Betawi leaders call for new cultural village

JAKARTA (JP): Senior figures of Jakarta's native Betawi ethnic group called on the city administration on Tuesday to soon realize a plan to develop a 5.4-hectare Betawi settlement area in Situ Babakan, Srengseng Sawah subdistrict, South Jakarta.

Amarullah Asbah, Muhammad Fauzie Syuaib and Yoyo Muchtar, three senior members who were present at a workshop on the settlement of Betawi culture in South Jakarta, said the plan was repeatedly submitted to the city administration but there had been no response.

Amarullah, a member of the executive board of the Betawi Consultative Body, said a Betawi ethnic settlement would highlight the original inhabitants of multiracial Jakarta.

"Governor Sutiyoso has given his approval. We are now waiting for his decree so that we can start the project," he said on the sidelines of the workshop.

Amarullah, also a city councilor from the ruling Golkar Party, said the form of the settlement area had not been determined yet. "But it for sure wouldn't exploit the Betawi for tourism."

He said the promised gubernatorial decree should regulate the architecture of all buildings within the 5.4-hectare plot to follow Betawi style.

"However, it doesn't mean that the area will be closed to people from other ethnic groups. All community members will only need to support the Betawi's way of life," he said.

Fauzie Syuaib said the prospective Betawi settlement should copy the development plan of the Ubud area in Bali, which is famous for Balinese art and culture.

"Tourists who stay in Ubud can experience the everyday life of the Balinese. The future Betawi settlement should follow the example that it is not merely a site of 'cultural performance,' but that it also accommodates the community's way of life," he said.

He said the city administration should prioritize the establishment of a unique Betawi community before thinking about the landscape of the settlement.

"We should think about bringing a whole Betawi village to the settlement area to establish the real Betawi community life there," he said.

Yoyo said the idea to develop a Betawi settlement dated back to Governor Ali Sadikin, who served the city from 1966 to 1977. Ali, known for his interest in the city's historical sites, had recommended the Condet area in East Jakarta as a pilot project for the Betawi settlement.

"However, the Condet project failed as it could not maintain the authenticity of a Betawi community," he said.

Yoyo, also an official at the Betawi Culture Institution, said a team under the coordination of the city's culture agency chose the Situ Babakan area in South Jakarta as the settlement site.

"Situ Babakan is considered the most suitable place. Not only because of its green environment and abundance of Betawi people living there, but also because it is the home for the traditional Betawi performing art groups," he said. (ind)