HB Jassin literary archive neglected

HB Jassin literary archive neglected

Rakyat Merdeka

As a citizen of Jakarta, I am proud to have a governor whose appearance is attractive and elegant, as required by his job and his position of authority.

In comparison, I am disappointed with the state of the HB Jassin literary archive. The Malaysian government once reportedly intended to buy manuscripts kept in this center. But the place has been neglected and it still uses a manual classification system.

As a national asset owned by the Jakarta administration, this literary archive serves as a reference center for local and foreign researchers who want to study Indonesian literature.

Jakarta's administration has allocated some Rp 40 million a year clothing allowance for the governor. In comparison, the allocation set for the maintenance of the HB Jassin literary archive is only Rp 100 million. This includes electricity, telephone bills and salaries for its nine employees. The Ministry of National Education contributes less than Rp 25 million a year. I find this a very saddening state of affairs.

PUDWIANTO ARISANTO

Jakarta