History

History of the Dutch in Malaysia by Dennis De Witt -- RM 60.00.

Written in the perspective of a Malaysian Dutch Eurasian, this book divides the Dutch historical influences in Malaysia into four different eras. Each era is analysed and represented in relation to its respective social environment and political developments. Included are the historical contributions of individuals, such as the Dutch Admirals who attempted to capture Malacca, the Dutch Governors and their administrative ranks who governed the town and the contributions of the Malacca Burghers in shaping Malaysia's history.

Presented herein are the many vestiges from the Dutch that can still be found in Malaysia today. The author also sets the record straight on some misconceptions concerning historic monuments, identifies Dutch architectural influences, recounts an unusual tradition of reusing old burial tombs and proposes a theory for the legend of Malacca's secret tunnels.

Although Dutch-descended communities such as the Afrikaners of South Africa, the Ceylon Burghers of Sri Lanka and the Indo-Dutch Eurasians from Indonesia are known to exist, few are aware of the existence of the Malaysian Dutch descendants. Categorised in a broad sense as Eurasians, they exist as a minority within a minority in Malaysia. This book recounts their history, relates their ancestor's contributions towards Malaysian history and describes the development of this hidden and forgotten minority ethnic group.