Mallaby and typical 'arek Suroboyo'

Mallaby and typical 'arek Suroboyo'

From Batavia (now Jakarta) on Sept. 22, 1945, Rear Admiral Sir
W. Patterson, who was commanding the Fifth Cruiser Squadron for
the Supreme Allied Commander, wrote a letter which began with:

"This is to certify that I have ordered Captain P.J.G. Huyer
to proceed to Soerabaja in order to prepare for the reoccupation
of Soerabaja."

Based on the order of his Britain counterpart, Huyer, a
captain of the Royal Netherlands Navy, managed to peacefully take
control of the city, now known as Surabaya, from Japanese Vice
Admiral Yaichiro Shibata.

But blood still continued wetting the ground of the city as
many of the arek Suroboyo (local expression for the people of
Surabaya) insisted on rejecting any form of colonization. Heated
clashes with the British forces started. And on the evening of
Oct. 30, 1945, Brigadier A.W.S. Mallaby from the British Forces,
was killed in a armed clash near the Gedung Internatio building,
close to the Kali Mas river.

Despite the controversy surrounding Mallaby's real killer, the
incident sparked anger on the part of the British troops and
other allied forces, which then issued an ultimatum "To All
Indonesians of Surabaya" ordering Indonesian leaders and locals
to surrender and hand over their arms.

Receiving no response, the British on Nov. 10, 1945, heavily
bombarded Surabaya from land, sea and air, killing thousands of
Surabayans.

The Nov. 10 inferno and all the heroic stories of the Surabaya
warriors are still remembered by Surabayans today. The Black
Saturday is remembered today as National Heroes Day, and the city
has been dubbed the City of Heroes.

Since those dark days, the hard-working Surabayans have set
about promoting their city as the second most important in the
country after the capital Jakarta.

Home to over three million inhabitants, 85 percent of its 290
square kilometers is devoted to commercial and residential
purposes.

Lavish housing complexes, apartments, skyscrapers, hotels that
are members of international chains, shopping arcades and
specially-designed industrial zones have mushroomed in certain
parts of the town.

Hundreds of domestic and foreign vessels load and unload their
cargoes at Tanjung Perak seaport everyday. Container trucks roar
back and forth between the Rungkut industrial zone and the nearby
Gresik industrial zone.

The day-to-day hustle and bustle of Surabaya's streets and the
high level of passenger numbers at Juanda airport reflects the
economic progress achieved by the city.

Until today, the industrial sector plays a major role in the
city, but many estimate that trade will soon surpass it in
importance as geographically speaking Surabaya is an entrepot for
the major markets of Bali, Sulawesi, Kalimantan and Papua.

As of last year, the industrial sector contributed 35 percent
to the city's revenues, while trading was three percent lower.

Once home to the world's largest brothel complex in Doli,
Surabaya -- like many other big cities -- suffers from a lack of
natural tourist attractions. But a number of aging colonial
buildings erected during the Dutch and Japanese occupations
remain popular attractions for foreign tourists.

Still regarded as Indonesia's second most polluted metropolis
after Jakarta, the city is endeavoring to develop more green
areas within its boundaries.

Compared to its rival Jakarta, Surabaya is a relatively safer
city.

"It's much better here," said Haryadi, the general manager of
the Hotel Santika Surabaya.

But just like other densely-populated cities, Surabaya also
faces the usual problems like traffic jams, garbage disposal and
flooding.

"The traffic jams, for instance, are still tolerable. But work
needs to be done now in anticipation of the situation worsening.

Don't make the same mistakes that Jakarta has made," Haryadi
said.

Herman Rivai from the Surabaya Council sees the presence of
street traders as another problem.

"Instead of harshly forcing the street traders off the
streets, the (local) authorities should find some other solution,
such as providing designated areas where they can run their
businesses," he said.

Rahmat, a Nasi Pecel (traditional rice and vegetable dish)
trader, who was asked about the rapid development in the city,
simply replied: "Surabaya's getting difficult!"

He could be referring to many things, including the lack of
jobs. But, his response was typical for a Surabayan: open and
direct.