The Royal Batavia Society of Arts and Letters
This short note by C. B. Kloss records the participation of delegates from British Malaya in the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Koninklijk Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen (Royal Batavian Society of Arts and Letters) at Batavia in April 1928.
Summary
The note situates the Royal Batavian Society, founded in 1778, as the senior European learned society in Asia, predating the Asiatic Society of Bengal by six years. It traces the historical connection between the society and British Malaya through Stamford Raffles, who served as its President during his Javanese residence, and notes the recent appointment of C. O. Blagden and R. O. Winstedt to Honorary Membership (p. 82).
Captain A. C. Baker, M.C., was appointed by the President and Council of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society to represent the society at the celebrations, where he read a complimentary address from Sir Hayes Marriott and joined excursions to Borobodur and Pramban. C. B. Kloss himself attended as representative of Sir Hugh Clifford, Governor of the Straits Settlements, and presented a congratulatory address on behalf of the Scientific Departments of the Governments of British Malaya (p. 83).