Development pushes Betawi to the outskirts

JAKARTA (JP): If anyone has fallen victim to the current development drive, the Betawi people have. The more development projects go on in the nation's capital, the further they are pushed from the homes of their ancestors.

Outsiders, drawn to Jakarta by the power and potential for profit it represents, are better educated, far more competitive, and often much better off. So the Betawi sell their birthplaces to the migrants, and find themselves struggling to maintain their existence on the periphery of Greater Jakarta, the land their forebears once owned.

Ramadhan KH, a writer and observer of Betawi culture, said that due to a lack of education, the Betawi people have been unable to face the keen competition for employment among the residents of Jakarta and its surrounding areas. This low level of education affects their overall economic situation as well.

He said that many Betawi families prefer to send their children to Madrasah (Islamic boarding schools) rather than to public schools.

"Betawi people have very good virtues," he said, adding that they are extremely religious, honest, self-confident and humorous. Theirs is a democratic society, meaning that they do not recognize any social status.

He observed, however, that they have negative facets as well, particularly when it comes to material matters. They often sacrifice their property for unimportant things, Ramadhan explained.

Citing an example, Ramadhan told The Jakarta Post that the Betawi are apt to sell off plots of land, often at a very low price, just to buy a motorcycle, or to hold a wedding party. For that reason, these indigenous Jakartans have lost almost all of their valuable property. Consequently, they have had to move to the city's outskirts.

City councilor Amarullah Asbah, who objects strongly to generalizations about the Betawi people, pointed out that there is nothing unique in the unfortunate experiences of the indigenous Jakartans.

"There are always people who have to give up their land to make way for development," Asbah, an indigenous Jakartan and a member of the Golkar faction, said. This happens not only in Jakarta, but also in the other parts of the country, he said.

"There are always people who have success stories and those who don't," he noted, calling upon people not to dramatize the plight of the unsuccessful Betawi.

He acknowledged that some Betawi people face difficulties, but he quickly pointed out the fact that no matter how hard their lives are, the Betawi people never lose their will to struggle; they never become dependent on the good will of other people.

"Do you see any Betawi men or women begging at cross intersections? No. The Betawi don't do that," he said.

When it comes to work, the Betawi people are creative. It was the Betawi who created the new "profession" of tukang ojek (motorcycle taxi drivers), Asbah said.

The ojek drivers operate in many parts of the city, especially where public transportation is unavailable.

Tile, 64, a famous Betawi comedian, who has starred in dozens of television shows and movies since 1987, said he had no idea why the Betawi people seem to lag behind the other ethnic groups that make up Indonesia's diverse populace. Nor could he even begin to guess about how to reverse the situation.

Lenong

"I don't know the answer to such questions. But I have one piece of advice to the younger generation of Betawi people, and that is that they never stop loving lenong," he said.

Lenong is a Betawi drama performed to the accompaniment of music.

Tile has performed in lenong shows since the 1960s and still pursues that profession with the famous Sinar Jaya group led by Haj Nasir.

Tile, the father of eight -- all ojek drivers or laborers -- said he was not sure if the younger generation needed to improve themselves educationally in order to strike back, or even to survive.

Maryati, 22, also a lenong player, who has become highly popular of late due to her brief appearance as Munaroh in the television series Doel Anak Sekolahan, said the Betawi are typically humorous and carefree people. Many, if not most of them, don't take care much of their future and prefer living in a relaxed manner.

Although most of the Betawi people have been pushed to the periphery of Jakarta, she is proud of being Betawi.

"Today, the Betawi culture is in fashion following the success of the TV series Doel Anak Sekolahan. Many people are now making films about Betawi culture," she said. (jsk/raw/sim)