The NRD has approved 11 out of 50 applications to change ethnic status to Baba Nyonya on identity cards, with processing ongoing nationwide.
RAWANG: The National Registration Department (NRD) has received approximately 50 applications to amend ethnic status to Baba Nyonya on identity cards.
NRD Director-General Datuk Badrul Hisham Alias said 11 applications have been approved so far.
He stated each application is processed carefully to ensure it is supported by strong evidence and meets stipulated requirements.
“So far, around 50 applications have been received and 11 have been approved,” he told reporters after a handover session of identity cards in Sungai Buaya.
Badrul Hisham added that applications are processed continuously and are not limited to the Baba Nyonya community.
He noted the local Siamese community has also submitted similar applications for ethnic status amendments.
A pilot project allowing Baba Nyonya registration in identity documents began smoothly on October 1.
The initiative was expanded for nationwide implementation starting January 1.
The NRD’s ethnic registration system is dynamic and allows for amendments, Badrul Hisham explained.
Changes involving ethnic status, names, and titles are permitted subject to valid supporting documents.
He said the department is improving its end-to-end service system to facilitate public dealings.
Currently, all amendment applications must be made physically at NRD offices.
Baba and Nyonya Association of Malaysia president Ronald Gan said the move allows community members in Melaka to record their ethnicity on birth certificates.
This provides official recognition of their Peranakan lineage.
He confirmed the initiative will be extended to the Peranakan Chinese community nationwide starting this January.
