers of the "pawang" and filled their house with incense smoke every Thursday night.
He said the wedding ceremonies also displayed a mixture of Malay and Chinese traditions.
"In the old days, a betel leaf box would be placed on the bed on the wedding night. If the bride was not a virgin, the betel leaf box would be turned upside down by the bridegroom."
He said the Babas and Nyonyas in the old days enrolled their children at the national-type primary and secondary schools.
TAPAI AND GULAI
While the Chinese eat with chopsticks, the Babas and Nyonyas eat with their fingers like the Malays.
"The Nyonyas are good at preparing Malay dishes and cakes.
"The preparation of the gulai (curry) is similar to that of the Malays. That's why we have sambal belacan, masak lemak, asam pedas, and savoury dishes and cakes using coconut, coconut milk and gula Melaka. They are not Chinese cuisine," he said, adding that his late mother too was good at cooking Malay dishes.
"In my younger days my job was to pluck coconuts, peel and grate them for my mother to make "onde-onde" and coconut oil. We have a coconut farm in Klebang."
Chan's mother loved to make kuih apom balik and kuih koci, besides cendol and tapai pulut (fermented glutinous rice).
He recalled that she would ask Chan to leave the kitchen whenever she wanted to make tapai.
She believed that chewing betel leaves while making tapai would turn the food red, a believe held by the Malays.
Authentic, delectable Baba Nyonya cuisine can be savoured at several
restaurants in Melaka.
ERODING CULTURE
Chan's worries are not unfounded as the culture, traditions and language of the Baba Nyonya community began to erode since British colonisation in the 18th century.
"I studied at a Chinese school. Those who studied at English schools tended to neglect the Baba Nyonya customs and traditions," he said.
He added that the younger generation now was not keen to practise the Baba Nyonya customs and traditions, with some of them not even knowing the community's background.
"The traditional Nyonya dress of baju kebaya and sarung is worn only for special occasions nowadays", he said, adding that a baju kebaya ensemble could fetch RM500 to RM600.
Meanwhile, the Melaka Chinese Peranakan Association is not leaving any stone unturned in its effort to instil pride and love for their Peranakan roots and culture among the younger generation.
The association is committed to teaching them to speak the dialect, how to prepare Baba Nyonya cuisine, dance the joget and construct the pantun (metrical verse) and play traditional games such as "congkak".
"If there are no efforts to preserve the unique Baba Nyonya culture it will soon die a natural death. The people of this country, including the Malays, will one day forget who the Babas and Nyonyas are," Chan said.
He said the association also planned to organise dialogues on the future of community in an effort to improve its standing in society.
HERITAGE MUSEUM
The Baba Nyonya Melaka Heritage Museum signifies Chan's aspiration to introduce the community to the world via the quaint house which was built in 1896 by his ancestors.
Established in 1984, the museum is adorned with interesting motifs which were crafted by a carpenter from China.
Ancient chairs, tables and cupboards furnish the museum which also exhibits family heirlooms such as daily wear, accessories, wedding attire, kitchenware and other interesting artefacts.
Beautiful women clad in kebaya and sarung who greet the visitors will also provide a snapshot of the way of life of the Babas and Nyonyas.
What a way to learn about this community from first-hand experience rather that browsing through a dozen of books written about the community.
If he has his way, Chan will be proud if the National Registration Department is willing to identify the community in their Mykad and birth certificate. The request was turned down.
-- BERNAMA
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