Srengseng gears up for Islamic Betawi village

Srengseng gears up for Islamic Betawi village

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Dozens of young couples are sitting on benches along the bank of
a small lake, locally known as setu, in South Jakarta, while
others are busy fishing in the lake.

Day in day out, young and old people flock to Setu Babakan in
Srengseng Sawah, South Jakarta, which is to become the center
point of a planned Betawi village aimed at preserving the Betawi
culture in the capital.

"The area has long been used by young couples to pass their
weekends. They used to stay there until midnight before the city
administration limited visiting times," said Manta, the owner of
a food store located near the lake.

He said that since early 2003, the administration had limited
the visiting time to 7 p.m. after local residents complained drug
abuse, sexual activity and drinking. Since than security officers
at Setu Babakan close the gate and kick out all visitors at 7
p.m.

Drugs, sex and drink are theoretically taboo among the Betawi
people, who are mostly strong Muslims.

Manta said that courting couples had started visiting Setu
Babakan in the early 1990s after the city administration managed
to acquire the land surrounding the lake from squatters.

The Jakarta administration is planning to turn the 289-hectare
Srengseng Sawah subdistrict into a prestigious tourist and
cultural center offering the Betawi culture as its main
attraction.

The plan has received strong support from the City Council,
which has endorsed a city ordinance that envisages a Betawi
cultural village. The regulation requires the administration to
create a special subdistrict for the development of the Betawi
culture.

According to the ordinance, all physical development must take
into account the Betawi culture.

"We propose that all houses in the area should gradually adopt
Betawi motifs, and architects should impress visitors about the
strong Betawi tradition in the area," said Indra Sutisna, a
secretary to the management board of the Betawi cultural village.

It would appear that the job is not easy as, according to
another executive of the management board, there are only 75 out
of some 9,000 houses in the area that are built in the Betawi
style.

The area also lacks entertainment facilities, particularly for
families. However, there are water bicycles on the lake and an
open theater where Betawi cultural shows are performed every
Sunday.

Meanwhile, the kiosks built, roads and fish farms owned by
local people around the lake appear chaotic to the visitor.

"During the rainy season, the road is very slippery here. I
hope that the administration will soon construct a proper road
and provide more entertainment so that more people come here,"
said Manta, pointing to the dirt road in front of his food shop.

"The only points of interest here are the natural scenery and
the fresh air," he told The Jakarta Post.

Manta's comment was echoed by Indra, who said that more jobs
would be created if the administration was really serious about
developing the area into a prestigious cultural tourist
destination.

Work would be created by the construction of a four-kilometer
road around the lake, the development of a jogging track, parking
lot, and Betawi theater, and the widening of the lake.

"The most important thing is to invite local people to
participate in every stage of development so that they will
benefit from all the activities here," he said, adding that the
administration had organized training on food and souvenir making
for local people.