Servants proud of their principles

By Ida Indawati Khouw

CIREBON, West Java (JP): His name is simply Saryan. No middle name, no family name. His name reflects the simplicity of his purpose in life: to dedicate himself to his work as a palace servant.

Saryan is a unique man of principle, who has dedicated his life to the Kasepuhan palace -- just like his 42 other fellow servants. He is proud of being a palace servant with a monthly wage of Rp 30,000 plus three cans of rice per week.

"I simply fast when I am broke. There is nothing unusual about it," said the 73-year-old man. "I just drink kopi tubruk (non- filtered Indonesian-style coffee) in the morning. It's enough to help me go without lunch," he said.

His boss is Sultan Sepuh XIII PRA Maulana Pakuningrat, who possesses full authority to determine his wage.

"I will always accept my pay wholeheartedly, no matter how much," said Saryan.

Saryan has his own reasons for his near absolute loyalty to the palace. Like the other servants, he considers himself a servant of Sunan Gunung Jati, one of the nine saints who propagated Islam in Java and who originally lived in the palace.

"It keeps me close to the saint. And by serving the palace we are always blessed. Thus my needs will always be fulfilled even though my income is not enough to make ends meet. I am happy with my job," said the skinny Saryan who has 16 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Of course not all of the abdi dalem share his principles.

"Some have become palace servants because they cannot find other jobs. These abdi dalem are usually lazy," said Ida Djayakelana, a relative of the sultan and coordinator of the palace servants.

Kasepuhan palace now has 43 servants, most of them elderly.

So if you happen to visit the palace, you will probably see some very old and fragile-looking men working there. Despite their age they remain fit, as seen when accompanying visitors around the palace. They walk so fast and so far leaving many of their guests trailing far behind.

They consider anything they receive from the palace a blessing.

"The saint knows what we need in life. So we believe that we will never run short of anything as long as we are close to Him," the toothless Saryan said, laughing.

Until 1988, the servants did not receive wages on a regular basis.

"There have always been ways for the servants to acquire enough money to survive," said Djayakelana. Tips from visitors, whom they guide around the palace, help them a great deal.

Although the policy to pay the servants on a monthly basis between Rp 30,000 to Rp 50,000 has been welcomed, the money means very little because of the high inflation rate.

"Tips from visitors range between Rp 1,000 to Rp 10,000. Sometimes I can earn Rp 20,000 in a day and I am grateful for that," Saryan said.

The palace is well visited by people from all walks of life: tourists, students conducting research, people wanting to meet the royal family.

The abdi dalem and their families live in magetsari property, on land provided by the palace free of charge, for royal relatives and employees located close to the palace. They do not even have to pay the water bill as groundwater is readily available. They are just required to renew their property license on an annual basis.

"The palace provides only the land. The employees are then expected to build their own houses and pay their own electricity bill," said Djayakelana.

"In the past, magetsari covered the entire Cirebon area because all the land belonged to the palace," said Djayakelana, who also lives in the magetsari.

In the past, farmers living on the palace's property were required to donate half of their harvest to the king. The money generated from this tribute went to the palace budget.

Presently, magetsari consist of plots of land encircling the palace with large gates connecting the two areas.

The magetsari houses are modest. In fact, they are so crowded that the area looks more like a slum.

For the average person, living in magetsari is undoubtedly considered prestigious, but relatives and friends are generally reluctant to call by because they feel uncomfortable with the "royal environment".

"The palace complex is seen as magical," said another servant Hafid Permadi.

Hafid rented a house outside the palace complex because his relatives felt awkward. "The palace does not object to what I have done. Living outside the palace allows me to seek additional income."