'Abang' and 'None' duties deviate from original objective

JAKARTA (JP): Jakartans expressed concern Saturday that the role of the Abang and None Jakarta, or Mr and Miss Jakarta, was deviating from its original objective into merely ceremonial tasks,

Amarullah Asbah of the Betawi (native Jakartans) Consultative Board said the Abang and None were originally intended to be the city's ambassadors, but over the years their duties have become little more than ceremonial, ranging from wearing Betawi attire to handing out flowers to city guests.

The Abang and None contest, held annually since 1968, was the initiative of former governor Ali Sadikin. The winners' official role is to promote Betawi culture and to represent the capital at local and international functions.

The contest is usually conducted in conjunction with the celebration of Jakarta's anniversary, which falls on June 22, and the country's Independence Day on Aug. 17.

"In the future, the Abang and None roles need to be strengthened to enable them to really promote Jakarta's culture and tourism," Amarullah told The Jakarta Post.

PT Citra Lamtoro Gung Persada's corporate secretary, M. Fauriza Y. Irawady, shared Amarullah's statement. He said that from his own standpoint, most of the contest's winners were now seen only at official events, accompanying the Jakarta governor.

"The winners should be more active, communicative and friendlier to foreign guests while giving them information on Jakarta," Fauriza told the Post.

He has never seen any winners actively "selling" the city during official events.

"Maybe I don't see them (providing information on the city). But, I think they should be like a walking reference on Jakarta, not only to foreign visitors, but also to local people," Fauriza said.

He said that most winners represented Betawi culture merely by wearing its traditional attire while attending official events.

Zumrotin K. Susilo of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation said that wearing Betawi attire did not mean the winners had promoted and preserved the local culture.

"They should really understand Betawi culture and not just be a showcase at official events," she said.

She said that it was wasting money to hold the Abang and None contest if it did not achieve its intended goal.

Participants and organizers believe winning the contest is an effective stepping stone to future careers, or even a short cut to becoming rich and famous.

Amarullah admitted that winning the contest would give the victors special access to fame.

"It's difficult to prevent them (the contestants) from utilizing the event as a stepping stone to popularity. But, it's their right to do so," he said.

Among the more famous None from the past are top model Ratih Sanggarwati (1983 winner), model and actress Vena Melinda (1992 winner) and Maudi Kusnaria (1993 winner), who stars in the popular TV series Si Doel Anak Betawi.

This year's winners are Riqki Indrawan and Garnasih Aseanti, both 23 years old. They were selected Friday night from the 30 finalists.

Both Riqki and Garnasih received Rp 2 million (US$770), a cellular phone, clothes from famous designer Ramli, a Timor sedan and a vacation package to London.

According to the organizers, the winners were not selected based on good looks alone, but also on their character, general knowledge of Jakarta, communication ability, attitude and appearance. This year the organizers also added a psychological test. (ste)