Keep old names: Ridwan

Anastashya Emmanuele, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The city administration should restore the names of areas, which have been altered by real estate developers, to their original names as a way of maintaining the city's history, particularly that of Betawi, a noted Betawi historian said.

As the places indicate the history and culture of Betawi people, altering their names only creates difficulties in tracking down the original Betawi heritage, Ridwan Saidi told a seminar titled Restoration and Development of the Betawi Culture.

The seminar is part of the three-day Betawi Culture Festival at Taman Ismail Marzuki in Central Jakarta, which will finish on Sunday.

"I call on the city administration to maintain the old names to help preserve Betawi culture," Ridwan said, giving an example of the (Tanjung) Priuk area in North Jakarta, which still bears its original name.

"The name 'Priuk' (pottery) derives from the fact that the majority of residents there used to be pot makers," Ridwan explained.

He also urged the government to reconstruct the present Betawi history, which he found misleading, but widely known among the general public and also taught in schools.

He said as an example that there existed an impression that Betawi culture only started during the period of Dutch colonialism. "Other Betawi historians agree with that. But in fact, I discovered that the culture had begun even before that period," he noted.

"Fatahillah for example, according to my research, is not a Betawi hero, as others have claimed," he remarked.

Ridwan, a Betawi native, said that Fatahillah was only able to seize the then Jayakarta because the harbor city was poorly guarded during his ambush.

"Fatahillah might be the hero of Cirebon people, but definitely not the Betawis ... such a fact must be corrected because it is misleading," he says as a warning to historians so that they are more prudent in positioning Fatahillah's role in Betawi history.

According to Ridwan, many aspects of the culture have been misinterpreted due to poor research and the vested interests of certain groups.

"One must be more resourceful in compiling history rather than just sticking to library research. Apart from field research, folklore, which historians often refuse to explore, should be considered as well," he commented.

Also speaking in the seminar, was head of the city education office, Alwi Nurdin, who said that efforts had been made to promote Betawi culture among students.

Elementary to high school students are taught about Betawi art, language and culture.

Traditional Betawi martial arts and dances are practiced at many public schools in the city, and Betawi culture books are provided for student reference in libraries, Alwi told the seminar, all in an effort to help preserve Betawi heritage.