Understanding the character of the Madurese<\/p>\n
By Sirikit Syah<\/p>\n
SURABAYA (JP): The conflict that broke out between Madurese
\nand Dayak in West Kalimantan at the end of December and early
\nJanuary has drawn the concern of government officials,
\npoliticians and religious leaders.<\/p>\n
The island of Madura is known to be dry and unproductive, but
\nis it true that the hard life in their homeland makes the
\nMadurese a rough and tough people? The Jakarta Post spoke to H.
\nA. Latief Wiyata, M.A -- a doctoral candidate at Gajah Mada
\nUniversity, a lecturer at the University of Jember, East Java,
\nand an anthropologist specializing in Madurese study -- about the
\ncharacter of the Madurese people. Wiyata is currently writing his
\ndissertation on Madurese culture.<\/p>\n
Question: What is the basic characteristic of the Madurese?<\/p>\n
Answer: The Madurese are very open and expressive. When they
\nare treated unfairly, they will not keep silent. They will react
\ndirectly. Another important characteristic of the Madurese is
\ntheir seriousness in work. They have a saying 'kar-karkar colpe'
\n(which is analogous to a hen scraping the soil to find something
\nto eat; no matter how small the food, the hen will search for it
\npatiently and seriously). There are facts and proof that many
\nMadurese people are successful in working in any field, either
\nbig or small business, even when they are far from home.<\/p>\n
Q: Are the Madurese very obedient to their religious leaders?<\/p>\n
A: People often assume that the Madurese only obey their kyai
\n(religious leaders). This is quite true. But it's not only the
\nkyai they obey. In their social and cultural lives, there is a
\nsaying bappa' babu' guru' rato (father, mother, teacher, and the
\nking\/government). Those are the people they obey. The kyai have a
\ncentral position, but they obey other informal leaders too. It
\nwould be better if both religious and social leaders were
\ninvolved.<\/p>\n
Q: Do the Madurese have a tendency to overreact?<\/p>\n
A: No. They are very strict with their principle of andap asor
\n(being humble and\/or low-profile). They believe that being
\npolite, friendly and kind is essential in social life. They are
\nkindhearted. Whoever experiences the kindness of Madurese people
\nwill not forget it for the rest of his\/her life. The Madurese
\ndon't forget other people's kindness either, and they will pay it
\nback in any way. But once they are hurt, they will react and
\nnever forget. They believe that oreng daddi taretan, taretan
\ndaddi oreng (family\/relatives become strangers, strangers become
\nfamily\/relatives), which depends on their social behavior towards
\neach other.<\/p>\n
Q: How do the Madurese socialize with other ethnic groups?<\/p>\n
A: In principal they socialize easily with other ethnic
\ngroups, which might be due to their concept of andap asor. The
\nsocialization process is made easier if they have something in
\ncommon, like religion.<\/p>\n
Q: Can they adapt easily to new environments and communities?<\/p>\n
A: Yes, they can. If they live by the sea, they will live like
\nfishermen. If they live in a village, they will live like
\nfarmers. They have no problem adapting to life in industrial or
\nmetropolitan cities. But when they settle in a new place, they
\ntend to group with their own people. There are many Madurese
\nsettlements throughout Indonesia. It might appear as ethnic
\nsolidarity, but it could also be interpreted as exclusivity.<\/p>\n
Q: Do Madurese often marry with people from other ethnic
\ngroups?<\/p>\n
A: Their concept tends to encourage marriage with distant
\nrelatives. Their philosophy is ma' ta' elang obur (maintain
\nfamily ties). But they follow the rules of Islam, which prohibit
\nmarriages with close family members.<\/p>\n
Q: The Madurese have the habit of carrying a weapon wherever
\nthey go. Why?<\/p>\n
A: Yes, they usually carry celurit (a sickle specific to
\nMadura), but it is not a sign of violence. On the contrary, it
\nsymbolizes that the person admits his weakness. Those who dare to
\nappear in public without carrying a weapon are the ones to be
\nsuspicious of. They are suspected of having a certain kind of
\nstrength.<\/p>\n
The Madurese have a belief about carrying weapons. They will
\nnot carry weapons in their right hands, which could be
\ninterpreted as a challenge or a threat. They usually carry them
\nin their left hands with the sharp end pointing at their palm and
\nfingers, and the other end parallel to their arm. Sometimes they
\njust slip the weapon under their clothes in line with the concept
\nof andap asor.<\/p>\n
Q: What could provoke their rage?<\/p>\n
A: The main factor is their dignity, and whether or not it is
\nviolated. The concept of dignity is not only personal and
\nindividual but refers to family, relatives and ethnic groups
\nbased on racial solidarity. They refuse to be embarrassed or
\nhumiliated. They would rather die, as they say tamna todus, mate
\n(death is the only cure to embarrassment\/humiliation). And
\nango'an poteya tolang etembang poteya mata (to die is better than
\nto be humiliated\/embarrassed).<\/p>\n
Q: There are rumors that the Madurese want to take revenge on
\nthe Dayak living in Madura and Java. What is your opinion? Is
\nrevenge one of their traits?<\/p>\n
A: Not only the Madurese. Any ethnic group will take revenge
\nor get angry if it is treated unfairly. Still, it depends on the
\nseverity of the problem or conflict. In the case of West
\nKalimantan, I don't think the Madurese will seek revenge. First,
\nbecause the conflict is still within their tolerance limit.
\nSecond, their (social and religious) leaders are involved in the
\nefforts to overcome the problem. This is a good strategy. The
\nconflict must be seen and evaluated, both in a legal context and
\na sociocultural context, honestly and fairly. Otherwise, all
\nefforts will be useless.<\/p>",
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