COMMENT | The Malacca Chettis, also known as Malacca Chitties (not to be confused with the Nattukottai Chettiars, a renowned Tamil Hindu community traditionally associated with moneylending), are a unique Hindu Peranakan community in Malaysia that truly exemplifies multiculturalism.

Numbering approximately five hundred, they represent the oldest surviving Indian-origin community in Malaysia.

The word “chetti” means trader in Tamil, and their lineage spans about six centuries, blending Indian, Malay, and Chinese influences into a remarkable cultural mosaic.

Origins and history

The Malacca Chettis trace their ancestry to...