Letter to Betawi society

Letter to Betawi society

From Bisnis Indonesia

The argument that the next governor of Jakarta should come from the native people (Betawi) has become a daily topic among Betawi people. Even the Betawi Consultative Body (Bamus Betawi) as the parent body of Betawi society, through its conference held some time ago, has firmly recommended that the next governor of Jakarta should hail from the Betawi society.

Yet, the political fight of the Betawi society will apparently meet many obstacles due to the following reasons. 1. Factually, governor Sutiyoso (who is ethnically Javanese and born in Central Java) still has ambition to become the Jakarta governor for the period between 2002 and 2007 even though he has stated that he doesn't aspire to hold the position for a second term.

It appears that Sutiyoso seems willing to do anything to rescue his post. For example, he has done some odd political actions such as allegedly inundating certain city residents with money wrapped in the forms of flood assistance funds, playing one group against another, funding certain social elements to attack other elements of society. He has even made use of an element of Betawi society as a shield for his power. 2. The fact has shown that Betawi society is now being divided and stirred so its potential forces become weak and easily politicized.

On the one hand a group of Betawi people demands that the next governor be a native Betawi, but on the other hand, another group strongly gives support to the incumbent governor Sutiyoso.

Betawi people and their Consultative Body should realize and be alert that conditions referred to above are parts of a political scenario in efforts to prevent Betawi residents from becoming the Jakarta governor. 3. The real political forces of Betawi people in the city council are not significant. They are only a minority of the 85 members of the City Council. 4. The political struggle of Betawi society to win the Jakarta governor position is still a hard battle. Moreover, the condition of the Betawi Consultative Body seems to be less accommodating toward its own members and also less solid. This means that the Betawi society and its Consultative Body should be prepared to have an outsider as Jakarta governor.

ANAS MA'RUF

Coordinator of

Betawi Students

Communications

Forum Presidium

Jakarta