The case of Maria Hertogh (also known as Nadra) is one of the most significant and tragic chapters in Singapore's history, leading to the 1950 riots that fundamentally changed how the nation approaches racial and religious harmony.
1. The Conflict: Two Families, Two Religions
Maria was born in 1937 to a Dutch Catholic family in Java. During the chaos of World War II, her father was interred by the Japanese, and Maria was left in the care of a Malay family friend, Che Aminah.
Life as Nadra: Aminah raised Maria as her own daughter in Malaya, renaming her Nadra. She grew up as a devout Muslim, speaking only Malay and wearing traditional Malay clothes.
The Discovery: After the war, Maria's biological parents, the Hertoghs, located her and began a legal battle in the British colonial courts to reclaim custody.
2. The Legal Battle and Marriage
The case became a "tug-of-war" between two cultures and religions:
The Marriage: To prevent her from being sent back to the Netherlands, 13-year-old Maria was married to a 21-year-old teacher, Mansoor Adabi, in an Islamic ceremony in August 1950.
The Court's Decision: On December 2, 1950, a Singapore judge declared the marriage illegal, ruling that Maria was still a minor under Dutch law and that her conversion to Islam was invalid because she was a minor. Custody was returned to her biological parents.
3. The 1950 Riots
The situation exploded on December 11, 1950. Tensions were high because:
Maria was being held in a Roman Catholic convent while awaiting her flight to Holland.
Sensationalized media coverage showed photos of her kneeling before a statue of the Virgin Mary, which many Muslims saw as a forced conversion and an insult to Islam.
As the court dismissed a final appeal from Che Aminah, a mob gathered outside the Supreme Court. The resulting riots lasted three days, leaving 18 people dead and 173 injured. Most of the victims were Europeans and Eurasians.
4. Aftermath
Maria was eventually taken to the Netherlands. She struggled to adapt to a culture and language she no longer knew and lived a largely troubled life until her passing in 2009.
In Singapore, the riots served as a "wake-up call" for the British colonial government and future Singaporean leaders. It highlighted the fragility of a multi-religious society and led to stricter laws and social policies designed to protect racial and religious sensitivities.
LATER LIFE
Based on the images you provided and the historical record, here are the details regarding her life in the Netherlands and the lasting impact on Singapore’s policies.
Maria’s Life in the Netherlands
The transition from Singapore to the Netherlands was traumatic for Maria (Nadra). She went from being a celebrated figure in the Malay community to a girl forced into a life she no longer recognized.
Cultural Dislocation: When she arrived in the Netherlands in December 1950, she could not speak Dutch and only knew Malay. She was 13 years old and was immediately separated from her husband, Mansoor Adabi, and her foster mother, Aminah.
Re-socialization: Her biological parents tried to "re-Westernize" her. She was placed in a convent school and pressured to return to Catholicism. She later described this period as feeling like a prisoner.
Marriage and Family: In 1956, at age 18, she married a Dutchman, Johan Wolkenfelt. They had ten children. However, she reportedly never truly felt at home in the Netherlands and suffered from chronic depression.
Later Years: In 1975, she was briefly arrested for allegedly plotting to kidnap or harm her biological mother (though she was acquitted). In her later years, she gave several interviews expressing that she still identified more with her Malay upbringing than her Dutch life. She passed away from leukemia in 2009 at the age of 72.
Singapore’s Policy Changes After the Riots
The 1950 riots were a watershed moment for Singapore, leading to fundamental changes in how the state manages race and religion:
Strict Media Regulations: The colonial government realized that the sensationalist newspaper photos (like the ones showing Maria in a convent) had acted as a catalyst for the violence. This led to much stricter controls on how religious and racial issues could be reported in the press—a stance Singapore maintains today.
Creation of the "Riot Squad": The police failure to contain the 1950 mobs led to the formation of the Reserve Unit (now the Police Coast Guard and Special Operations Command), a specialized force trained specifically for riot control.
Religious Sensitivity Laws: The riots highlighted that "customary law" (like Maria’s Islamic marriage) could clash with "civil law." Post-independence, Singapore formalized the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA) in 1966 to provide a clear legal framework for Muslim personal matters, while ensuring the secular government remained the final arbiter.
The Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act: While passed decades later (1990), this Act is a direct descendant of the lessons learned in 1950. It allows the government to issue restraining orders against religious leaders who mix politics with religion or cause "ill-will" between different groups.
Education and Social Integration: The event is now a core part of the National Education curriculum. Students learn about the Maria Hertogh riots to understand that racial harmony in Singapore is not a natural state, but something that must be actively "policed" and protected.
The images you shared—showing Maria at a piano and the angry crowds in the streets—perfectly encapsulate the tragedy: a young girl’s private life being used as a symbol for a massive political and religious explosion.
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9 January 2026: 7.57 p.m
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