Serial No: IAH013
Title: The Eurasian Historian
We are not going anywhere,
Malaya is home.
Dato’ Eustace Anthony Nonis, born 1942
Jalan Singgora, George Town
The term Eurasian means European mixed Asian. My paternal grandfather was a Portuguese Eurasian and grandmother a Chinese Nyonya. My maternal grandfather was a Scottish and his wife a Japanese. I have fond memories of my paternal grandmother. She was a typical nyonya, she wore sarong and chewed pinang. Interestingly, she only spoke Malay, she couldn’t speak Chinese or English.
I was born and bred in Penang. I belong to the Merdeka generation when the topic of citizenship was widely discussed. Among the Eurasian families, because of political uncertainties, many had decided to move to other commonwealth countries such as Australia. I remember my family too had a serious discussion at home at Jalan Singgora. At the time, my grandfather had already passed away. My grandmother being the family’s matriarch said firmly, “We are not going anywhere, Malaya is home”.
I had a long career at the Asian World Bank. The job took me to different parts of the world. I had no problem dealing with people from different culture. This is partly because Penang is multicultural. I grew up mixing with friends from different races. The late Karpal Singh was a good mate, we cycled to school together every day.
After retirement, my wife and I decided to move back to Penang. Since then, I began to take interest in culture and history of my community. I have published a book entitled “The Eurasians: A Founding Community of Penang.”. I am also involved in many community services to help the needy regardless of race and religion.
I Am Home 