In the Chasm of Malaysian Ethnic Pluralism - Malaysia's Dutch Descendants
By Dennis De Witt
Malaysia has become well known throughout the world as a success story in the development of its multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society. Nevertheless, its apparent success in establishing harmony and unity between the races, focus was always made on the four main ethnic groups that is suppose to display the diverse society of Malaysians, i.e. the Malays, Chinese, Indians and Others.
Unfortunately, Malaysians who fall under the category of 'Others' are often misunderstood and even forgotten, especially when it comes to implementing the nation's ethnic and cultural policies. The 'Other' Malaysians are made up of communities that form the inconsequential minorities in Malaysian society. One such group that fall under this category is the community of Malaysian Dutch descendants.
Although Malaysian Dutch descendants are broadly categorised as Eurasians, those who understand the meaning of the term Eurasian often associate this ethnic group with the Portuguese-Eurasian community in Malacca.
Many people do not realise that there are also Eurasians who are descended from their Dutch forefathers who now still live in Malaysia. They exist as a sub-group within the Malaysian Eurasian community and it can be said that they subsist as a minority within a minority community. It is a position that has caused them to be forgotten, misconstrued and left them as an almost invisible group.
Most Malaysians are even unaware of the existence of this community. Others don't know who they are, why they came here and how they are distinct from other Malaysian Eurasians. In fact, they possess their own identifying traits of character, as well as a unique cultural heritage and history.
History of the Community
The history of Dutch influence in Malaysian history goes as far back as to 1602, with the coming of a Dutch admiral to Batu Sawar, the old capital of Johor. Unlike the Portuguese, the Dutch's arrival to the Malay Peninsula was neither for conquest nor colonialism. The sole purpose of their entry to the region was for trade and the logical means to achieve this was by cultivating friendships and forging partnerships with the Malay Rulers.
With their successful joint manoeuvres with Johor, the Dutch and the Malays were able to capture Malacca in 1641 and evict the Portuguese from the Straits of Malacca, bringing the lands around the straits back to the control of the Malays.
From this time, the town and fortress of Malacca remained under the control of the Dutch and Malacca became a tiny colonial port town for the trade powers from Holland. It was also from then that employees of the Dutch East India Company began to arrive to Malacca and they resided there in a similar capacity as an expatriate would be posted to work in Malaysia today. However, these expatriates from days of old took on local wives and at the end of their employment contact, chose to stay on and make Malacca their new home. Their descendants are today known as the Dutch Eurasians from Malacca.
Malacca was held by the Dutch till 1825, when it was passed to the British. During British colonial times, another Dutch descent group began arriving to the Malay Peninsula.
In the 19th century, the British recognised Malaya as a land of great opportunity and natural wealth. So, they began opening up the country for development and introduced large scale industries such as employing modern tin mining techniques and the cultivation of commercial crops. This required more administrative resources and better public infrastructure.
However, the British colonial government were unable to induce its own nationals to come and take up jobs in Malaya. Therefore, the Straits Government of Malaya appealed to its counterpart in Ceylon to send some of its trained men to Malaya to help open up the country. Ceylon responded by sending qualified English speaking locals who were citizens of the British Empire to help extend their administration in empire building. One group who came to Malaya and made it their new home were the Ceylon Dutch Burghers.
They served the British in finance, education, defence, transportation and all other administrative sectors. They were mostly concentrated in larger towns across the west coast of the Malay Peninsula.
At around the same time, other Dutch descendants from India and the Indonesian archipelago also began to arrive to the Malay Peninsula. Many of them served the British in a similar capacity too.
Dutch Descendants in Malaysia
With the independence of Malaysia in 1957, key issues such as the continued sovereignty of the Sultans, the placement of Islam as the country's official religion and especially the accordance of special privileges to the Malays and aborigines over the other races were instituted in the nation's Federal Constitution.
Nevertheless, there were certain Malaysians who found Malaysia's racial discrimination policies to be a cause of concern. There were those who wanted a future where they would be safe and secure, in a place where their children would have the best education possible and a future that would be free from discrimination against race and religion. They believed that these basic rights could not be found in Malaysia.
These Malaysians, including many Dutch descendants, began to give up their Malaysian citizenship and their good jobs to emigrate, with Australia then being a popular destination at that time.
A good command of English, which was not a problem for Malaysian Eurasians, played an important part in the Australian government's approval of their emigration applications. Also, many Eurasians who applied to be Australian citizens were born in the British Straits Settlements and they were still considered as British subjects.
Thereafter, the number of Dutch descendants who remained in Malaysia began to diminish.
From the time when Malaya was still part of the British Empire, the nation experienced political and social reforms that resulted in a fragmented multi-ethnic and multi-religious society. The Malays, Chinese and Indians, which represent the major ethnic groups, were each accorded their political representation in the newly established government. However, in the background there existed deep ethnic divisions between the races as each group sought to preserve its interest against the encroachment of others, which had potential to erupt in violence. And this was exactly what happened in 1969, which became infamously known as the May 13th incident.
From the May 13th incident, Malaysia began to address issues involving racial unity, national security, eradication of poverty and education. Issues pertaining to privileged Malay rights and the sovereignty of the Malay Sultans gained further focus. This definitive event marked the beginning of a new era in the country's political, economic and social development. It also led to the implementation of Malaysia's New Economic Policy (NEP) in 1970.
The NEP is said to be responsible for immense changes to the economy of Malaysia for the last thirty odd years. In the past, each ethnic group could generally be associated with a specific economic activity or occupation.
The NEP gave the Malays (or Bumiputras as the term was then coined), an upper edge in the granting of privileges in the business, education, the civil service and social sectors. Laws and rules favouring Bumiputras eventually became present in practically every level in Malaysia.
Unfortunately, the NEP was not used as a tool to enhance the status of the ethnic minority communities in Malaysia. Instead, it was seen to result in the further division of its citizens, where a vast assortment of issues was simplified down to merely Bumiputras versus non-Bumiputra matters.
Therefore, in the 1970s and 1980s, many more Malaysians, including Malaysian Eurasians and Dutch descendants, began emigrating to Australia and to other parts of the world.
Eventually, Malaysia began to forget the many contributions of the Dutch descendants towards the early development of the country. Today, most Malaysians don't even know that there are still Dutch descendants left. The Dutch descendants in Malaysia have now lost their identity and the community has even managed to remain invisible and forgotten in Malaysia.
According to the Malaysian Statistics Department, from the population of around 25 million, there are now just over 29,000 Eurasians living in Malaysia. A vast majority of these Eurasians are of Portuguese descent. Although there are no accurate statistics, it is estimated that the number of Dutch descendants left in Malaysia today probably amounts to only around 3,000 individuals.
Conclusion
Although Malaysian Dutch descendants exist as a minority within a minority and the community has long remained invisible and forgotten, they persist to be proud of their European roots which are reflected in their surnames and their Dutch heritage. Nevertheless, Malaysian Dutch descendant families who remained in Malaysia are quintessentially Malaysian in every other way and they are first and foremost proud to be Malaysian and to remain as loyal citizens of Malaysia.
This community of Others represent a tiny but unique part of Malaysia. Although it may seem that they are nothing but an insignificant part of Malaysia, theirs is no less an important link in the nation's history and heritage. After all, the history and heritage each ethnic community is entwined with the others. Collectively, they represent and define the culture and heritage of the nation as a whole.
For further information regarding the Malaysian Dutch descendants, please visit www.dutchmalaysia.net
Dennis De Witt is a fifth generation Malaysian Dutch descendant originating from Malacca. He is the author of 'Reconnecting Through Our Roots' (2006) and 'History of the Dutch in Malaysia' (2007). He has also written a number of articles regarding historical influence of the Dutch in Asia and on the Malaysian Dutch descendants. He is a registered speaker with the Malaysian Tourism Development Council and he has delivered talks on the subject to Malaysian tour guides, cultural groups and university students. In May 2008, he was invited by the Netherlands-Malaysia Association to deliver a lecture at The Hague and to launch his book there. He is currently one of the co-ordinators of the Malaysian Dutch Descendants Project and is engaged as a management consultant in Kuala Lumpur.
For further information regarding 'History of the Dutch in Malaysia,' please visit www.nutmegpublishing.com