Penang: Eurasian association mourns sudden loss of its president

THE Penang Eurasians Association (PEA), is mourning the sudden loss of the organisation's president, Peter Pedley, who died last Saturday.

Pedley, 73, passed on while serving his second term as president of PEA.

Committee member Trevor Sibert shared that Pedley, a veteran hotelier, left a legacy that will be hard to fill.

"He was devoted to its administration since taking office. He received good support from the trustees, patrons, as well as past presidents of PEA," said Sibert, who is the son of the late academic Datuk Tony Sibert, and a former PEA president.

Currently, reports indicate that there are about 6,000 Eurasians living in Penang, a vast difference compared to some 17,000 who are believed to be residing in Singapore.

During his term, Pedley united the Eurasians from all walks of life through events like Easter and Merdeka gatherings, New Year's Eve dinner and dances.

Eurasians from as far as Australia and the United States attended some of his events.

"Coming from the hospitality industry, he made use of his decades of experience towards building trust among the Eurasians and ensure they were satisfied being members of the Penang Eurasian Association."

Within the community, he would make it a point to visit Eurasians who were sick and their family members, offering prayers for them during monthly rosary sessions.

At the state level, Peter emphasised the importance for the Malaysians of Eurasian descent to participate at the state levels through multi-ethnic groups and heritage celebrations, like the recent Georgetown Festival 2026.

The association's vice-presidents Philip Theseira and Fedrick McGuire will meet with the committee to decide soon on who would succeed Pedley. - July 16, 2026.