Jakarta to Speed Up Kota Tua Revitalization for 2018 Asian Games

Jakarta Globe, Lenny Tristia Tambun, Oct 08, 2014

Visitors at Fatahillah square, the heart of the old town known locally known
as Kota Tua. (AFP photo/ Romeo Gacad)

Jakarta.  Revitalization of Jakarta’s historic town center Kota Tua will be fast tracked in order to be ready for the 2018 Asian Games, the company charged with organizing the renovation said on Wednesday.

Lin Che Wei, the CEO of Jakarta Old Town Revitalization Corporation, a consortium handling the revitalization, said the company had obtained consent from some building owners and had already started working on the project.

“The revitalization of Kota Tua has started. We are optimistic it will be completed within a relatively short time so that when we host the 2018 Asian Games, Kota Tua is a selling point for the tourism sector,” Lin said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Indonesia was approved to host the Asian Games (Asiad) last month after Vietnam said in April that it could no longer afford to stage them.

Already Lin said he had requested that the Jakarta City Council (DPRD) help regulate street vendors in the area.

“Hawkers will still be allowed, but only those who are registered,” Lin said, “this needs to be done so they won’t get bigger in numbers and are still orderly.”

Kota Tua, once revered as the “Queen of the East”, is now a crumbling relic and many of its heritage buildings are in a critical state of disrepair.

The DPRD has pushed for revitalization of the area in the hope it will become a tourist attraction, and this year it gave property owners a two-year deadline to restore buildings or face severe sanctions.

Of the 134 colonial-era buildings in Kota Tua, only five of them — including the Jakarta History Museum — are owned by the Jakarta Government.

Sarwo Handayani, Jakarta’s deputy for spatial planning and environmental protection, said acting governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama had contacted owners, including a number of state-owned enterprises.

Head of Jakarta Tourism Agency Arief Budhiman said the revitalization would not change the authentic design of the buildings. Restoration would adjust the function of the buildings by adding more facilities, such as parking lots and parks, he said.

“The design will stay the same because those buildings are the city’s heritage,” Arief said.

Other prominent buildings such as Gedung Cipta and Kerta Niaga would be renovated in 2015.

“These historical buildings will be returned to their original facade, however, there will many new activities inside. One of them is aimed to facilitate the hawkers,” Arie said.

Experience Colonial Ethnic Opulence at The Hermitage

Jakarta Globe, Sylviana Hamdani, Jun 15, 2014

Nestled in the quiet elegance of Menteng, Central Jakarta, The Hermitage
invites guests to visit the past. (Photo courtesy of Arselan Ganin)

Since colonial times, Menteng has always represented the exclusive, “old money” face of Jakarta, with it’s traditional yet upscale homes.

The leafy neighborhood, which is dotted with age-old trees and colonial government buildings, has always been the abode of the capital’s rich and famous.

Among the area’s historical structures was Telefoongebouw, a Dutch colonial telecommunication company, which occupied the two-storey mansion on Jl. Cilacap. The building, which was originally erected in 1923, changed hands after Indonesia’s independence to house the country’s ministry of education and culture, before it became a campus of the Universitas Bung Karno.

The 91-year-old building has recently undergone another major transformation to become The Hermitage, Jakarta’s newest luxury hotel.

 “We realize the provincial government is now working hard to revitalize old buildings in Jakarta,” said Heri Wijaya, commissioner of the hotel’s operator, Menteng Heritage Realty.

 “That’s why, in the same spirit, we support the government’s program by restoring this old building to its prime condition … to attract tourists from all over the world,” said the commissioner.

The five-star hotel was officially opened by Jakarta’s acting governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, earlier this month.

“We’re so happy, because there are many heritage buildings in Jakarta that are left to ruin, before [the owners] tear it down and build something completely new,” Basuki said. “In fact, if we can [renovate and restore] one old building every year, Jakarta would be a wonderful city to visit and live in.”

Renovations

Jakarta-based firm KIAT Architects was assigned to restore the old building to its former glory, a process that took roughly two and a half years.

“The building was entirely restored [to its original condition],” said Eleonore Astier-Petin, general manager of The Hermitage. “We actually kept a lot of the original marble floors, all of the window fittings, doors and architectural details.”

The designers also built a new nine-storey building next to the former Dutch telephone company office and managed to seamlessly connect the two to form a unique architectural blend of old and new.

“They’ve made the new building as similar as possible to the old building,” said Putri Pratiwi, the hotel’s marketing and communications officer. “We can’t even tell where the old building ends and where the new one starts.”

Although the hotel is not very large, its interior was carefully designed to convey a homey ambiance, courtesy of high-profile architect and designer Thomas Eliott.

Yellowing old pictures of Jakarta line its cream-colored walls; Chinese vases and jars of various colors and sizes highlight almost every corner of the room. In the lobby, a large 200-year-old china vase from the Sultanate of Cirebon, West Java, stands proudly as a centerpiece.

Rooms

The hotel offers 90 rooms in six different categories, each boasting quaint “colonial ethnic” decor that will make visitors feel like they have stepped back in time.

Hand-dyed batik by Indonesian textile designer, Josephine Komara, adorn the accommodations, which are also equipped with modern amenities and facilities, such as 40-inch LED HD TV, satellite channels, electronic safe and Illy coffee machines.

The superior, deluxe and executive rooms offer luxurious bath amenities by Italian fashion house Etro, while the suites provide amenities by French luxury brand Hermes.

The two presidential suites have a distinctive elegant decor: the floors and walls of the Diplomat Room are paneled with dark wood and exude an aura of power, while the Batavia Room offers a lighter ambience with its whitewashed walls and minimalist decor.

Facilities

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the hotel’s ethno-brasserie restaurant L’Avenue, which offers French cuisine infused with Indonesian ingredients and spices. Large windows throw soft natural light onto the restaurant’s taupe walls feature pictures of Jakarta in the 1920s.

The restaurant’s private dining room boasts a life-sized painting of Nyai Dasima, a character of the famous Indonesian silent movie from 1929, standing and facing the diners as if she is entertaining the guests herself.

Adjacent from L’Avenue is the Hermitage Lounge, which offers premium wines, spirits and cocktails. The room exudes a strong masculine aura, with floors that boast the original tegel kunci (key-patterned tiles) from colonial times. Its walls are adorned with paintings of Nyai Dasima in various alluring poses that urge guests to linger on the lounge’s plush sofas and armchairs.

The cigar lounge at the far end of the Hermitage Lounge is designed to resemble a library, with antique bookshelves featuring old encyclopedias, history books and short-stories compilations by French writer Guy de Maupassant.

Pictures of famous newsmakers from all over the world smoking cigars, including former president Soeharto and legendary American president John F. Kennedy, complete the historical ambiance.

The hotel’s swimming pool and gym are located on the ninth floor rooftop, where guests can also climb up a wooden flight of stairs towards the observation deck. Chairs and sofas invite visitors to sit back and enjoy a romantic, 360-degree view of the Menteng area.

Jakarta to Offer Free Bus Tours of Capital’s Historic Sites

Jakarta Globe, Lenny Tristia Tambun, January 14, 2014

Five new double-decker buses arrive at Tanjung Priok port in North Jakarta
on Jan. 13, 2014. (JG Photo/Lenny Tristia Tambun)

The Jakarta Tourism Agency welcomed the arrival of five double-decker tour buses Monday night as the capital, long listed as a sight best left unseen on a visit to Indonesia, began an aggressive push to double the number of foreign tourists visiting the city.

“We thank God that Jakarta will finally have city tour buses,” tourism head Arie Budhiman said as the buses arrived at Tanjung Priok port in North Jakarta. “We hope with the double-decker tour buses that Jakarta will have a different thing to offer than other towns [in Indonesia]. Hopefully Jakarta will become more attractive and draw more visitors.”

Jakarta logged 2.3 million foreign tourists last year, an 8 percent increase over 2012′s figures, but still short of Governor Joko Widodo’s five-million tourist goal. The capital’s administration spent Rp 17 billion ($1.4 million) to purchase the fleet of buses from China. It plans to expand the fleet to include as many as 20 buses in the near future.

“With the support of the governor, who is very tourism conscious, I’m optimistic that the target [of five million visitors] can be reached in three to five years,” Arie said.

The tour buses will offer visitors a free ride through the capital, stopping at sights like the Hotel Indonesia roundabout, Kota Tua, in North Jakarta, and the Blok M shopping hub, in South Jakarta. Each air-conditioned bus can hold 60 passengers and includes television screens that will be used to show a tourism video.

Bus service will begin a trial run on Thursday, with full service going into effect by the end early February at the latest, Arie said.

Jakarta may feature a rich colonial history, but the capital’s congestion and pollution, combined with poor maintenance of its museums and historical sites has done little to help its appeal to foreign tourists. The popular guidebook company “Lonely Planet” describes the capital as “a hard city to love. One of the world’s greatest megalopolises, its grey, relentlessly urban sprawl spreads for tens of kilometers across a flood-prone plain with barely a park to break the concrete monotony.”

The guidebook later lists several sites, including Kota Tua and Taman Ismail Marzuki, as popular locations, calling the city an “essential” stop for travelers looking to experience all Indonesia has to offer.

A New Hope for Jakarta's Kota Tua

Jakarta Globe, Lenny Tristia Tambun, February 24, 2013

Building facades in Kota Tua, the historic old city that straddles North
and West Jakarta. (JG Photo/Safir Makki)

              

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Batavia was once revered as the “Queen of the East.” But this old dame is showing her age.

Jakarta’s old town center, known as Kota Tua, is now a crumbling relic. Many of its heritage buildings are in a critical state of disrepair, some sprouting treetops through their broken roofs, evidence of years of neglect.

A legacy of colonial rule, the old town has been left behind in the new Indonesia. But support is growing for Kota Tua to be revitalized to serve as a tourist attraction and public space to be enjoyed by all.

Last week, Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo announced a new master plan to transform the area into a cultural tourism center. His administration pledged Rp 150 billion ($15.5 million) in 2014 to implement the changes. The Dutch government has also expressed its support of the new plan.

“We are ready to spend a budget of Rp 150 billion to fix this area and make it better. If that is not enough, I will add to the budget,” said Basuki Purnama Tjahaja, Joko’s deputy.

The focus of Joko and Basuki’s plan is to establish a creative public zone, with spaces provided for creative industries such as fashion, food and handicrafts to flourish. At the same time, the pair aims to give the neighborhood a more exclusive feel, by attracting investment from high-end hotels, restaurants and galleries.

Vision for the future

The master plan for Kota Tua aims to return cleanliness, security and order to an area of the city notorious for criminal activity and seedy nightlife.

Basuki said it is this negative image that has scared off investors in hospitality and tourism.

“Kota Tua is too valuable. If it is left to waste away, there will be no community to look after it,” he said. “Even business owners won’t want to invest there because it’s too dirty.”

Basuki and Joko plan to sit down with spatial planning stakeholders and develop an action plan to be implemented starting in 2014.

For 2013, the budget remains at only Rp 12 billion, but with more than 10 times that much in 2014, the administration believes it can make a real change to the area, transforming it into a tourism hub.

In the meantime, the city administration plans to work together with the West Jakarta government to clean up the area from waste left behind by food vendors. There are also plans to improve the condition of Kali Besar, the canal that runs through Kota Tua, with sights on developing water attractions.

Joko aims to replicate his success in Solo as mayor by creating special zones for small traders to operate in.

The food vendors now trading in Taman Fatahillah by night will be allocated 260 places in four distinct trading clusters.

The first cluster will be dedicated to cooked food, and will be located in front of the old post office building. The second cluster will be parked at the other end of the square, near the popular Cafe Batavia, and will be set aside for vendors selling non-food items such as clothes, goods and accessories. Snacks will make up another cluster, while pre-made food and drinks will be sold near the canal.

Traders will be charged Rp 3,000 to Rp 5,000 per day. In return, they will receive a trading spot, equipment and uniforms.

Gathut Dwi Hastoro, the head of the Kota Tua Management Unit, lauded Joko and Basuki’s efforts to restore the historic area. His hope is that the plans for the changes can be consolidated in the coming year, ready to be executed in 2014.

“The biggest share of funds will go to fixing the area around Kali Besar. That area is the most important,” Gathut said. “Those funds can be used to create comfortable sidewalks, bicycle lanes, lighting, sanitation and greenery.”

Challenges past and present

Joko and Basuki are not the first leaders of Jakarta to come up with a master plan for Kota Tua.

Jakarta first began to focus on restoring its urban heritage in the 1970s. At that time, the old Town Hall in Kota Tua’s town square, Taman Fatahillah, was restored to become the Jakarta History Museum. Managing to both preserve the historical building and find a modern usage for it, the restoration work at the time was considered a triumph of town planning.

But in the decades that followed, several plans to revitalize the entire area failed to get up and running as they were tripped up by a tangle of red tape.

Of the 182 heritage buildings in Kota Tua, about 70 percent are privately owned.

The Jakarta government owns 18 percent, while the central government owns 12 percent, including the post office building and Beos station.

State-owned enterprises in 2009 were responsible for 23 unused buildings, among them Indonesian trading company Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia with 16 buildings, Bank Mandiri with three buildings, insurance firm Asuransi Jasa Indonesia with two buildings, as well as pharmacology group Kimia Farma and insurance firm Asuransi Jasa Raharja with one building each.

Despite laws stating that owners can be fined Rp 50 million to Rp 5 billion for neglecting their caretaker duties, few have braved the bureaucratic hurdles to obtain permits to restore the buildings.

During his term from 2007 to 2012, Governor Fauzi Bowo managed to install lighting to highlight key attractions in Kota Tua and draw visitors at night. About 2,041 lights were installed around Kota Tua, including at the Jakarta History Museum, the Wayang Museum, the Ceramics Museum, the Beos station and in pedestrian areas.

A total of about Rp 39.7 billion was spent on constructing a pedestrian tunnel at Beos station to connect it to the Kota TransJakarta busway shelter and the Bank Mandiri Museum. The tunnel was also equipped with toilets, air conditioners and small parks.

At the same time, the West Jakarta government established a night food market that aimed to preserve the area’s history while providing an income for the surrounding community.

One plan that went unfinished after the handover to Joko and Basuki was the creation of bicycle lanes, due to begin in October last year.

Robert Tambunan, chairman of the Jakarta Heritage Trust and manager of PPI trading company, hailed the new master plan for the area, saying that the biggest obstacle would be restoring the old buildings.

He asked for a one-stop service to be provided to ease the bureaucratic process of renovating the historic buildings.

With the buildings restored, he said, Kota Tua will spring to life once more.

In North Jakarta, New Potential for an Old City

Jakarta Globe, Nadia Yusuf, December 11, 2012

Kota Tua features almost 200 historic buildings, but many owners are
reluctant to restore the old structures. (JG Photo/Nadia Yusuf)

              

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Strolling through Jakarta’s crumbling yet cultural Kota Tua, it’s easy to see the potential of transforming the area into a hub for tourists and citizens alike. Unfortunately, as it currently stands now, the former colonial city is failing to reach its full potential.

Though it does contain some interesting sites, especially its museums, the buildings are in dire need of restoration. Kota Tua contains 182 old edifices, but many owners are reluctant to renovate them due to excessive bureaucratic regulations surrounding the process.

Fortunately, Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama recently announced during a meeting with stakeholders that he was prepared to allot Rp 150 billion ($15.5 million) to revitalize the area. He also noted that he will commence plans to renovate the area to “look like Venice” and become Jakarta’s historical center by 2014.

With Kota’s rich cultural history and ambitious renovation plans in mind, my friends and I decided to make a day out of touring the old city by foot, accompanied by Kartum Setiawan, chairman of Komunitas Jelajah Budaya, an organization focused on promoting cultural art and historical sites around Jakarta. We wanted to see what it looks like now while imagining what would happen if Basuki’s plans are realized.

Kota Tua, also known as Old Batavia, spans 1.3 square kilometers and was previously dubbed “the Queen of the East” by European sailors in the early 16th century. Built around a canal system, the Dutch government mainly utilized the city as a base for commerce and military defense, as well as an administrative center. The walls that used to contain the city have since been torn down, but Kota still maintains its original design, making it relatively simple to navigate compared with the rest of Jakarta.

Over time, the capital’s city center was gradually repositioned further south toward the National Monument area in Central Jakarta’s Merdeka Square, but the antiquated remnants of the Dutch architecture in Kota Tua remain intact — some buildings are abandoned, while others have been converted into museums, banks, offices and commercial stores.

We started our journey at Museum Mandiri — an art deco building originally built in 1929 for the Dutch Factorij Nederlandsche Handel Maatschappij, or the Netherlands Trading Corporation. NHM shipped and sold commodities, though it eventually progressed from commerce into banking.

Bank Mandiri later acquired the building and has transformed the former factory into a museum dedicated to Indonesia’s banking system in the 1930s. Located across Stasiun Kota, Museum Mandiri was designed by J. de Bruyn, A.P Smits and C. Van der Linde. Admission to the museum is free.

We found our way in quite easily and were greeted by two statues of old guards in colonial garb and a display that simulated a Dutch teller. The original black, gray and red tiles still adorn the floor, while a large, well preserved ledger showing company accounts between 1833-1837 is on display in the middle of the room. The museum also dedicated an area to the Chinese clients, who were holders of large plantations and trade companies at the time.

The basement houses a safe deposit vault, a cash room, individual lockers and old bank documents such as deposit slips, checks and stock certificates. In one room, pieces of tram tracks that were torn down during the time of Sukarno’s administration are displayed, showing what Kota Tua could have been like today if the tram was still around.

A computerized map in the museum compares and contrasts old Batavia with today’s Kota, showing the gradual construction of the city and its canals over time.

As it was a Sunday, the terrace gardens accommodated small local bands that have been playing in rotation since early last month.

We made our way through the noise and up the stairs to the top floor, passing by stained glass windows made by Cornelis de Houtman, the first Dutch captain to set his sails for Indonesia.

The upper floor of the museum showcases old layouts of boardrooms, antique furniture, calculating machines, manual presses and old currencies.

“If you want to see a currency collection more extensive than this, you will have to visit Museum Bank Indonesia, but this museum is the only one that displays old banking documents,” explained Kartum as we headed down on a mahogany wood lift. We made our way out of the museum toward Kali Besar by way of Jl. Pintu Besar Utara, passing by Bank Indonesia.

“Most of these old buildings are properties owned by Bank Mandiri that were acquired overtime through the merging of the different banks,” Kartum noted while guiding us through the roads.

Straight roads and stone pavement from when the streets were first built are still perfectly intact throughout the district. If you factor out the cleanliness and frantic traffic, the walk easily resembles walking along the old city in Singapore.

We stopped by the bridge on Kali Besar to take in the view. Considering all of the floating garbage and the strong odor emanating from the water, the fact that it was once used by the Dutch as a canal system and means of getting around seems so unlikely nowadays. We tried to imagine how beautiful it could be if it was sanitized and illuminated at night.

Our group strolled through the sides of the canal, passing by old colonial houses and office buildings. Some were dilapidated former printing houses with chipped paint and corroded brick walls. Wooden benches sit underneath trees on the sides of the canal.

We stopped in front of the newly restored Toko Merah, a building located on the west side of Kali Besar. The building, known for its red facade, was constructed in the 1730s, making it one of the oldest buildings in Jakarta. It served as the Dutch Naval Academy, which is believed to be the oldest Naval Academy in Asia. It then was converted to a residence for several governor generals of Batavia. Now a conference hall and commercial gallery, it hosted Basuki when he spoke about the area’s future restoration plans.

“Lets walk towards Museum Fatahillah,” Kartum suggested, as we moved forward to the pedestrian-only area. Hawkers, side squatters and vendors lined the roads leading to the square where the museum is located.

A large stone fountain in the center of the square could easily be Jakarta’s version of the Fontana di Trevi in Italy.

I imagined how wonderful it could be if the whole district was fully restored. If the area was cleaned and the hawkers were relocated to a collective market, the area could be a cultural hub of sorts, a center much like Amsterdam Square with museums, art schools, renovated antique hotels and a tree-lined boat canal with wooden benches to lounge on during a sunny day.

Previous governors have planned to restore the old city, but as admitted by a source in the government who wished to remain anonymous, a lack of coordination between different governmental agencies and excessive bureaucratic hierarchy caused delays in the implementation of a master plan.

Perhaps granting permits for commercial development, with strict regulations for the preserving architectural heritage of the city in conjunction with supervision from Ikatan Arsitektur Indonesia could be an effective method for restoring Kota.

If it is continuously and properly maintained, Kota Tua has the potential to change Jakarta for the better for generations to come.

Car rally tours architectural landmarks for greener Jakarta

Eny Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 02/08/2010 10:04 AM

Ride on: Members of Mercedes-Benz Club Indonesia convoy in "Mercedes-Benz Rally Batavia: Tribute to Indonesia" on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan in Jakarta on Sunday. The convoy also planted 3,000 trees along Jl. Sedyatmo and the East and West Flood Canals. JP/Wendra Ajistyatama

More than 150 vintage car connoisseurs joined the Rally Batavia II on Sunday to visit some the city’s historical spots and to witness the planting of 3,000 trees as part of efforts to make Jakarta greener.

Participants drove vintage and classic Mercedes-Benz models from 1953 to 2009 during the event, that also marked the 40th anniversary of the German carmaker’s presence in Indonesia.

“The rally was fun. We got to see places that we did not know before,” Yuniadi H. Hartono, one of the participants, said.

He added the event had also given him and other participants a chance to share with underprivileged children at the Darussa’adah Islamic Foundation by donating school equipment.

The rally began at City Hall and ended at Pintu Satu, Senayan.

During the five-hour rally, participants passed through old sites, such as the Schouburg building (now the Jakarta Arts Playhouse), Gedong Joang 45 and the National Gallery in Central Jakarta.

Apart from passing by the architectural landmarks, participants also witnessed the planting of a trembesi (rain tree) by Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo along Jl. Sultan Agung, South Jakarta.

Around 300 rain trees with heights of between 5 to 6 meters were planted. The same number of trees were planted along the Sedyatmo toll road while more than 2,000 trees were planted in the East Flood Canal area.

The president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Indonesia, Rudi Borgenheimer, said the number of trees planted was the symbol of what they had achieved last year.

In 2009, the company sold 2,884 units.

“We want to continue [doing this activity] next year as part of our corporate social responsibility [CSR] program,” Borgenheimer said.

The governor said after the planting that the city parks and cemeteries agency would look after the trees.

“Some auto firms like Honda and Toyota Astra have given their support for the planting activity. I hope there will be more corporations doing the same,” Fauzi said.

South Jakarta Mayor Sahrul Effendi said that a similar planting activity would be conducted by other companies in Tebet this month.

“Apart from companies, we expect residents to plant trees around their neighborhoods,” Sahrul said.

The city administration is encouraging the public and companies to plant trees to add green space and minimize the risks of possible floods.

In 1965, more than 35 percent of Jakarta was made up of green areas, but this has been shrinking ever since. Currently, green areas in Jakarta account for only 9.3 percent of the city’s 661,000 square meters of land, far less than the target of 30 percent set by the 2007 Spatial Planning Law.

Dutch Occupation is a Story of Resistance, Not Colonization: Historian

Jakarta Globe

The common idea that the Dutch colonized Indonesia for 350 years is wrong, according to University of Indonesia Professor Taufik Abdullah.

“This nation has been drowned in the myth that Indonesia was colonized for 350 years by the Dutch. It does not corroborate with the facts. What really happened was the Dutch needed more than 300 years to conquer some areas in the Dutch Indies,” said Taufik at a seminar in Medan, North Sumatra on Tuesday, as quoted by TV One.

The Dutch first set foot in Indonesia in the 16th century, arriving in Banten harbor and led by Cornelius De Houtman, Taufik said. Rule by the Netherlands ended in 1942 when the Japanese conquered the Dutch East Indies.

“It is illogical to say that the Dutch conquered Indonesia as soon as they arrived in Banten,” Taufik said.

He argued that the focus on Dutch colonization tends to devalue Indonesia's own history of great kings and kingdoms, especially the powerful rulers of the 17th century.

During that era, Sultan Iskandar Muda of the Aceh Kingdom (1607-1636) expanded his reign to the whole west coast of Sumatra. Sultan Agung of the Mataram Kingdom (1613-1645) reigned over all of Java island except Banten and Batavia (Jakarta). These and other local leaders fought Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese forces.

JG

Take a Spin Back Through Time

Jakarta Globe, Tasa Nugraza Barley

Old bicycles are the vehicles of choice for this Jakarta-based community.
(Photo courtesy of Komunitas Ontel Batavia)

Because of Jakarta’s endless traffic and thick pollution, activities that take you out into the great outdoors aren’t very common.

Despite this, a group of people are still trying to enjoy the city their own way — by riding their bicycles.

And they are not doing this on just any bicycle. Members of Komunitas Ontel Batavia (Batavia Bicycle Community) prefer riding antique bikes. The group derives its name, ontel , from the Javanese word for bicycle.

“It feels so peaceful to be on my bicycle and just ride slowly,” said 28-year-old Fahmi Saimima, who works at a bank in Jakarta.

Established on Aug. 17, 2005, the group now has about 700 members.

Fahmi, who is the group’s public relations officer, said he first fell in love with old bicycles in 1996 when he inherited one that used to belong to his grandfather.

To his surprise, the bicycle was still in good condition. When he rode it, he felt a connection with the bike.

“I would say that it was love at first sight,” Fahmi said, adding that being on a bike is a unique experience.

Fahmi, who lives in Kalibata, South Jakarta, said he takes the main roads when he rides. He enjoys being on his bike so much that the traffic and pollution don’t bother him.

As his appreciation of old bicycles grew, he decided to give his grandfather’s bicycle to his brother and bought three others.

One is a 1942 English Burgers brand bicycle. Another is an English bicycle made by Phillips in 1950. The third one is a Dutch Teha bicycle from 1930.

Altogether, the three bicycles cost him Rp 10 million ($1,100).

According to Fahmi, bicycles that are considered “old” by the group’s standards are the ones that were made before 1960. Most of these are European bicycles, with a few that were made in China.

Fahmi said, however, that he prefers the European models.

“It’s the prestige,” he said.

Heru Pramono, 34, who works in TV, joined Komunitas Ontel Batavia in 2006, just after purchasing his first antique bicycle.

He found the group’s blog online and joined in order to spend time and swap stories with people who shared the same hobby.

He now has four bicycles, which in total cost him about Rp 4 million. His latest addition is a French model.

Heru said most Jakartans were unfamiliar with the idea of people riding bikes as a hobby.

He said people often gave him strange looks when they saw him cycling, partly because bicycles — especially the ones he rides — are seen as old-fashioned. But Heru said that the stares don’t bother him and can’t detract from the enjoyment he derives from his recreation.

Unlike today’s well-equipped modern bicycles, old bicycles can generally only reach a maximum speed of 20 kilometers per hour.

But to Heru, that’s what makes it so enjoyable. “For me it’s the perfect relaxation,” he said.

Searching for antique bicycles takes members of Komunitas Ontel Batavia all around Java.

Heru said that many of his friends regularly go to cities like Bandung, Yogyakarta, Semarang and Surabaya in search of bicycles.

“Old bicycles are usually sold at traditional markets [in those places] at low prices,” Heru said.

Members of the community have lots of stories about their quests to find old bicycles, too.

Heru said one of his friends saved up to buy a particular Dutch bicycle from the 1920s. Unable to find the model he was looking for, he instead spent the money on his wedding.

To his surprise, his father in-law gave him the exact bicycle that he had been searching for as a wedding gift.

Members of Komunitas Ontel gather every Sunday at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, on Jalan Thamrin, at 7 a.m.

After riding their bicycles from home, they sit together and talk.

Sometimes, they go to museums together and occasionally arrange group rides in the city.

“We also exchange tips and tricks related to maintaining our bicycles,” Fahmi said.

“Everyone can join the community for free as long as they share the same passion for old bicycles.”

Komunitas Ontel Batavia
Jalan Cipinang Timur Raya No. 48 Rawamangun, East Jakarta, 13240
021 4788 2340
sepeda.wordpress.com
herupram@gmail.com

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The Jakarta Globe, Arientha Primanita

Taman Fatahilah, Jakarta (Photo's: Yulian Firdaus)

The city administration is planning to give you more reasons to visit Old Town, or Kota Tua, in West Jakarta next year.

Aurora Tambunan, the deputy governor for cultural and tourism affairs, told the Jakarta Globe this week that the city was designing a “Weekend at Kota Tua” program to increase visits in 2010.

“We want to make it a weekly event for the whole year,” she said, adding that the events would showcase music, food and art. “It would be conceivable to put a performance of a jazz group in Fatahillah Hall.”

The proposed weekly events are part of the city’s revitalization plan for Kota Tua, a colonial Dutch neighborhood that is crumbling after decades of neglect.

This year, the administration allocated Rp 20 billion ($2.1 million) from its annual budget to revitalize Kotu Tua and established the Heritage Building Revitalization Team with the State Enterprises Ministry. The plan involves dividing the neighborhood into five zones, such as a colonial zone and a Chinatown area, Aurora said.

The ministry owns 23 of the 284 historic buildings in the 800-hectare area. Six other structures are owned by the city administration with the rest privately owned. “The city’s goal is to make Old Town a cultural tourism destination, preserve the heritage buildings and increase the income generated in the area,” Aurora said.

The ministry and the city are still discussing whether to lease, buy or jointly manage 12 of the 23 ministry-owned buildings located in the central area around Fatahillah Square. The administration is confident the agreement will be finalized early next year, paving the way for the revitalization plan, Aurora said.

Kota Tua observers, however, believe the neighborhood must resolve basic infrastructure problems before implementing any restoration plans.

Ella and Asep Kambali, founder of Komunitas Historia Indonesia (Indonesian History Community), said difficulties with garbage collection, transportation and street vendors needed to be addressed first.

“The city must think of a plan to keep the area clean,” Asep said. “Right now waste bins are rare and there are no bathrooms. People have to go to the museum to use the toilet.” Parking and public transportation also need to be addressed, Asep added.

Any plan to revitalize the area, Asep said, must be coordinated with other city agencies so that basic infrastructure issues can be dealt with.

Batavia cafe (Photo's: Yulian Firdaus)

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Forbidden photos from the Dutch East Indies

Radio Netherlands Worldwide, By Fediya Andina , 8 December 2009 - 1:52pm

Yogyakarta November 1949: Enthusiastic Indonesians surround President Sukharno. Photo: IPPHOS, ANRI

They were forbidden at the time by the colonial government in what was then called Batavia (now Jakarta), because it wanted to present a positive picture of the Dutch Colonial War in Indonesia. Today, 8 December, sees the publication of a book of photos from the period 1945-1949, put together by a team of three authors: Erik Somers, René Kok and Louis Zweers. The nearly 200 photos show scenes of wounded soldiers and Indonesians being intimidated – pictures that have never before appeared in the Dutch media.

The three authors have already spent a long time researching photos from the Second World War in various archives. They also have a large collection of photos from the decolonisation period in Indonesia (1945-1949). A large number of the photographers were ‘embedded’ and working for the colonial government. They were obliged to hand over their photos to the authorities in Batavia, who then made a selection to send to the Dutch media. Pictures considered too shocking. For example, wounded soldiers, were not selected as they may have caused distress to relatives of the Dutch soldiers at home.

Selective

The book shows just how selective was the choice of reports and photos at the time. The government, intelligence service and the armed forces censored everything that was published. The truth was a well-kept secret.

Now, sixty years later, a selection of photos that have survived in various archives and collections has been put together and published, giving a true picture of the terror and violence that took place during the Colonial War.

After their return home, the 120,000 Dutch soldiers found that people didn’t want to hear their stories about the brutal reality. They didn’t tally with the picture that had been presented in the media. What’s more, the loss of “our East Indies” still had to get through to the national consciousness.

Even before publication of the book, the three authors had numerous reactions, especially from former soldiers, but also from their children. This book will help them to understand why their fathers didn’t want to talk about the war.

Surabaya: August 1946: Operation Quantico. A Dutch marine threateningly questions a group of Indonesians. Photo: H.Wilmar, NIMH

Some photos from the book

Koloniale Oorlog: 1945-1949
René Kok, Erik Somers, Louis Zweers
Carrera Publishing
ISBN: 978 90 488 0320 0

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Dancing in the streets for the good old days

Indah Setiawati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 12/05/2009 10:05 PM

The rain Saturday did not dampen the spirits of Menteng residents, who turned out in droves for the first-ever celebration of the elite historical area.

Semarak Menteng, a two-day festival organized by Sahabat Menteng and the Central Jakarta Municipality, featured a bazaar, Brazilian martial art form Capoeira, dancing, including breakdance, and a photo exhibition depicting the old and new Menteng.

For many senior citizens who lived in Menteng in their youth, the event was an opportunity for a reunion. At the reunion, former residents shared memories of Menteng as a friendly neighborhood.

“Menteng has changed,” resident Bandji Asaari, 64, told The Jakarta Post. “It used to be Menteng. Now it is Benteng [a fort].”

He said during his childhood, houses in Menteng were not surrounded by high walls and gates. Rather, the beautiful architecture of houses was visible.

“When children passed these beautiful houses, they were inspired to have the same,” he said.

Bandji said he mostly missed having warm, friendly neighbors, saying the current situation greatly differed from the past when residents knew each other.

The bazaar continues on Sunday and a parade of Betawi, India and Japanese culture, kung fu, a percussion band and decorative bicycles.

There will also be presentation of Menteng Senior Awards for residents who have made a contribution to the country, including Emil Salim and Rosihan Anwar.