Kristang Indigenous Elders or Kapitang are the community-recognised authorities, stewards and guardians of Kristang Creole/Indigenous tradition, language, wisdom, culture, ethics, morality, good conduct, psychoemotionally healthy behaviour, healthy ways of respecting and connecting to Gaia and the living universe, and healthy ways of being that are relevant to Kristang and the Kristang community. A list of all publicly-visible living Kristang Kapitang is maintained by Kodrah Kristang under the direction of the 13th Kabesa of the Kristang people, Tuan Raja Naga Kevin Martens Wong Zhi Qiang; however, Kapitang do not in any way need to work directly with Kodrah Kristang and are not expected to work directly with Kodrah Kristang, and under our culture’s proud history of being one of the most egalitarian ethnic communities in the world have the fullest possible autonomy and independence to pursue their own efforts to keep our culture, history and heritage going and to revitalise it for our future generations.
The status of Indigenous elder is generally not tied to biological age in the Kristang community just like in many other Indigenous communities, and is tied instead to the amount of knowledge, experience and wisdom the person has, their connection to the culture, language and ways of being of the community and how they manifest and embody these in their day-to-day lives, how aligned they are with revitalisation, regeneration and restorative practices that benefit the community as a whole, and their level of individuation, maturity and life experience such that they are examples of good, moral, healthy and/or upstanding conduct for the whole community at large based on Kristang core values. Kapitang were generally also recognised by the community primarily and only through unconscious or Unsaid means prior to 2025 due to severe intergenerational trauma onto the entire community that affected the self-worth, self-regard and visibility of all Kristang people worldwide; this trauma is now finally being processed and reclaimed with the collective honouring of our traditions and those who embody them.
This page thus lists all known living Kapitang / Indigenous Elders of the Kristang people with at least some level of visibility in the international public sphere, whether via Kodrah Kristang or otherwise. As mentioned, because the role of Kapitang was Unsaid and generally unconscious before April 2025 due to severe intergenerational trauma onto the whole community worldwide, this list is necessarily incomplete and will be expanded as more forms of elder leadership are reclaimed and more Elders become more visible about their identities and ways of life as Kristang people. Please contact Kodrah Kristang and/or Kevin Martens to update this list if someone is generally quite visibly a Kapitang of the community but has not yet been recognised as such on this list.
Kapitang based primarily in Kuala Lumpur in alphabetical order of first name
1. Melba Nunis Victor, owner of Kristang Family Supper Club, author of the Kristang Family Cookbook and Everything Kristang / Segala Kristang and World Gourmand Award winner
2. Sheila De Costa, President of the Selangor & Federal Territory Eurasian Association (SAFTEA)
Kapitang based primarily in London in alphabetical order of first name
1. Thomas Rowsing Martens, Kodrah Kristang community elder
Kapitang based primarily in Melaka in alphabetical order of first name
1. Martin Theseira, Chairman of the Malacca Portuguese-Eurasian Arts & Culture Society
2. Michael Gerard Singho, President of the Malacca-Portuguese Eurasian Association and author of Beng Prende Portugues Malaká (Papiá Cristang)
3. Philomena Edna Singho, author of Beng Prende Portugues Malaká (Papiá Cristang)
4. Sara Frederica Santa Maria, leader of Tropa de Santa Maria and Kristang language teacher
Kapitang based primarily in Perth in alphabetical order of first name
1. Carol Albuquerque, Kodrah Kristang community elder
2. Joan Reincastle, Kodrah Kristang community elder
3. John Albuquerque, Kodrah Kristang community elder
4. Lorna De Souza, Kodrah Kristang community elder
5. Sylvia Lazaroo, Kodrah Kristang community elder
6. Tony Rodrigues, Kodrah Kristang community elder
Kapitang based primarily in Singapore in alphabetical order of first name
1. Agnes Pereira, Kodrah Kristang community elder
2. Alison Dragon-Humphries, Kodrah Kristang community elder
3. Tuan Benji Benjamin Harris, Kodrah Kristang community elder and anticipated 14th Kabesa from 2075 to 2077
4. Brenda Ann Pereira, Kodrah Kristang community elder
5. Catherine Albuquerque (also known as Catherine Zuzarte), co-author of the Eurasian Heritage Dictionary
6. Christine Dragon, Kodrah Kristang community elder
7. Christopher Carvalho, Kodrah Kristang community elder
8. Christopher De Souza, Kodrah Kristang community elder (not the MP)
9. Christopher James van Huizen, professional footballer with Lion City Sailors
10. Deborah Celine Conceicao-Loi, Kodrah Kristang community elder
11. Debra Spykerman, Kodrah Kristang community elder
12. Debra Theresa Scully, Kodrah Kristang community elder
13. Elizabeth De Souza, Kodrah Kristang community elder
14. Muhammad Fuad bin Johari, Kodrah Kristang community elder and Kodrah Kristang Core Team member and Co-Instructor
15. Gregory Gomes, Kodrah Kristang community elder
16. Jared Martens Wong Zhi Wei, founder of Indigo Scales
17. Jessie De Souza, Kodrah Kristang community elder
18. Jillian Ann Martens, Kodrah Kristang community elder
19. John Rowsing Martens, Kodrah Kristang community elder
20. Judy Michele Gomes, Kodrah Kristang community elder
21. Kenneth Bong, Kodrah Kristang community elder
22. Tuan Raja Naga Kevin Martens Wong Zhi Qiang, 13th and current Kabesa from 2015 to 2075, Kodrah Kristang community elder and Kristang language teacher
23. Lionel Zuzarte, Kodrah Kristang community elder
24. Marcellena Albuquerque, Kodrah Kristang community elder
25. Martha Fernandez, Kodrah Kristang community elder
26. Mary Gomes, owner of Mary’s Kafe
27. Mary Margaret Pereira, Kodrah Kristang community elder
28. Maureen Rita Danker (also known as Maureen Martens), 11th Kabesa from 1989 to 1991 and Kodrah Kristang community elder
29. Merissa Lynn Pereira, Kodrah Kristang community elder
30. Nancy Tng, Kodrah Kristang community elder
31. Olive Edema, Kodrah Kristang community elder
32. Patricia D’Cotta, Kodrah Kristang community elder
33. Patricia Gracia Nonis (also known as Patricia Theseira), Kodrah Kristang community elder
34. Patricia Maria De Souza, author of Saga Seeds and Kodrah Kristang community elder
35. Petrina Edema, Kodrah Kristang community elder
36. Priscilla De Souza (also known as Priscilla Vargis), Kodrah Kristang community elder
37. Richard Anthony Bong, Kodrah Kristang community elder
38. Stephanie Oliveiro Holland, owner of Hollz Kitchen
39. Theresa Noronha, co-author of The Eurasian Table
40. Theresa Pereira, Kodrah Kristang community elder
41. Valerie Tina Rodrigues (also known as Valerie Scully), 12th Kabesa from 1991 to 2015 and co-author of the Eurasian Heritage Dictionary