Megawati opens Malay festival

Megawati opens Malay festival

Haidir Anwar Tanjung, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru, Riau

President Megawati Soekarnoputri officially opened the five-day
World's Malay Cultures Festival (FBMS) on Sunday in Riau the
capital of Pekanbaru, which critics blasted as a waste of money.

The Rp 4.3 billion festival is being participated in by
officials and experts from only four countries -- Indonesia,
Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam. Officials had boasted
that at least 17 nations from Europe and Southeast Asia would
join the event.

Also present are representatives from only seven of the 20
invited provinces across the country -- North Sumatra, West
Sumatra, Jambi, South Sumatra, Lampung, Bangka Belitung, Aceh and
South Kalimatan.

During the ceremony, Megawati struck a gong to declare the
festival open at 2:30 p.m. local time, which is scheduled to last
until Aug. 7.

The President did not make a speech or any comments in the 30-
minute ceremony and quickly left the venue on Jl. Gajah Mada,
Pekanbaru, for the industrial island of Batam to inaugurate the
Sumatra-Singapore pipeline project on Monday.

Analysts criticized the government for organizing such a
costly event, saying it was only wasting state money.

Moreover, the festival contained a political motive as it is
being held ahead of the gubernatorial election scheduled for
October, in which incumbent Riau Governor Saleh Jasit is vying
for another five-year term, they added.

Eddy Ahmad R.M., an executive of the Riau Arts Council (DKR),
accused the local government of forcing itself to make the event
a success despite the fact that many provinces and foreign
countries shunned the festival.

He said the governor tried to politicize the festival in the
interests of his campaign for reelection.

The billions of rupiah used for the festival should have been
allocated to empower the economy of the Riau people, at least 46
percent of whom live below the poverty line, Eddy told The
Jakarta Post on Sunday.

"What is such a cultural party for if our people are still
poor? It's extremely lamentable that people's money is wasted for
short-term interests. I believe the festival is politically
motivated as the gubernatorial election is drawing near," he
added.

Eddy argued that the event was scheduled to take place last
year, but was postponed several times for unexplained reasons
until after the gubernatorial race was approaching.

However, Governor Jasit denied political motives behind the
festival, saying it was aimed at improving the tourist industry
and investment in Riau.

As part of efforts to boost tourism in the province, the
Pekanbaru administration "asked" street vendors and taxi drivers
to wear traditional Malay clothes.

The move was opposed by many vendors, who said they could not
afford to buy such clothes.

"We are obliged to wear Malay clothes. It imposes a new burden
on us. You know that such clothes are sold for Rp 150,000 per
outfit. How can I afford it?" complained Ibu Indah, a corn vendor
at the Purna MTQ area on Jl. Sudirman.