Development marches on in Surabaya, 'city of heroes'

Text and photos by P.J. Leo

SURABAYA (JP): Mention Surabaya, the country's second largest city, and the first thought for many is the heat.

This is not just meaningless hot air. Sweltering temperatures are inevitable in a port city built on an alluvial plain.

Local administrators even joke about the widely held perception of their city.

"It is hot here... that is the impression of people visiting here," said Surabaya administration public relations officer Adek Kasidi.

"But it is only the air that is hot, not the citizens."

Covering an area of 32,636.6 hectares, Surabaya has around three million inhabitants. But the population of the city, bordered by the Madura Strait to the north and east, Sidoarjo regency to the south and Gresik regency to the west, swells to several times that number during working hours.

It does not mean that the city is deserted in the evening though.

"Life on the Tanjung Perak wharf, Surabaya, and the Kamal wharf, Madura, goes on 24 hours a day. Ferries between Surabaya and Kamal charging Rp 500 per passenger are continually making the crossing," Adek said.

The Purabaya (Bungurasih) and Tambak Osowilangun terminals are starting points for buses heading throughout Java, with the former serving southern routes and the latter northern ones.

Like other cities in Indonesia, Surabaya is developing into an increasingly metropolitan conurbation marked by road and building construction, the restoration of old buildings and the erection of historical monuments.

One of the major projects nearing completion is the Mesjid Agung, the biggest mosque in East Java. President Soeharto is scheduled to inaugurate it next month.

The construction of Monumen Kapal Selam (Submarine Monument) to the Indonesian Navy, which started in 1995, has now reached its finishing stage. It is located on the bank of the Kalimas river at the eastern extremity of Surabaya Plaza. The Russian- made submarine, bought by Indonesia in 1962, was decommissioned in 1994.

"The construction of the monument is meant to beautify Surabaya as the Indonesian's Eastern Fleet Command Center," said the head of the Information Office of the Eastern Fleet, Navy Lieutenant Colonel Eddy Irawan.

The 30.8-meter tall Jalesveva Jayamahe monument enhances Tanjung Perak as Surabaya's modern harbor. President Soeharto officiated at its inauguration on Dec. 5, 1996, Naval Fleet Day.

In order to attract both foreign and domestic tourists, the Surabaya tourism agency has been working hard to improve the city's sights.

"The three most important historical locations related to the November 10, 1945, confrontation in Surabaya are the area around the Tugu Pahlawan (heroes monument), the Jembatan Merah (red bridge) area and the Hotel Mandarin Majapahit," said Iskandar, the head of the city's tourism promotion agency.

"Indonesia's first president Sukarno laid the first stone of the Tugu Pahlawan on Nov. 10, 1951, exactly six years after the Surabaya battle. The diorama for the monument is now almost finished. It depicts the events of 1945," he added.

With a height of 40.5-meter, a 3.1-meter diameter at the bottom and a 1.3-meter diameter at the top, the Tugu Pahlawan was erected on the site where the Japanese force, Kenpetai, was barracked. In colonial times it was the court of justice. It was burned down by Surabaya citizens.

"Jembatan Merah is small but its name is great. It was on this bridge that on November 3, 1945, General A.W.S. Mallaby, commander of the allied forces, was killed when he was heading for the International building, at the time the headquarters of the Dutch army," said Iskandar.

Hotel Mandarin Majapahit was named Hotel Oranje by the Dutch and Hoteru Yamato by the Japanese. The city's famous flag incident took place here.

On Sep. 19, 1945 the Dutch flag was flown after a long break above the hotel. This angered Surabaya's citizens who went in great numbers to the hotel and tore off the blue of the red, white and blue Dutch flag, leaving the red and white at the mast, the flag of independent Indonesia.

There are many other historical objects worth viewing in Surabaya.

The Gedung Balai Pemuda on Jl. Pemuda was formerly named the Simpangsche Societeit frequented by white people for dancing. Locals were not admitted. In November 1945 this building was made the Headquarters of Pemuda Republik Indonesia (Youths of Republic of Indonesia).

The office of state-owned shipping company Pelni, on Jl. Pahlawan is also worth a look. This became the office of the Domei news agency during the Japanese occupation. It was from this building that the news of the Proclamation on Aug. 17, 1945 was broadcast through East Java.

The Bambu Runcing (bamboo spikes) monument is on Jl. Panglima Sudirman. This monument symbolizes the spirit of Surabaya citizens in their struggle against Dutch colonialism with whatever arms were available, i.e. sharpened pieces of bamboo.

The Soerjo monument on Jl. Pemuda opposite Gedung Negara Grahadi was erected in tribute to Governor Soerjo, East Java's first governor, who died during the Indonesian Communist Party revolt in Madiun in 1948.

After a tour round the city, taking in all the above monuments, it is easy to see why Surabaya is seen as a heroes city.