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Extract of article from :
New Straits Times
(www.nst.com.my)
Lifestyle/Heritage
10th February 1992
Proud of their Dutch roots
Dutch Eurasians are a minority within a minority. They carry Dutch surnames, are extremely proud of their European heritage but are quintessentially Malaysian in every other way, writes Bonny Wee.
The term "Eurasian" when used and applied in Malacca, usually refers to people of Portuguese descent. This widespread assumption, though partly true, is also distorted.
For there are other Eurasians who have been "swallowed," and almost forgotten because these people are of Dutch, British or German parentage.
Take the Dutch-Eurasians. There are only a handful of such families left in Malacca. The rest are scattered in Kuala Lumpur, Seremban and Singapore. Many more have migrated to Australia, Canada and America.
The Eurasians of Dutch descent living in Malacca have very little to show of their past, except for the impressive and notable buildings like the Stadhuys, the Protestant-Anglican Christchurch, and the granite-stone plaques adorning the walls of St Paul's Church, all situated in the heart of town which characterises, to a monumental extent, the historical city of Malacca.
The descendants of the Dutch in Malacca today no longer speak Dutch, nor do they wear any typical Dutch attire or wooden clogs that the Dutch are famous for. Dutch-Eurasians, for that matter do not celebrate festivities common in Holland.
Their assimilation into the predominantly large Portuguese-Eurasian community over the decades (through inter-marriage) has also diluted further their linkage to their own ancestors.
Physically, the Caucasian looks and fair-coloured skin are the only semblance of their Dutch heritage. Even these have been tempered by the scorching sun.
The strongest testimony to lend credence to their Dutch claim are their Dutch names like Van Huizen, De Witt, Westerhout, De Vries, De Winds and Valbergs.
Speaking to Francis Van Huizen, Joseph De Witt and Hazel Westerhout, three of the remaining Dutch descendants in Malacca, one begins to sense an earnest desire to set the record books straight and to establish their Dutch lineage.
They say, without apology, that they have no affiliations with their motherland, Holland.
They call themselves Dutch-Malaysians and speak to me about their unique position in the potpourri of races found in the state.
For Hazel Westerhout (pronounced Westerhoot), 42, confirming her ancestral roots was relatively easy as she came to the interview armed with a family diary recorded by one of her paternal forefathers, Charles Baker Westerhout, born in the Malay peninsula in 1869.
I am fortunate and am truly proud that he had the foresight to record the family tree and the events which transpired during his time. It could not have been a more priceless gift to his descendants.
"At least I know for certain who my Dutch predecessors were and what roles they played in Malacca," she says, beaming.
The diary, in narrative form, was translated from the Dutch to the English language for the benefit of the present Westerhout families.
It makes fascinating reading, going back to one Cedric Westerhout (born 1354) and ending with Arthur Charles Westerhout (born 1881).
The Westerhouts were influential and affluent noblemen and landed gentry back in the Netherlands and even had a traditional family crest to show for it.
The Westerhout position during the Dutch rule of Malacca (1641-1789) was unfortunately not recorded.
They were, however, top officials in the British Civil Service, counting among them as Assistant British Resident, Superintendent of Naning District, and Sheriff of Malacca. There were others who were administrators, engineers and teachers. Interestingly, the Westerhouts continued to be land-owners in the state.
"The diary is invaluable to me. At least I know my ancestors were distinguished persons who held high office."
"It is really fascinating to be able to trace my roots and I shall pass this down to our future generations. I also have a Dutch flag bearing the face of Queen Juliana which was handed down to me by my late grandfather," she says.
Francis Van Huizen, 60, says he is just as proud to be Dutch descent.
"Unlike Hazel, I have no documentary evidence to show for it. If ever, it is borne in my name."
"Of course, my father used to relate to us the story of how my grandfather migrated from Sumatra to Singapore and how he later landed in Malacca. My mother is a Eurasian of Portuguese descent and somehow, we all ended up speaking the local Portuguese language - kristang - and all our affinities went there. It would be wonderful if I could trace my early Dutch forebears," he says.
Mr Van Huizen's cousins are Lawrence and Peter Van Huisen. Both were top Malaysian hockey players in the Fifties and Sixties.
He says every Christmas, his mother prepared Artaple kalakoon, a typical Dutch meal consisting of turkey and roasted potatoes.
"Recently some Dutch friends from Holland confirmed that a similar dish with the same name is served in their country. Perhaps that is the only Dutch influence on my mother - food!"
Joseph De Witt, 55, who recently retired from Government service, is a keen historian and an avid collector-cum-builder of model airplanes and military hardware.
He has no trouble tracing his Dutch roots as it is inscribed in writing on a plaque at the Christchurch in Malacca. He strongly believes that the Church records his predecessors dating back to 1725, are now kept in Holland. However, he has no other documented proof nor does he possess any Dutch paraphernalia.
"I would love to find out whether my ancestors who came in the 17th Century were either naval officers, soldiers or traders, or for that matter "mercenaries". It's all a matter of conjecture now."
"Of course, I am proud to be Dutch-Eurasian and so are my children. Admittedly, we are a minority within a minority; a tiny drop in the ocean, but that our origins are still Dutch."
"I'm planning a trip to Holland in the near future and I hope I can find some valuable facts. I have been told there is a village bearing the name "De Witt" and of course my best sources will be the Dutch archives and museums."
All three agreed that being a minority within a minority (there are no more than 100 Dutch-Eurasians in Malacca while the Portuguese-Eurasian community is much larger) makes it extremely difficult and impractical for them to form a club or association which requires lots of manpower, effort and time.
The Dutch Eurasians are quite happy to let things remain the way they are.
"We wouldn't mind establishing links with the Dutch Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to help us rediscover our roots - strictly within the social and cultural context to learn more about our Dutch heritage," say one of them.
Dutch Eurasians are proud to take their friends to see the historical evidence left by their predecessors. - NST 10-2-1992
Picture: Joseph De Witt, Francis Van Huisen & Hazel Westerhout looking at the VOC plaque at Malacca's Dutch Square.
New Straits Times
(www.nst.com.my)
Lifestyle/Heritage
10th February 1992
Proud of their Dutch roots
Dutch Eurasians are a minority within a minority. They carry Dutch surnames, are extremely proud of their European heritage but are quintessentially Malaysian in every other way, writes Bonny Wee.
The term "Eurasian" when used and applied in Malacca, usually refers to people of Portuguese descent. This widespread assumption, though partly true, is also distorted.
For there are other Eurasians who have been "swallowed," and almost forgotten because these people are of Dutch, British or German parentage.
Take the Dutch-Eurasians. There are only a handful of such families left in Malacca. The rest are scattered in Kuala Lumpur, Seremban and Singapore. Many more have migrated to Australia, Canada and America.
The Eurasians of Dutch descent living in Malacca have very little to show of their past, except for the impressive and notable buildings like the Stadhuys, the Protestant-Anglican Christchurch, and the granite-stone plaques adorning the walls of St Paul's Church, all situated in the heart of town which characterises, to a monumental extent, the historical city of Malacca.
The descendants of the Dutch in Malacca today no longer speak Dutch, nor do they wear any typical Dutch attire or wooden clogs that the Dutch are famous for. Dutch-Eurasians, for that matter do not celebrate festivities common in Holland.
Their assimilation into the predominantly large Portuguese-Eurasian community over the decades (through inter-marriage) has also diluted further their linkage to their own ancestors.
Physically, the Caucasian looks and fair-coloured skin are the only semblance of their Dutch heritage. Even these have been tempered by the scorching sun.
The strongest testimony to lend credence to their Dutch claim are their Dutch names like Van Huizen, De Witt, Westerhout, De Vries, De Winds and Valbergs.
Speaking to Francis Van Huizen, Joseph De Witt and Hazel Westerhout, three of the remaining Dutch descendants in Malacca, one begins to sense an earnest desire to set the record books straight and to establish their Dutch lineage.
They say, without apology, that they have no affiliations with their motherland, Holland.
They call themselves Dutch-Malaysians and speak to me about their unique position in the potpourri of races found in the state.
For Hazel Westerhout (pronounced Westerhoot), 42, confirming her ancestral roots was relatively easy as she came to the interview armed with a family diary recorded by one of her paternal forefathers, Charles Baker Westerhout, born in the Malay peninsula in 1869.
I am fortunate and am truly proud that he had the foresight to record the family tree and the events which transpired during his time. It could not have been a more priceless gift to his descendants.
"At least I know for certain who my Dutch predecessors were and what roles they played in Malacca," she says, beaming.
The diary, in narrative form, was translated from the Dutch to the English language for the benefit of the present Westerhout families.
It makes fascinating reading, going back to one Cedric Westerhout (born 1354) and ending with Arthur Charles Westerhout (born 1881).
The Westerhouts were influential and affluent noblemen and landed gentry back in the Netherlands and even had a traditional family crest to show for it.
The Westerhout position during the Dutch rule of Malacca (1641-1789) was unfortunately not recorded.
They were, however, top officials in the British Civil Service, counting among them as Assistant British Resident, Superintendent of Naning District, and Sheriff of Malacca. There were others who were administrators, engineers and teachers. Interestingly, the Westerhouts continued to be land-owners in the state.
"The diary is invaluable to me. At least I know my ancestors were distinguished persons who held high office."
"It is really fascinating to be able to trace my roots and I shall pass this down to our future generations. I also have a Dutch flag bearing the face of Queen Juliana which was handed down to me by my late grandfather," she says.
Francis Van Huizen, 60, says he is just as proud to be Dutch descent.
"Unlike Hazel, I have no documentary evidence to show for it. If ever, it is borne in my name."
"Of course, my father used to relate to us the story of how my grandfather migrated from Sumatra to Singapore and how he later landed in Malacca. My mother is a Eurasian of Portuguese descent and somehow, we all ended up speaking the local Portuguese language - kristang - and all our affinities went there. It would be wonderful if I could trace my early Dutch forebears," he says.
Mr Van Huizen's cousins are Lawrence and Peter Van Huisen. Both were top Malaysian hockey players in the Fifties and Sixties.
He says every Christmas, his mother prepared Artaple kalakoon, a typical Dutch meal consisting of turkey and roasted potatoes.
"Recently some Dutch friends from Holland confirmed that a similar dish with the same name is served in their country. Perhaps that is the only Dutch influence on my mother - food!"
Joseph De Witt, 55, who recently retired from Government service, is a keen historian and an avid collector-cum-builder of model airplanes and military hardware.
He has no trouble tracing his Dutch roots as it is inscribed in writing on a plaque at the Christchurch in Malacca. He strongly believes that the Church records his predecessors dating back to 1725, are now kept in Holland. However, he has no other documented proof nor does he possess any Dutch paraphernalia.
"I would love to find out whether my ancestors who came in the 17th Century were either naval officers, soldiers or traders, or for that matter "mercenaries". It's all a matter of conjecture now."
"Of course, I am proud to be Dutch-Eurasian and so are my children. Admittedly, we are a minority within a minority; a tiny drop in the ocean, but that our origins are still Dutch."
"I'm planning a trip to Holland in the near future and I hope I can find some valuable facts. I have been told there is a village bearing the name "De Witt" and of course my best sources will be the Dutch archives and museums."
All three agreed that being a minority within a minority (there are no more than 100 Dutch-Eurasians in Malacca while the Portuguese-Eurasian community is much larger) makes it extremely difficult and impractical for them to form a club or association which requires lots of manpower, effort and time.
The Dutch Eurasians are quite happy to let things remain the way they are.
"We wouldn't mind establishing links with the Dutch Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to help us rediscover our roots - strictly within the social and cultural context to learn more about our Dutch heritage," say one of them.
Dutch Eurasians are proud to take their friends to see the historical evidence left by their predecessors. - NST 10-2-1992
Picture: Joseph De Witt, Francis Van Huisen & Hazel Westerhout looking at the VOC plaque at Malacca's Dutch Square.