Kopitiam – An Insider's Brew

Sigh… This has happened many times… I’ve resigned to the fact that few will understand the naming system of the Malays. I remember how I frustrated I was having to explain to the French administrator at my university why I left “Nom” (Surname) blank on my student info card.

Pre-1980s, some Malay children have typical Malay names. I know of a classmate who is named after the flower Melati (Jasmine). I also remember someone with the unfortunate name of Buang (throw away). As the Malays become more religion-conscious, they prefer to name their children with Islamic names. Most boys have the name Mohamed (after the Prophet Muhammad) in front of their other names. Quite a number of girls’ names start with Nur (meaning Light).

Double sigh. So to make things easier, I put my father’s name as my surname. And hence, I was known on paper as “Mohd. Amin, Nor Hidayah Binte”. Arghh…

About 98% of Malays in Singapore are Muslims. Most Malays follow the Islamic way of naming their children - a child’s name is written first, followed by his/her biological father’s name. For example,

Adam is the child’s name
Bin: son of
Hassan: father’s name
Hence, Adam Bin Hassan means Adam son of Hassan.
Binte or Binti: daughter of
Thus, Dina Binte Salleh means Dina daughter of Salleh.

The younger generation prefer to ‘drop’ Bin or Binte when introducing themselves. So, it will be Adam Hassan or Dina Salleh. But there are some Muslim communities such as the Moroccans who use their family name or clan name instead of Bin or Binte. Hmm… come to think about it, most Malay names are not actually Malay but Arabic sounding!

Does a Malay woman take after her husband’s name? Generally no. A Malay woman will keep her father’s name even after marriage. There are, however, some who married Caucasian men and take after their husband’s name or place the husband’s name after the father’s name. For instance, Dina Salleh-Meyerson.

How did I get my name? My parents, grandparents and the ustaz (religious teacher) decided on 3 names: Fatimah Zahra (Prophet Muhammad’s daughter), Rabiatul Adawiyah (a highly regarded pious woman) and Nor Hidayah (means The Light of Righteousness).

Undecided, they balloted and the latter surfaced thrice. And that was how I came to be known. As with all mothers, mine often reminded me how we should live up to our name. And just like the light which guides, I too should aspire to inspire others, n’est pas?

Do Malays have nicknames? It depends on the individual family. Everyone in my extended family call me Cik Idah or Miss Idah instead of Hidayah. Reasons? I always wonder too… I did ask my late grandma about this. It was indeed strange to have your elders address you as Miss. But Nenek (grandma) just smiled and left my question unanswered. My mum Asia (named after Assiyah, the Pharaoh’s wife) was known to everyone as Cik Yah or Miss Yah. I even recalled my father calling her Cik Yah many times…

Some Malays with long names often ‘shorten’ their names so that it won’t be a mouthful when called. Nowadays, there are some Malays who gave their children English names. Some even ‘adopted’ the English version of their names. Sharifah is now Sherrie. Surya prefers to be called Sue. Melhan is Mel for short. When I was staying in the Lakota Indian Reservation, I thought it would be hip to have a Native American name. So I was known to everyone as Hidayah Soaring Eagle who felt at home talking with Demi Beautiful Bald Eagle and Soldier Bear at the reservation.

I’m sure the Malays would appreciate it if their foreign friends call them by their given names and not by their fathers’. As for me, you may call me Hidayah, Cik Idah or Soaring Eagle. It doesn’t really matter as “What's in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet.*”

*Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet

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