IPOH: Recognising the Baba Nyonya and Chitty communities as national unity icons is a suggestion that the National Unity Ministry is open to, says Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang (pic).
The Minister said that several personalities are currently recognised as national unity icons, including Olympic diver Pandelela Rinong, who received the title in 2023.
“We will look into how such individuals or communities can be highlighted as symbols of unity.
“The ministry has received numerous proposals from the public, including suggestions to recognise national leaders for their contributions to unity.
“We will look into all the proposals,” he told reporters after presenting allocations to 10 Kawasan Rukun Tetangga (KRT) under the 2026 Madani Community Satellite Programme here yesterday.
On Wednesday, Tangga Batu MP Bakri Jamaluddin proposed that the Baba Nyonya and Chitty communities in Melaka be recognised as unity icons while debating the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat.
Bakri said the two ethnic groups, comprising Chinese and Indian traders, arrived in Melaka in the early 15th century and gradually assimilated into local communities by adopting Malay culture, including its language, cuisine and clothing.
On a separate matter, Aaron said that while comparatively small in number, Tabika Perpaduan plays an important role as an early childhood education platform for the country.
“Under the Education Ministry, there are already over 8,000 kindergartens, while Kemas has nearly 10,000 and the private sector more than 10,000. But there are only around 1,800 Tabika Perpaduan,” he said.
Despite their small number, Tabika Perpaduan centres have received an encouraging response from parents, he added.
