OUR COMMUNITY IN TODAY’S CONTEXT
In the face of modernization, intermarriage, and migration, our small community grapples with significant challenges to its existence. Within our ancestral village of Kampung Chetti in Melaka, the number of residents has dwindled to just slightly over 100 individuals.
While there isn’t an official census of Melaka Chetties nationwide, estimates suggest a few thousand remain scattered across the country and abroad.
The younger generation of Melaka Chetties still retain their proficiency in the bazaar Malay Melaka Chetti creole, albeit slowly eroding, especially for those residing outside Kampung Chetti. Usage of the language has become confined primarily to conversations with the elders.
Additionally, traditional attire such as the kebaya for women and talapa as well as kain pelekat for men are mainly worn for special occasions these days. There is a real concern that the richness of Melaka Chetti culture might gradually diminish over time.