People race to sell Sukarno memorabilia
By K. Basrie
JAKARTA (JP): Columns of classified advertisements in Jakarta- based newspapers are witness to the fact that numerous people are offering books and other accessories on the country's first president, the late Sukarno.
The trend has become apparent in the past two weeks and nobody knows who began it.
Items vary from paintings, coins, notes and stamps bearing the photograph of Sukarno to books and the famous baton of the late president who passed away 28 years ago.
The most popular item offered through the tiny ads is Sukarno's book titled Dibawah Bendera Revolusi and its English version Under the Banner of Revolution.
Written by Sukarno when he was in exile at the age of 20, the two-volume book is a collection of some of his ideas and speeches, particularly on politics and freedom.
The first volume was first printed on Aug. 17, 1959 and reprinted in 1963, 1964 and 1965. The second volume was printed for the first time on Aug. 20, 1964 and reprinted the following year.
The hardcover version, 6.5 cm thick, is being offered -- mostly in U.S. currency -- at between US$1,000 and $1,500 per copy.
A banknote carrying the picture of Sukarno issued in the mid- 1940s is going for millions of rupiah, even though the money is no longer legal tender.
Pos Kota reported last Saturday that Dono of Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, was offering to sell the baton Sukarno always carried on official visits for Rp 1.6 billion (US$125,000).
When contacted by The Jakarta Post yesterday, advertisers said they were offering the items purely because of the seemingly high demand for memorabilia related to Sukarno, father of Megawati Soekarnoputri, the ousted leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).
"I just saw the huge number of ads so I had to take advantage of this golden moment by offering my father's collection," Reiner, an advertising agency marketing manager, said.
He has advertised his father's only copies of Dibawah Bendera Revolusi at $1,000 and Under the Banner of Revolution at $1,500 in two leading newspapers.
"I have received only one call from an expatriate, who bargained the Indonesian version down to $800. However he said he had to discuss it first with a friend of his.
"He has never contacted me again," said Reiner, who admitted to never having read the books.
He planned to send the money from selling the books to his brother, who is studying in the United States.
Sukamtono offered his grandparents' collection of the first volume of Dibawah Bendera Revolusi together with 10 bank notes and 24 stamps bearing Sukarno's image in one package at $1,300.
"Since the riots in May, I have had the feeling that many people, especially collectors, would look for any item they could on Sukarno," the government employee said.
Like many other advertisers, he intends to spend the money on daily living expenses.
"I hope that my family in Purwokerto (Central Java) has still kept the book of the same title at their house," Sukamtono added.
When first printed, the book was sold for Rp 30 each.
Roben, a street trader in secondhand books at Senen in Central Jakarta, was quoted by Antara as saying yesterday that demand for the book had increased noticeably in the past few days.
"Last year, I offered the book at Rp 10,000 and nobody wanted to buy it," he said.
When asked whether they were also preparing to collect books, stamps and notes on the country's second president, Soeharto, the advertisers burst into laughter.
"No way. He's not a good model for the country or the people," said Reiner.