{"id":4385,"date":"2026-04-30T12:13:50","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T12:13:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.peranakan.org.sg\/theperanakanmagazine\/?p=4385"},"modified":"2026-04-11T12:40:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T12:40:07","slug":"bridging-communities-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peranakan.org.sg\/theperanakanmagazine\/bridging-communities-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Bridging communities: Visiting our kindred associations in Melaka\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Baba Bryan Tan recounts the highlights of TPAS\u2019 exchanges with the PPCM and PPBNM over Chinese New Year 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A journey to the heartland of Peranakan heritage<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melaka holds a singular place in the Peranakan story. It was here that the earliest waves of Chinese settlers took root, intermarried with local communities, and gave rise to the vibrant, syncretic culture that we in Singapore continue to celebrate today. It was with this spirit of shared heritage and kinship that the General Committee members of The Peranakan Association Singapore (TPAS)<\/strong> made a meaningful visit across the Causeway, calling on two of Melaka’s most distinguished Peranakan organisations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our President, Nyonya Genevieve Peggy Jeffs, led the delegation on what proved to be a deeply enriching day of cultural exchange, fellowship, and the forging of stronger ties between our associations \u2014 ties as intricate and enduring as the beadwork on a well-loved kasut manek<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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First Stop: Persatuan Peranakan Cina Melaka (PPCM)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Persatuan Peranakan Cina Melaka (PPCM)<\/strong>\u00a0149, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (Heeren Street), 75200 Melaka, Malaysia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The PPCM committee and TPAS delegation pose for a photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Founded in 1900, PPCM is the oldest Peranakan association in Malaysia \u2014 a distinction that was palpable the moment our committee stepped through its doors. The premises comprise two beautifully adjoining preserved pre-war Peranakan houses, with a characteristic front hall typical of the era. Situated on the storied Heeren Street, the clubhouse sits in what is considered the Peranakan core area of Melaka and continues to serve as a focal point for the congregation of the Peranakan community in this historic city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The TPAS General Committee was warmly welcomed by the PPCM President Peter Ong, who graciously led us on a comprehensive tour of the clubhouse. The ground floor opens into a grand front hall adorned with ancestral portraits, antique furniture, and the distinctive Peranakan porcelain that speaks to the community’s love of colour and craftsmanship. Every corner tells a story \u2014 of families, of rituals, of the people who made Heeren Street their world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Manek Manek Room<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A highlight of the tour was the Manek Manek Room on the second floor \u2014 a dedicated space celebrating one of the most iconic and painstaking Peranakan crafts. Manek manek, the art of beadwork, is central to Peranakan material culture. Peranakan beaded slippers, known as kasut manek, were handmade with much skill and patience: strung, beaded and sewn onto canvas with tiny, faceted glass cut beads, with traditional designs featuring European floral subjects with colours influenced by Peranakan porcelain and batik sarongs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The room is a treasure trove of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n