Second class residents in their own hometown

Irawaty Wardany, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 06/02/2010 11:11 AM

Jakarta’s native Betawi people seem to have taken a backseat amid the stampede of residents racing to steer the city’s economic wheels.

“When I was little, this city’s economy was run by the native people, most of whom worked as traders,” Aseni, a 42-year-old Betawi native told The Jakarta Post recently.

He said most of them were related, which conjured a strong sense of family bonding during his childhood.

“Unlike nowadays, where people have become individualistic and most of the time we don’t even know our own neighbor,” he said.

Jakarta Population and Civil Registration Agency data reveals that, of 7.5 million residents in 2007, only 27.36 percent were Betawi.

The agency recorded most Betawi people worked in the informal sector as motorcycle taxi (ojek) drivers, land middlemen or street vendors.

“Most of us [Betawi natives] are left behind in terms of education and economy,” he said.

Due to the lack of employment opportunities, he added, coupled with poor levels of education, some of his former Betawi neighbors had sold their homes in Jakarta and moved to satellite cities like Depok for a lower cost of living.

Another Betawi native, Roiyah, 70, shared a similar view on the poor competitiveness of the locals.

“Most of the newcomers have better jobs and standards of living compared to native Betawi,” she said.

“But not all of us. There are some who are successful,” she said, pointing out Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo as a “good” Betawi breed.

The influx of newcomers, however, is not always seen as a threat to the natives.

Zayadi, 47, saw positive side of Jakarta being a melting pot of various ethnic groups.

“There are many things that we can learn from the newcomers,” he said.

He recalled a meeting with a person from Padang, West Sumatra, who encouraged him to attend a training class that helped him get a job at a private company for almost 10 years.

“Since then, he and I have been like brothers,” he said, adding if they kept themselves exclusive they would never progress.

Betawi historian from University of Indonesia JJ Rizal said problems faced by Betawi have not much changed since colonial era.

“They are second-class citizens in their own land.

“You can see from how Betawi people live in the villages behind luxurious houses of newcomers, their [living] condition is exactly the same since the colonial era,” he told the Post.

Better in Batik

Minister of Culture and Tourism, Jero Wacik, Wants Batik Cloth and Designs to Become a Centerpiece of Indonesian Tourism.

Bali Discovery Tours

(12/12/2009) Indonesia's Minister of Culture and Tourism, Jero Wacik, has issued instructions to Indonesia's provincial governors and the tourism industry calling for the greater use of batik in a wide range of activities in order to preserve and promote indigenous Indonesian culture.

Wacik quoted by Bisnis.com at a batik-themed seminar held at Atma Jaya University in Jakarta, said: "At the beginning of December we will receive certification from UNESCO for batik which will be handed to me in Paris as the representative of the Indonesian government. This development must be followed up with steps to preserve (batik) among the people by applying batik to designs, ornamentation, uniforms and alike."

Wacik's letter of instruction asks Indonesia's governors to intensify batik as part of the national identity through its use in uniforms and other applications. Hotels have been asked to decorate their lobbies with batik and incorporate the use of batik in staff uniforms.

Wacik revealed that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has personally designed a batik incorporating the motif of a traditional sword (keris) and Indonesian shadow puppets as a inspiration to other Indonesians to develop their own signature batiks designs.

The Chairwoman of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), Yanti Sukamdani, commented that the use of batik in the national hotel and restaurant business was nothing new. "For a long time batik has been used in uniforms, room interiors, bedspreads, room paintings and resultant napkins. Now, following international recognition (of batik), we can sharpen our focus and used batik everywhere. The recommendation of the Minister of Culture and Tourism represents no burden to our hotels who are already using batik in a number of applications," explained Sukamdani.

The PHRI Chief said that international hotel chains tended to be more proactive in using batik in various aspects of their operation. She said she hoped that apartments and other levels of accommodation in Indonesia, such as "melati hotels," would also use batik in their business activities.

Saving Batavia: A Vision of Jakarta's Past and Future

See Also:

• Saving Batavia Homepage
• The Origins: A City Built on Blood and Spice
• The Obstacles: Old Batavia is Wrapped in Red Tape
• The Solution: The Latest Master Plan

If you leave aside South Jakarta’s business corridor, the high-priced restaurants and the city’s many shopping malls, what are you going to do in a metropolis desperately short of public spaces?

Where in Jakarta can you escape the pollution, traffic and pressure for a stroll through shaded streets, a coffee at a sidewalk cafe, a visit to an art gallery and a chance to enjoy the architectural treasures of a forgotten time?

Nowhere, is the obvious answer.

At least not yet. But if the decaying treasures of old Batavia, the neighborhood now known as Kota Tua, or Old Town, could be salvaged from more than a half-century of neglect, a gem would be revealed that could become an oasis of calm for city residents and a money-spinning tourist attraction for visitors to Jakarta, most of whom just hurry through their hours here, anxious to change planes for Bali.

For now, of course, apart from the partially restored splendor of Taman Fatahillah and the old Dutch city hall,

Kota Tua is largely a mess. Historic structures are falling down, trees grow through collapsed roofs. There are seedy nightspots, traffic chaos and little in the way of economic vitality.

We see it differently. Kota Tua is a treasure, one of the largest stands of original colonial-era architecture in Asia. Refurbished, rezoned and allowed to flourish in a public-private partnership — the outlines of which are in a master plan being considered by the Jakarta governor’s office — Kota Tua could, and we think should, take its place alongside the other architectural marvels of Asia.

That the 17th century Dutch had the power and the temerity to think they could recreate their vision of Europe in a tropical outpost rife with disease may be looked upon now as imperial madness.

However, the fact that much of this early history remains standing, having evaded destruction through war or a developer’s bulldozer, is a reality that the current generation, separated from the bitterness of the colonial legacy, can now reclaim.

As this special report shows, Kota Tua is integral to Jakarta’s history, and can be a big part of Jakarta’s future.

In its rush over five decades to expand and modernize, Jakarta has largely forgotten its past. Kota Tua is in trouble. The exquisite historic buildings around Taman Fatahillah are crumbling. The grand old boulevard along the Kali Besar canal reeks of stagnant water. The small shop-houses, some providing refuge for squatters, might as well be occupied by ghosts, given how eerie they look after sundown. Similar treasures in Chinatown and the old Arab district bear the scars of neglect. The whole place could fade to little more than a memory.

But given aggressive leadership and a vision of creative change, a city desperate for beauty and calm amid the urban sprawl could benefit immensely from a revitalized and reborn Kota Tua.

We offer this selection of articles as a starting point for debate, a celebration of the past and a reminder of the treasure in our midst. Let’s not let it fade to dust.

Betawi natives seek greater recognition in multiethnic Jakarta

Mustaqim Adamrah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Marginalized Betawi natives are still struggling for recognition in the ethnic melting pot that is Jakarta, a discussion in the capital heard Saturday.

During the discussion, which formed part of a five-day conference on issues faced by Betawi people, members of the Betawi Consultative Body voiced their hopes to members of the city administration and City Council.

Many participants said they wanted the city administration to concentrate more heavily on conserving and developing the Betawi culture. Others said they wanted Betawi natives to be included in making decisions about the city's future.

One member of the organization, who identified himself as Taufik, said Betawi representatives should be involved in devising new city bylaws.

"Body members want Betawi natives to sit together with city councillors so as they can join in discussions on new bylaws.

"Betawi natives are part of the city and we want our voice to be heard," he said.

In response, Council Speaker Ade Surapriyatna said he would like Betawi participants to be included in the decision-making process for every new bylaw, but Jakarta was a plural city with other ethnic groups.

"I've heard of inter-faith groups, but not inter-ethnicity groups that represent each ethnic group in the city, including Betawi people," he said, adding that he could not give special treatment to the members of one ethnic group.

Another body member said Betawi symbols could be put in public places, such as bus shelters, as a way to preserve the culture.

"We should also consider paying homage to our Betawi ancestors by naming streets after them, as we did with M. Hoesni Thamrin," he said.

M. Hoesni Thamrin is a national hero of Betawi origin. He established Perkoempoelan Orang Betawi (the Betawi People's Association) in 1923, prompting the Dutch colonial administration to officially recognize the group during the final years of its occupation.

A 2007 law on Jakarta as the Capital of Indonesia requires the administration to conserve the city's heritage, including aspects of the Betawi culture.

A member of the body's political commission, Syahrul Kumala, said he hoped Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo would prioritize Betawi natives when filling strategic positions in the administration and the council.

"I think it's natural to have Betawi people making important decisions in the administration and the council," he told The Jakarta Post at the conference.

According to historian Alwi Shahab, Betawi natives were forced to move to the outskirts of Jakarta in the 16th century when they started spreading Islam across the city, which at the time was known as Batavia.

"Betawi people actually had existed in the city ... long before the Portuguese arrived. Their ancestors once lived in the Pasar Minggu (South Jakarta) and Condet (East Jakarta) areas," he told the Post.

"The Kingdom of Padjajaran that ruled Batavia in the 16th century felt threatened by the presence of Betawi Muslims as they spread their teachings expeditiously," he said.

"The kingdom then joined forces with the Portuguese to force Betawi people out of Batavia."

Betawi natives moved to the outskirts of the city and places further afield, such as Jatinegara Kaum in East Jakarta, Depok in West Java and Tangerang in Banten, Alwi said.

"Their migration was also due to their inability to feed their families. They had to sell their land and move," he said.

"Now Betawi people need our support so as they can be better recognized."