Reflections - a tribute to
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Reflections - a tribute to
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My father, Frank de Witt and my mother, Christie Linda Dias were married in the Church of St. Francis in Malacca on 11th January, 1936. On October 13, 1940, I was born in a house along Banda Hilir Road.
Dad joined the Fisheries Department in Malacca in 1948 as a Fisheries Assistant and was instrumental in introducing the fresh water fish 'Talipia' into fish ponds in Malaya. He would always take me along in his car whenever he went out on his field trips as far as Mersing on the east coast and to Klang & Port Swettenham on the west. I also accompanied him on the numerous boat trips to the off shore islands, namely Pulau Besar and Pulau Undan; on one occasion as far north as Kuala Selangor.
Whenever I needed anything it was to my mother who I turned to, whether it was for a new pair of shoes or money for the movies. She never failed to furnish us with presents at Christmas.
My father got me into the Merchant Marine as an Apprentice Deck Officer with Straits Steamship Co. in 1957. The day I left home, my mother was in tears and said to me "Take care of yourself. I would die if anything should happen to you." While I was at sea, my mother wrote to me regularly. It was my father who helped me again, this time into the Singapore Police Force in 1961.
By this time my mother was ill and had been receiving treatment at various hospitals for cancer. On the night of 13th May, 1962, I was asleep on the floor of our home at Garden City when sometime after midnight, lying on my left side, I tried to roll over to right. I was stopped mid-way and could not turn either way no matter how hard I tried. Facing the door of the room, I saw a figure of a person standing there motionless. I became scared and screamed for help. However, there was no sound forthcoming. In desperation, I called out for my mother. It was only then that I was able to complete my turn to lie on my right side. This figure then walked past my face and I noticed that the person was wearing a dress. I fell asleep after that. I had to return to Singapore that morning for a court case. On the morning of May 15, I received word that my mother had passed away. On that same day of her funeral, I remained at the foot of her grave long after the crowd had gone, not wanting to leave. The sun had set, darkness had fallen and the candles on her grave were burning to the last. It was then that I reluctantly left accompanied by my wife to be and my elder brother who had waited for me. On September 2 that same year, my father died at the hospital in Malacca.
My parents were not rich or famous. They were just ordinary persons who fell in love, got married and tried to raise a family of 5 as best as they could. For what I am today, I owe it all to my parents. Like my father, I am happy and proud to bear the 'de Witt' name and so are my children.
NOTE from Dennis :
Mr. Frank de Witt was popularly known during his time as 'Ang Koi' - his nickname that was known to have been used by the members of the Portuguese Eurasian community in Melaka. A theory has it that 'Ang Koi' was Chinese for 'Red Face'. Apparently, his face turned 'red' when he was angry and hence the nickname bestowed on him first by the Chinese with whom he dealt with.
