Culture in the capital

Culture in the capital

From Bisnis Indonesia

Jakarta is already 470 years old. At its anniversary celebration, the governor complained about meager income from the tourism sector as foreign tourists are not particularly drawn to visit Jakarta. We have good reason to be concerned about this situation as the tourism sector is one of our major sources of foreign exchange earnings.

It seems to me that the presence of regional cultures are abundant in Jakarta and they have the potential to attract foreign tourists to the capital. There are the Jaipong, lenong, Balinese, Javanese and Sundanese dances, to mention but a few. Not to mention the musical bands and renowned singers which Jakarta has to offer. Now, what is wrong with all these?

Look how the minister of industry struggled to get the national Timor cars into government agencies and made them official operational cars, with the all out support of the bureaucrats. Then why don't the minister of education and culture, minister of tourism, post and telecommunications and governor use the same strategy in the cultural sector?

Make sure that national culture is highlighted on certain days of the week (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays). The rest of the week can be used for foreign cultures. In this way, foreign tourists will be able to watch and enjoy Indonesian cultural performances in this country instead of being offered foreign culture, as is the case at present.

The rationale is simple. When in Japan, for example, we will look for examples of Japanese culture, such as Kabuki, for entertainment. Conversely, the Japanese tourists seek Indonesian entertainment when they visit Indonesia.

Well, Mr. Governor, why don't we give it a try? The cultural sector should contribute to the struggle to preserve national riches and identity.

H.M. HOOD IDRIS R. MM

Jakarta