'Historic car' enters Yogyakarta museum
Tarko Sudiarno, Yogyakarta, The Jakarta Post
The provincial government of Yogyakarta has decided to put one of its cars in a museum as a historical item.
The car was used by Yogyakarta Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X to pacify protesters during the reformation movement four years ago.
"At the height of student protests demanding political reform on May 16, 1998 on Jl. Wirobrajan, the Sultan stood atop the car and succeeded in preventing a possible riot," head of the Regional Information Office, Karyono was quoted as saying by Antara on Saturday during the presentation ceremony.
Karyono presented the car to the Sultan who then presented it to the head of Beteng Vrederberg Museum, Budihardja.
The car was presented in the compound of Ambarukmo Hotel.
Riots broke out in a number of cities throughout the country, including in the nearby city of Surakarta, during the week which saw the fall of former autocratic leader Soeharto on May 21, 1998.
The riots claimed more than 2,200 lives and inflicted losses amounting to Rp 2.5 trillion (US$268 million). Four thousand shops and more than 1,000 motor vehicles and houses were torched.
But the car is only part of the story as a recent talk with Prince Joyokusumo unveiled.
The Sultan had been practicing a mystical ritual during those critical weeks, Joyokusumo said, including fasting and conducting a kirab, that is carrying an object believed to be sacred.
The object being carried around in several cities during one of the nights during the critical week was the Kanjeng Kyai Pamuk, an 18th century legacy of Sultan Hamengku Buwono I.
"The Pamuk is a simple whip made of rattan about one meter long. The first Sultan used the whip when he was riding his horse," Joyokusumo told The Jakarta Post.
The sacred object is believed to be able to alleviate anarchy.
Joyokusumo said he accompanied the Sultan in a Toyota Land Cruiser with a driver from the Javanese court in Yogyakarta to Muntilan, Magelang, Ambarawa, Salatiga, Boyolali, Kartasura, Delanggu, Klaten and back to Yogyakarta.
"The car may not pass the same road twice and must not enter the city of Surakarta," Joyokusumo said.
Formerly part of the one kingdom of Mataram, Yogyakarta and Surakarta later split into two rival kingdoms.
"Believe it or not," Joyokusumo said, "when at one point the car inadvertently entered a road heading toward Surakarta the car developed engine trouble."
"The lights went off and the driver tried to repair the car without success. But when the Sultan asked the driver to make a U-turn, the engine and the lights returned to normal."
Now we have come to know that all the cities through which the Pamuk passed were untouched by anarchy, said Joyokusumo.