The Burmese diaspora has played a significant but often overlooked role in shaping Southeast Asia. Migrants from Burma were not merely laborers—they were thinkers, builders, pioneers, and cultural contributors. Here are just a few examples:

• A Burmese officer, surnamed Maung, once served as Director of Malaysia’s CID. Originally transferred from British Burma, he never returned and built his career in Malaya.
• Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, former Chief Minister of Penang and federal Minister, once acknowledged his Burmese ancestry.
• The CEO of Habib Jewels shared that his father migrated from Burma and still has family in Yangon. His wife, half-Burmese, enjoys traditional Burmese dishes like mohinga.
• Usha Narayanan (Daw Tint Tint), wife of India’s former President K. R. Narayanan, was born in Burma and earned her first degree from Rangoon Arts and Science University.
• Actress Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina’s grandfather, Datuk Eddie Eu Eng Hock, was a Burmese Chinese—reportedly the first in Malaya to own a Rolls Royce. He later founded Eu-Lee Landing and Shipping, Malaysia’s first stevedoring company.
• Burmese migrants played a foundational role in media: Abdul Karim Ghani, a former Burmese parliamentarian under Dr. Ba Maw, edited Malay, Jawi, Tamil, Urdu, and Arabic newspapers. He also led Muslim civic societies and was a prominent figure in Southeast Asian Muslim politics.
• Aw Boon Haw, a Burmese-Chinese entrepreneur, founded Tiger Balm and became a media mogul—starting newspapers like Sin Chew Jit Poh and Guang Ming Daily, and establishing Chung Khiaw Bank.
• Malaysia’s first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, had a Burmese Mon mother.
• An Arab-Burmese from Myanmar had said to rose to become one of the Middle-East country’s Deputy Petroleum Minister. A Rohingya Burmese migrant became one of the richest timber traders in Bangladesh.
• Burmese migrants owned some karaoke lounges and hotels in Malaysia even around Jl. Ampang and Jl Tun Razak.
• The late June Rose Bellamy (Yadana Nat Mai), a Burmese royal descendant, became a bridge between cultures abroad.
• During a Cambodian state visit, Myanmar’s military leader was introduced to Burmese-descended families working in Ruby business—migrants from the royal era.
• A 100-year-old Burmese Hindu temple in Terengganu, Malaysia, still stands as a legacy of early Burmese railway workers.
• Countless Malaysians casually share ancestry with Burmese relatives due to intermarriages.

One of the most influential figures was Abdul Karim Ghani, born in Ilayangudi and once a parliamentary secretary in Burma. He later joined Subhas Chandra Bose’s Azad Hind government during WWII and played a key role in Malayan Muslim politics. As head of the All Malaya Muslim Missionary Society and editor of Malayan Nanban and Sinaran, he pioneered Tamil and Jawi publications. He also led the Nadra Action Committee during the 1950 Maria Hertogh custody crisis in Singapore. His call for justice led to riots—tragically costing lives. Ghani was detained for 15 months and then exiled to Pakistan, where he died disillusioned. Yet, his legacy endures: he helped awaken political consciousness among Southeast Asian Muslims.

And let us not forget other legacies:

• The descendants of King Thibaw lived in India in poverty but carried the dignity of Burma’s monarchy.
• There are tales of Prophet Abraham’s lineage reaching parts of Myanmar through Karen tribal traditions, especially surrounding legends tied to Toungoo and Thanton hills.

These stories are not relics of the past—they are part of our living memory. They reveal that migrants, especially those marginalized for race or religion, have been vital contributors to host societies.

Let this be the first in a series honoring these hidden histories. May it empower every migrant, every mixed-race child, every minority youth told they don’t belong. The glass ceiling is real—but it is also breakable.

Read also my original posts:

1/ Karim Gani of Burma and Malaya စိုင်ယဒ် အေ.အမ်.အေ.ကရင် ဂနီ(အောက်လွှတ်တော်အမတ်မင်း)

2/ Malaya Burma Star ( KARIM GHANI)

3/ Burmese migrants to Malaya are pioneers in publishing Jawi, Chinese and Tamil newspapers

4/ Singapore FIRST RIOTS leader was Karim Ghani

5/ Burmese Myanmar Everywhere in Malaya

6/ Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina’s grandfather, Datuk Eddie Eu Eng Hock was a Burmese Chinese

Notable Burmese Indians and others From Wikipedia.

• Alan Basil de Lastic – (1929–2000) was the fourth Archbishop of Delhi. He was born in Maymyo of mixed Burmese, Irish and French ancestry.^[41]
• Bhanumati Devi, an Odia film and theatre actress who was born in Burma.^[42]
• Chakpa Makhao Ngambi, princess of Manipur and queen of Burma
• Daw Tint Tint Usha, the wife of former President of India, K R Narayanan
• Parshuram Verma, A social worker and leader for Burma Displaced Persons in India, dedicated his life to the welfare of Burmese Indians who migrated from Myanmar to India, particularly in Bihar, after 1972.
• Helen of Bollywood, born Helen Jairag Richardson Khan in Rangoon on 14 July 1938, she fled to India during World War II and became famous for playing the vamp in Indian cinema.
• Karim Ghani was born in Sodugudi, Ilayangudi, a politician in South-East Asia of Indian origin. Before the Second World War Karim Ghani was a parliamentary secretary in Burma under Dr Ba Maw.
• S N Goenka, a vipassana meditation teacher (born 1924)
• T S S Rajan, an Indian freedom fighter and Minister of Health in Madras Presidency from 1937 to 1940.
• U A Khader (1935–2020) is a noted Malayali novelist^[44]
• Nalini Joshi, mathematician
• Notable people
• Sitt Nyein Aye – Burmese artist
• Helen Jairag Richardson – Indian film actress
• Lekha Washington -Indian film actress and model
• Pu Zoramthanga – Boxer
• U. A. Khader
• Usha Narayanan (born Tint Tint) – former First Lady of India
• Pessie Madan
• Samir Chaudhuri
• Ahalya Chari
• Essof Ashroff
• K. Deep
• Ahmed Mamsa
• Peston Padamji Ginwala
• S. N. Goenka
• Bhanumati Devi

Myanmars in Pakistan (Wikipedia)

• Abdul Hamid Khan, Army General
• Eric G. Hall – Pakistan Air Force general, born and raised in Burma
• Rakshanda Khattak – Pakistan’s first supermodel
• Ataullah abu Ammar Jununi – Founder and leader of Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA)
• Ashraf Tai — Burmese muslim and pioneer of Bando karate in Pakistan.^[8]