Ms Mischief’s Story
A digital story in Baba Malay by Nonya Angeline Koh, May 2022
Taking up Baba Malay lessons awakened something from long ago. I had fun putting this little digital story together.
I am a Peranakan (Straits born Chinese). Baba Malay was a language I spoke as a child and through my teenage years. The language faded away after mama (my maternal grandmother) passed away sometime in the 70s. I was thrilled when the opportunity came to take lessons in Baba Malay in 2021.
I re-learned my childhood mother tongue under the tutelage of chekgu (teacher) Kenneth Chan and nonya Amelyn Thompson. It was a 4-level course: basic, pre-intermediate, intermediate, and advance. Each course ran for 8 weeks.
The best part of the learning was having mum sit in with us. Something came alive and bonded us together.
We began to have conversations with each other in Baba Malay!
It has been over 40 years since I spoke Peranakan as a child. I understood it when mum talked to her friends but it was hard for me to articulate my thoughts and feelings. The mind couldn’t find the words and my tongue just wouldn’t cooperate.
They say learning a language helps thwart dementia. I know it awakened memories and stories and emotions in Mum.
How grateful I am for it.
Baba Malay is the language of the Peranakan people. The word Peranakan comes from the Malay word “anak” meaning child or locally or Straits born. Peranakan is really a fusion of cultures. Besides the Straits-born Chinese, there are also other Straits-born Peranakan: Jawi, Chitty, Serani, Chitty, Dutch, etc.
Check out the Singapore National Heritage Museum for more information about the Peranakans.
Chekgu Kenneth and chekgu Amelyn are co-authors of the book “Baba Malay for Everyone”. It is available at Rakuten Kubo.