City urged to build Betawi art and culture village

JAKARTA (JP): The Betawi (Old Jakarta) culture body has urged the city administration to set up a Betawi art and culture village as a bastion to preserve old Jakarta's legacy.

The body's Chairwoman, Emmi Busri, said in a hearing with City Council Commission E for social welfare yesterday that such a "village" was badly needed, as Betawi art and culture has begun to vanish.

"It's our responsibility to preserve it," she said, adding that the body is yet to prepare a detailed plan for the village.

Emmi said the administration could designate a district where Betawi artisans would be free to hold workshops and engage in various cultural activities.

"We want the district to have a Betawi atmosphere where visitors can easily experience the Betawi traditional way of life," she said. She said the idea was adopted from the artists village in Bali.

"The village can also become a tourists' destination. Tourists can experience the culture and food of the Betawi people," she said

The commission's chairman, Atje Mulyadi, said it is not that easy to find an area in Jakarta where Betawi people are still dominant.

In 1971, the administration designated Condet in East Jakarta as the center of the Betawi people's fruit and flora preservation center, meaning that the area is supposed to be closed to newcomers who want to build houses and other structures.

The program has failed, since the administration has been inconsistent in reinforcing its own regulation to preserve Condet. A large number of people have received official permits to build houses there.

Atje said an area in Condet is probably suitable for the art and cultural preservation plan. "But the administration's policy on Condet should be made clear first. The administration must be consistence with its decision made in 1971," he said. He said the administration does not appear serious in its policy on Condet.

Atje said the idea to preserve Betawi art and culture is appreciated. "The administration's political will is needed to realize the idea," he said. (yns)