Becoming Bibik Puteh
By Peter Soh
July 2019 FEATURE
“People say Peranakan culture is very colorful, but it didn’t start out that way. The earliest – and now outdated – Peranakan costume was the baju panjang, made from kain Bugis, which was often brownish in color. It was not until European organdie came to replace the dull-colored baju panjang that the long blouse took on a colorful and glamorous pattern. It was from there that colors seeped into everyday Peranakan life,” says Ashrey Ch’ng.Ch'ng with the late Datuk Kenny Chan.Ch’ng is one of the few Peranakan female impersonators...
Peter Soh
is a Peranakan writer who is very interested in
exploring the discourse and identity of the Chinese Peranakan. One of his Peranakan short stories was featured in the Emerging Malaysian Writers 2018 anthology. He is currently the Head of Humanities in Maple Leaf Kingsley International School, and teaches Sociology.
