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