Kabesa di Jenti Kristang / Leader of the Kristang people
Kevin Martens Wong Zhi Qiang is the gay, non-binary, polyamorous atheist Kabesa (Leader) of the Kristang / Portuguese-Eurasian community worldwide and in the Republic of Singapore, and the Omimerliang (Merlionsman) and Tigrisoneru (Dreamtiger) of the Republic of Singapore: a living human magnamakara or psychoemotional gate guardian supporting the psychoemotional well-being of all peoples regardless of race, language, religion or sexuality as an independent scholar, teacher and speculative fiction writer. He is also a suicide, rape, molest and sexual assault survivor, and survivor of intense homophobic psychoemotional and institutional abuse from the Singapore state, as well as the developer of the Osura Pesuasang, the Kristang theory of human individuation collected in the Libru Laranja / Orange Book (merlionsman.com/the-orange-book) that emerged in response to these events; he further publishes new plays, poetry and prose in English and Kristang at Tigri sa Chang (tigrisachang.substack.com) toward negotiating this individual and collective trauma. Kevin is the thirteenth Kabesa of the Kristang, the first openly gay, non-binary, autistic, ADHD, atheist and polyamorous Kabesa, and has held the position since 8 December 2015.
Kabesa of the Kristang people (period serving as Kabesa in parentheses)
13th Kabesa: Kevin Martens Wong Zhi Qiang (8 December 2015-present)
12th Kabesa: Valerie Tina Rodrigues (30 November 1991-8 December 2015)
11th Kabesa: Maureen Rita Danker (31 March 1989-30 November 1991)
10th Kabesa: Mabel Anne Tessensohn (15 March 1969-31 March 1989)
9th Kabesa: Percival Frank Aroozoo MBE (9 April 1951-15 March 1969)
8th Kabesa: Dr/Dato’ Charles Joseph Pemberton Paglar (9 December 1941-9 April 1951)
7th Kabesa: Claude Henry “Toto” Da Silva (24 April 1939-9 December 1941)
6th Kabesa: Major Hugh Stanley Ransome Zehnder OBE (10 April 1936-24 April 1939)
5th Kabesa: Dr Noel Leicester Clarke (27 March 1926-10 April 1936)
4th Kabesa: John Edwin Richard Tessensohn OBE (3 December 1874-27 March 1926)
3rd Kabesa: Eliza Tessensohn (16 March 1856-3 December 1874)
2nd Kabesa: Johannes Bartholomeus Westerhout (17 March 1824-16 March 1856)
1st Kabesa: Adriaan Koek (19 July 1795-17 March 1824)
Also see About the Kabesa
Core Team Members and Co-Instructors
Fuad Johari is a civil servant and avid fan of history, culture, and languages, especially those of Singapore and the Southeast Asian region. He is interested in the alternative faces of Singapore not widely seen or publicised in the country. Hailing from a minority background, he is keen to see how efforts to revitalise Kristang may provide a way forward for like-minded heritage speakers from other communities who may wish to spearhead their own revitalisation efforts. Fuad is an alumnus of Victoria School, Meridian Junior College and the National University of Singapore.
Kodrah Kristang has had the fortune of growing from a small initiative in Singapore to representing the interests of Kristang people worldwide. We are grateful for the contributions of four additional past members of the Core Team who made this happen: Anirudh Krishnan (2016-2017) Andre D’Rozario (2017-2019), Frances Loke Wei (2017-2024) and Luís Morgado da Costa (2017-2024).
In Memoriam
Bernard Stephen Mesenas (1938-2021) was a retired English teacher, the primary Kodrah Kristang and Kristang Language Festival language consultant and storyteller. He was also the principal language consultant for the ongoing National University of Singapore module EL3212: Field Methods in Linguistics: Kristang, and formerly a teacher at St Gabriel’s Primary School. Bernard passed away in November 2021 and is remembered by the entire community for his efforts to promote and maintain Kristang, and his leadership alongside Kevin and the rest of the team.