Ms and Mr Jakarta, a stepping stone to popularity

By Arief Suditomo

JAKARTA (JP): Contrary to common assumption that winning a beauty contest may bring success, Venna Melinda, 22, the reigning '94 Putri Indonesia (Miss Indonesia) and the '92 None Jakarte, believes that the titles did not give her any special access to fame.

Venna, whose recent presence in the 1994 Miss Universe pageant in Manila succeeded in distracting from the political rift between Indonesia and the Philippines, had already chosen in 1988 to star in a national box office sequel, Catatan Si Boy.

Her debut in the movie was followed by her entrance in a 1989 cover girl contest, held annually by the Mode magazine, which she won.

During the same year Venna, a student of Trisakti University's School of Economics, moved to the capital from Surabaya, East Java. Her Jakarta citizenship allowed her to enter the 1992 None Jakarte.

Held annually since 1968, the official role of the winners of the Jakarta pageant is to promote native Jakarta (Betawi) culture and to represent the capital in local and international functions. Officials say the participants have generally served well.

The pageant coincides with the celebration of Jakarta's anniversary, which falls on June 22, and Independence Day on Aug. 17.

Registration opens in June and winners are announced in August.

This year around 200 youngsters have applied to their mayoralties in hope of winning the Abang and None Jakarte titles on the mayoralty level. They will be carefully selected based on their poise, intellectual ability, charm and knowledge of various aspects of the nation's capital. Ability to speak English is also a requirement at the mayoralty's level of the pageant.

Participants and organizers believe the pageant is an effective stepping stone to future careers, or even a short cut to become "rich and famous". Not everyone agrees, however.

Chairman of the 1994 contest, Fauzi Bowo, commented that it is every competitor's right to make the best out of their participation in the event, "as long as they can uphold the pageant's positive image."

Zainal Abidin, chairman of the Betawi Art Institute, noted that the highest accomplishment made by any former Abang or None is in the field of modeling.

"So far I haven't heard of any of them achieving anything in the scientific or political field, either at the national or international level," said Zainal.

This is understandable because all pageants are linked with the glamorous world of the entertainment industry rather than the more serious world of science. Besides, good looks is a gift rather than an achievement.

For Zainal, nothing matters except the contest's success in boosting the image of the Betawi, who were once regarded as a bunch of backward people who could only afford to live in the city's outskirts.

"The Abang and None have often appeared in commercials, and that is enough to boost the image of young Betawi people," he added.

Zainal is more concerned with the fact that few indigenous Betawi enter the contest.

"I'm aware that Jakarta is a melting pot and the contest is entered by non-native Betawi. I just hope more indigenous Betawi enter the pageant," he said.

Confidence

Ivan Fadilla, 25, the'92 Abang Jakarte, is now a model, an engineer and a private television manager who thinks his title may have been a significant step in his present career after being a banker.

He said it had enabled him to meet influential people, widen his friendships and boost his self-confidence, not to mention all the gifts he received such as tickets abroad and paid vacations.

Nevertheless, he said the title did not automatically bring him modeling contracts, which he had already done before winning the pageant.

Ivan has appeared in 18 television and print media commercials for cigarettes, household wares and medicines.

He also stressed that entrees are not merely empty-headed, good-looking youngsters.

"You should see how the judges arrive at their decision," he said.

Maudy Koesnaria, a model who held the '93 None Jakarte title, said she did not have any specific goal in entering the contest at the time.

"I didn't have a particular goal except to become None Jakarte 1993, but later, as the title holder, I realized that the indigenous Betawi people need help to secure a place in society," Maudy said.

She says protecting and promoting the Betawi indigenous culture was also her reason to accept the offer of top movie star Rano Karno to star in the sequel of the hit television soap opera,"Si Doel Anak Sekolahan". (Rano plays Doel and also produces the series.)

In the sequel she plays Zaenab, a typical Betawi girl who replaces Doel's more modern girlfriend (played by starlet Cornelia Agatha) who has gone overseas to pursue her studies.

Agus Subianto, 25, the '93 Abang Jakarte, also said his only aim in entering the pageant was to help preserve the Betawi culture.

The banking and finance student at the private Borobudur University also does not expect the pageant to give him modeling experience.

Maudy refused to comment on whether she finds the pageant helpful in reaching her goals. The student of French literature at the University of Indonesia says she has not made up her mind yet.

She was also reluctant to speculate about entering the Putri Indonesia pageant like her two predecessors, Venna and Indira Soediro. The latter was the '91 None Jakarte and the '92 Putri Indonesia.

"I may if Indonesia changes its stance on Miss Universe," she said, referring to the government's opposition to Indonesia participating in the controversial pageant.

Maudy feels that the duties of the title holder are more strenuous than the tight selection process.

"We are expected to attend most gubernatorial ceremonial events and greet the governor's foreign guests at the airport, " she said adding that such events could occupy the whole week.

However, both Venna and Maudy have never complained about being overloaded with their None duties because they were informed beforehand of the responsibilities.

Besides, the rewards seem well worth it.

"ASTRA (a Toyota distributor) has provided me with a car," she said, adding the other privileges of Rp5 million (US$2,318) in cash, a round trip ticket to Los Angeles and a considerable monthly allowance.

Participants and winners of the Jakarta pageant may have yet to prove their worth, given the privileges and opportunities they receive.

So far, only a None of the 1980s, Ratih Sanggarwati, who is now an international model, has made any truly notable achievement.