[5] Migrants from the Syrian Christian community of Kerala, are reported to have first arrived on the shores of the then Malaya as early as 1910.
[6] Early Mar Thoma services generally took the form of prayer meetings in private homes.
Mammen (later Vicar General V. P. Mammen Kasseessa),[8] the General Secretary of the Sunday School Samajam, visited Malaya and upon his return to India strongly recommended to the Sabha Council that a Syrian Christian priest be sent there, to meet the desire of Marthomites to hold formal worship services in Malayalam.
This led to the setting up of one single parish covering the whole of Malaya and Singapore and laid the foundations of another era in the history of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church marking the establishment of the first Mar Thoma parish outside of India.
[9] While there were those who doubted the viability of creating a parish out of this scattered community, they had not reckoned on the steady growth of the population.
While most Syrian Christians still thought of Malaya as a temporary sojourn, there were signs of increasing commitment to this country; one of the most important was the purchase of a piece of land in Kuala Lumpur, on which to construct a church.
[10] With the conclusion of the war, a spurt in migrations of Syrian Christians was seen as further opportunities in the plantation, civil/administrative services and educational sectors opened up.
Thomas (later Senior Vicar for Malaysia-Singapore); who was here during the war years; received ordination in 1947 in India and returned to assist to meet the need of the increasing membership.
[9] Although the community suffered from emigration, especially after the May 13 Incident of 1969, activity continued apace indicating the further indigenisation of the Mar Thoma Church in Malaysia.
The logo of the Mar Thoma Church consists of a shield emblazoned with a Christian cross with the representation of the Ashoka Chakra at its centre.