Malaboeh (modern Meulaboh) was a coast-state on the west coast of Atjeh, one of the principal centres of Dutch authority on the Westkust and the chief place of the assistant-residency of the Westkust van Atjeh under the administrative reorganisation of March 1881. The Dutch established a fortified post at Malaboeh in April 1877, but the post was repeatedly attacked by the population under the hostile eldest son of the radja, and expeditions were necessary in May 1877 and June 1877 to punish the kampong Merbau and to defend the establishment.
The Establishment of the Post, April 1877
In the same month April 1877 as the expedition to Loöng, Dutch ships arrived at Malaboeh to set up, as had long before been determined, a fortified post. Hardly were they engaged there, however, when they were exposed to repeated attacks by the population under the hostile eldest son of the radja. Therefore in May 1877 an expedition was also sent thither to punish the kampong Merbau, the gathering-place of the malicious, as also happened on 11 May 11 May, notwithstanding a very brave resistance by the Atjehers, who even overwhelmed a section of marines in the midst of the destruction and cut them to pieces. As the controller thought to settle the matter further by negotiation, the expedition returned, but in June 1877 a new one proved necessary to defend the establishment against the continual attacks. By its help various kampongs were again punished, and a new fortification was laid out at the mouth of the Malaboeh river, which however also later still continued to suffer from hostilities.
The Administrative Reorganisation, March 1881
In accordance with the administrative reorganisation of March 1881, Malaboeh became the chief place of the assistant-residency of the Westkust van Atjeh, one of the three assistant-residencies of the gewest Atjeh en Onderhoorigheden. To the landscapes belonging to this afdeeling, however, self-government was left; only in Groot-Atjeh was direct Dutch administration introduced.
Maréchaussée station (1910)
the 1930 jubilee number of Het Nieuws van den Dag voor Nederlandsch-Indië records the stations assigned to the Korps Maréchaussée in 1910: 1st Division at Blang Kedjeren; 2nd Division at Meulaboh; 3rd Division at Takèngan; 4th Division at Lam Meulo; and 5th Division at Lho Soekon, “zooals zij ook thans nog gelegerd is” — where it was still quartered at the time of the 1930 jubilee. Meulaboh was the station of the 2nd Division.
Earlier, in 1898, the corps had been localised with its Staff at Koeta Radja and its divisions at Selimoen, Indrapoeri, Tjot Mantjang and Glé Broet, Tjot Goet, and Lam Baroe and Lho’-Nga.
Account from Verstege’s Een beroep op het Nederlandsche volk (1886)
Verstege records the exception to the general giving up: with the new policy followed in Groot-Atjeh, the garrisons of the coast states were discontinued; only at Edi and Segli did it seem necessary to keep a military garrison, “terwijl later besloten werd ook onzen militairen post te Malaboeh (Westkust) voorloopig niet op te heffen, omdat de hoofden aldaar zich nog niet sterk genoeg gevoelden om zich te kunnen verdedigen tegen eventueele aanvallen van den Radja van Tenom” (“while it was later decided not to discontinue for the time being our military post at Malaboeh (West Coast), because the chiefs there did not feel strong enough yet to defend themselves against possible attacks of the Radja of Tenom”); to which he asks: “if this principle counted for the retention of the post at Malaboeh, why was that principle not also valid for our establishment at Telok Semawe?” — to which establishment treasures had been devoted since 1881 (see Blokkade of 1884-1885).
See Also
- Loöng
- Merbau
- Westkust van Atjeh
- J. W. van Lansberge
- Establishment of Civil Government in Aceh (6 April 1881)
- Aceh War
- Het Korps Maréchaussée in Atjeh (Jubileum-nummer 1930)
- Korps Maréchaussée te voet in Atjeh en Onderhoorigheden
- Divisie (Maréchaussée)
Source
De geschiedenis van Nederland in onzen tijd, by J. A. de Bruyne, Directeur der Hoogere Burgerschool te Zierikzee. Deel IV. 1872-1883. Nieuwe uitgave. Schiedam: J. F. Dupont, 1912, Hoofdstuk I, pp. 88, 114.
Het Korps Maréchaussée in Atjeh: De Atjehsche Garde, 1890 - 2 April 1930 (“The Corps of Maréchaussée in Atjeh: The Atjehnese Guard”), Extra Jubileum-nummer of Het Nieuws van den Dag voor Nederlandsch-Indië issued for the fortieth anniversary of the corps (1930), pp. 1-16. Offprint DLP-143, Bibliotheek KITLV, accession 621 116 794.
Een beroep op het Nederlandsche volk in zake het Atjeh-vraagstuk, door J. J. W. E. Verstege (Amsterdam: J. H. de Bussy, 1886), pp. 87-88. OCR: DLP-158.