British Malaya between 1909 and 1946. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I simply wish that some few respected persons who are IT literate from different countries could start to record all the Myanmar Diaspora and their history around the world.
Twenty five yrs ago, I was surprised to read the NST first page report about the photo and bio data of retiring Director of CID, Malaysia. His name started with Maung…He was said to be transferred to British Malaya while serving the police force in British Burma. He never went back to Burma and continued to serve after independence.
Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon was the Chief Minister of Penang from 1990 to 2008 and is currently a member of the Dewan Negara, the upper house of the Malaysian Parliament. In April 2009, Koh was appointed Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. He once said that one of his grandparent was from Burma.
He is currently president of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan), a member of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.
Once I met the CEO (boss) of the Habib jewels (more than 2 dozen showrooms in Malaysia). He told me that his father migrated from Burma and his uncle is still in Yangon. His wife told Thida (my wife) that she is ½ Burmese and likes Mon Hinga. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Habib-Jewels/15647792749?v=info
Once during the Indian President had an official visit to Malaysia, President’s wife revealed in the newspaper interview that she was born in Burma, got first degree from RASU and married the future President on her postgraduate studies in India. (Daw Tint Tint aka Usha Narayanan is the wife of former Indian President, Kocheril Raman Narayanan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kocheril_Raman_Narayanan
Wife of the ex Minister (he resigned on his own, to concentrate on his business), famous actress Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina’s grandfather, Datuk Eddie Eu Eng Hock was a Burmese Chinese. (He was said to be the first person to buy and use the Roll Royse car in Malaya. One of his son was a major in Royal Malaysia Air force. https://drkokogyi.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/datin-seri-tiara-jacquelinas-grandfather-datuk-eddie-eu-eng-hock-was-a-burmese-chinese/ There are at least another 2 actress here with Burmese blood.
Burmese migrants to Malaya are pioneers in publishing Jawi, Chinese and Tamil newspapers https://drkokogyi.wordpress.com/2010/08/22/burmese-migrants-to-malaya-are-pioneers-in-publishing-jawi-chinese-and-tamil-newspapers/
When I was working PERKIM, the Chairman was Malaysia’s first PM Tunku Abdul Rahman and I heard the stories that his mother was a Burmese Shan migrated to Southern Thailand.
One Arab-Burmese family from Mandalay migrated back to Saudi Arabia and even became the Deputy Petroleum Minister. One Arab blooded Rohingya also became a minister in a Middle East Arab country. And one Rohingya migrated to Bangladesh was said to be the second richest man there with timber trade.
About twenty years ago, I introduced an investor to Myanmar Ambassador. They had a meeting in one hotel and later proceed to Karaoke (my first and last experience in Karaoke) we were surprised later because both were owned by Burmese Migrant.
Previous Myanmar Ambassador told me that when our Senior General visited Cambodia, he was introduced to the descendants of Myanmars who migrated there during the Burmese Kings era.
Few months ago, the Star reported about the 100 + years old Burmese Hindu Temple in Terengganu, Malaysia built by Burmese Indians from British Burma to build railway track in British Malaya.
Some of my patients used to tell me about their grandparents or relatives married to people from Burma.
June Rose Bellamy, also known as Yadana Nat Mai https://drkokogyi.wordpress.com/2010/05/03/burmas-royal-june-rose/
The poor Royal descendants of Thibaw Min in India should be mentioned also.
Who knows, one day, one of the descendants of Myanmar migrant Christian Chins could become the President of USA.
Tags: British Malaya, Burma, India, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, Yangon
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